J. Neil Schulman

... is scheduled as the guest speaker for the 185th meeting of the Karl Hess Club, to convene on November 16, 2009.

J. Neil Schulman on "Are We Alongside Night?"

J. Neil Schulman's Prometheus Hall of Fame novel, Alongside Night, was published in 1979. That same year, speaking to the L.A. Libertarian Supper Club, Neil asked: "Are We Alongside Night?"

Tonight, Neil again asks that question.

Recent developments in the U.S. economy have renewed interest in Alongside Night. Last June, Neil's publishing company, Pulpless.com, released a PDF ebook edition of Alongside Night as a free download. By October, downloads surpassed 50,000 copies.

Alongside Night focuses on Elliot, the son of an economist and Nobel Laureate, living in a near future U.S. police state.The novel's projections of an American economic meltdown appear to reflect current events.

Milton Friedman called Alongside Night: "An absorbing novel-science fiction, yet also a cautionary tale with a disturbing resemblance to past history and future possibilities."

Anthony Burgess wrote: "It is a remarkable and original story, and the picture it presents of an inflation-crippled America on the verge of revolution is all too acceptable. I wish, and so will many novelists, that I, or they, had thought of the idea first. A thrilling novel, crisply written, that fires the imagination as effectively as it stimulates the feelings."

In 2009, Ron Paul said: "Alongside Night may be even more relevant today than it was in 1979. Hopefully, the special 30th anniversary edition of this landmark work of libertarian science fiction will inspire a new generation of readers to learn more about the ideas of liberty and become active in the freedom movement."

About the Speaker:

Neil has addressed the KHC several times, beginning with the KHC's first meeting in 1994. The KHC awarded him the SEKIII Memorial Chauntecleer Award in 2009.

Neil's website: AlongsideNight.com.

ADDENDUM

An mp3 file of Neil's KHC talk is available for download on his blog.