Alongside Night
Encyclopedia
Alongside Night is a Prometheus Award winning dystopian novel
by science fiction
writer J. Neil Schulman
intended to articulate the principles of Agorism
, a form of left-libertarianism created by Samuel Edward Konkin III
, to whom Schulman had dedicated the work.
in 2009. It is currently in development for a feature film by Jesulu Productions(which Schulman owns and runs).
, where inflation is spiraling out of control and the government struggles to keep hold of its power. Trading in foreign currency has become illegal and many shops are subject to rationing. As a result there is a sprawling black market for almost all conceivable goods. The setting reflects the world as Samuel Edward Konkin III conceived it would be just prior to a successful agorist revolution.
) hearing of his father's apparent death and being rushed home from school.
He quickly discovers however that the death is fake, a plot concocted by his father (after receiving a tip-off) to escape arrest by the FBI who are rounding up "radicals" accused by the government of worsening the economic crisis.
Eliot is sent by his father to collect some gold coins that had been stored in a safe location, for use as hard currency during the families intended escape. However, upon his return Eliot finds his family to be missing.
Not long after, FBI agents enter the house searching for Eliot who manages to escape.
Eliot's escape leads him into contact with the Revolutionary Agorist Cadre, an organisation plotting the downfall of the US government through the means of counter-economics
. The cadre has grown strong over the years of its existence, and has its own militia and extensive underground network.
Eliot enlists the help of the Cadre, and meets Lorimer, a girl similarly on the run from the law.
As the novel progresses, government stability weakens still further, and they bring in tight controls on communication, travel and trade, however they fail to avert total collapse, leading to the private sector (unions, individuals, syndicates and many others) taking control of the old infrastructure.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
writer J. Neil Schulman
J. Neil Schulman
Joseph Neil Schulman is a novelist who wrote Alongside Night and The Rainbow Cadenza which both received the Prometheus Award, a libertarian science fiction award....
intended to articulate the principles of Agorism
Agorism
Agorism is a political philosophy founded by Samuel Edward Konkin III and developed with contributions by J. Neil Schulman that holds as its ultimate goal bringing about a society in which all "relations between people are voluntary exchanges – a free market." The term comes from the Greek...
, a form of left-libertarianism created by Samuel Edward Konkin III
Samuel Edward Konkin III
Samuel Edward Konkin III was the author of the New Libertarian Manifesto and a proponent of the political philosophy which he called agorism. Agorism is a leftward evolution of anarcho-capitalism, and subset of market anarchism...
, to whom Schulman had dedicated the work.
Introduction
It was first published in 1979 by Crown Publishers, with subsequent paperback editions released by Ace Books in 1982, Avon Books in 1987, Pulpless.com in 1999, and Amazon KindleAmazon Kindle
The Amazon Kindle is an e-book reader developed by Amazon.com subsidiary Lab126 which uses wireless connectivity to enable users to shop for, download, browse, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, and other digital media...
in 2009. It is currently in development for a feature film by Jesulu Productions(which Schulman owns and runs).
Setting
The story is set in United States on the brink of economic collapseEconomic collapse
There is no precise definition of an economic collapse. While some might consider a a severe, prolonged depression with high bankruptcy rates and high unemployment an economic collapse, others would additionally look for a breakdown in normal commerce, such as hyperinfalation, or even a sharp...
, where inflation is spiraling out of control and the government struggles to keep hold of its power. Trading in foreign currency has become illegal and many shops are subject to rationing. As a result there is a sprawling black market for almost all conceivable goods. The setting reflects the world as Samuel Edward Konkin III conceived it would be just prior to a successful agorist revolution.
Plot
The story begins with Eliot Vreeland, son of Nobel Laureate economist Dr Martin Vreeland (an economist of the Austrian schoolAustrian School
The Austrian School of economics is a heterodox school of economic thought. It advocates methodological individualism in interpreting economic developments , the theory that money is non-neutral, the theory that the capital structure of economies consists of heterogeneous goods that have...
) hearing of his father's apparent death and being rushed home from school.
He quickly discovers however that the death is fake, a plot concocted by his father (after receiving a tip-off) to escape arrest by the FBI who are rounding up "radicals" accused by the government of worsening the economic crisis.
Eliot is sent by his father to collect some gold coins that had been stored in a safe location, for use as hard currency during the families intended escape. However, upon his return Eliot finds his family to be missing.
Not long after, FBI agents enter the house searching for Eliot who manages to escape.
Eliot's escape leads him into contact with the Revolutionary Agorist Cadre, an organisation plotting the downfall of the US government through the means of counter-economics
Counter-economics
Counter-economics is a term originally used by Samuel Edward Konkin III and J. Neil Schulman, libertarian activists and theorists. Konkin defined it as "the study and/or practice of all peaceful human action which is forbidden by the State." The term is short for "counter-establishment economics"...
. The cadre has grown strong over the years of its existence, and has its own militia and extensive underground network.
Eliot enlists the help of the Cadre, and meets Lorimer, a girl similarly on the run from the law.
As the novel progresses, government stability weakens still further, and they bring in tight controls on communication, travel and trade, however they fail to avert total collapse, leading to the private sector (unions, individuals, syndicates and many others) taking control of the old infrastructure.
Influence
According to an interview with the administrator of the "Silk Road" underground website, conducted by Michael George of ABC Actions News in Tampa Florida, "The idea originated from Schulman's 'Alongside Night' ..."External links
- Alongside Night Official Novel Website
- Alongside Night Free 30th Anniversary PDF Download
- Alongside Night Official Movie Website
- Alongside Night Alongside Night Novel Page on Facebook
- Alongside Night Alongside Night Movie Page on Facebook