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J. Neil Schulman, R.I.P.

A longtime friend and stalwart of the libertarian movement, J. Neil Schulman, has passed (born April 16, 1953, died Aug. 10, 2019), according to libertarian Tom Knapp. I’ve been writing too many of these obituaries of libertarian luminary friends lately.1 His last tweet.

I read Neil’s libertarian sci-fi novels Alongside Night and The Rainbow Cadenza in college and law school. Neil was a decade older than me, but we somehow encountered each other, even before the Internet took full flower. In the late 1980s/early 90s we were on some fora together, such as the GEnie Science Fiction and Fantasy RoundTable, one of the early precursors to the Internet. I devoured his The Robert Heinlein Interview and Other Heinleiniana and even did a little review of it on the GEnie forum, which Neil appreciated and used for blurbs later on (he was never shy about that).2

We gradually become friends, via emails, phone calls, etc., though as I adopted an anti-intellectual property position at odds with Neil’s “logorights” theory, we started disagreeing substantively, at least on this issue, though we both remained fellow anarcho-libertarians.3 I had the pleasure to finally meet Neil in person at Libertopia in San Diego in 2012.4 He was physically frail even then; I recall that it took him almost 20 minutes to slowly ascend the stairs to the second floor of one building–my own talk against IP, if I recall, so he could sit in the back and lob criticisms during the Q&A–and I offered to help him up the stairs. He would not allow it, but did consent to my carrying his briefcase up the stairs for him to meet him at the top.

We stayed friends over the years and talked for many hours on the phone, many, many times.  Often I would muse that “I should have recorded this conversation.” He would chuckle and carry on. We did do a podcast together, one time,5 and, at his request, I agreed to write the “introduction” to one of his arguments for his ever-evolving version of IP (a term he often scorned). He was broad-minded enough to allow one of his opponents to write the introduction for his own work. That takes some balls, and integrity, and courage, and a bit of a sense of humor.6

A few months ago we talked several hours into the night, and I probed him in depth about his history: his childhood, his parents, his education, his early adulthood and profession and novels, and how he came to be where he was. He was self-honest and perceptive, and spoke on and on. It was a fascinating story. Several times I implored him: Neil, go ahead and admit you were wrong on IP, before it’s too late! Do it! You could do so much good, have a huge effect on this issue, given your pro-IP prominence. Now’s your chance! He would chuckle, change the subject–and carry on.

From my experience, Neil was a smart man, a decent man, and a good libertarian. He made some personal mistakes, like most of us do, and I don’t think he always very “practical” in life; in that way, he was very much the driven intellectual libertarian. Till the end, he was trying to find ways to monetize his various creative works, against all odds. I argued with him many hours when he had financial troubles, trying to exhort him to just get a normal job to pay the bills; ever the optimist, he thought a big payday might be just around the corner.

His health was an obvious issue, and it apparently finally caught up with him. My understanding is that Neil suffered a pulmonary embolism resulting in cardiac arrest, then multiple organ failure. He was in the hospital a couple days, with a low chance of survival, and that played out. Neil was a sweet and earnest soul, gentle and sincere and fervent, and a strong, strong believer in liberty, and truth, and justice. He made his mark on the libertarian movement, foremost and especially with his novel Alongside Night. I am honored and pleased I was able to know him and learn from him, and will miss him. Requiescet in pace, my friend.

Update: Other obituaries/remembrances:

  1. Justin Raimondo, R.I.P. (2019); Norman Stone (2019), Anthony de Jasay (2019), Ralph Raico (2016); Tibor Machan (2016). []
  2. See Book Review of Schulman, The Robert Heinlein Interview and Other Heinleiniana (1991). []
  3.  Replies to Neil Schulman and Neil Smith re IP; Reply to Schulman on the State, IP, and Carson; On J. Neil Schulman’s Logorights; Schulman: “If you copy my novel, I’ll kill you”; Schulman: Kinsella is “the foremost enemy of property rights”; Query for Schulman on Patents and Logorights; Kinsella v. Schulman on Logorights and IP. []
  4. KOL236 | Intellectual Nonsense: Fallacious Arguments for IP (Libertopia 2012). []
  5. KOL208 | Conversation with Schulman about Logorights and Media-Carried Property; see also KOL387 | The Great IP Debate of 1983: McElroy vs. Schulman. []
  6. “Introduction” to J. Neil Schulman’s Origitent: Why Original Content is Property. []
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{ 12 comments… add one }
  • J. W. Brophy August 12, 2019, 12:25 am

    Thank you for this Stephan, you were very kind to Neil in your obituary. I can see why an opponent would befriend you. I found my way here via the rabbit hole I descended into following a livestream by Michael Malice honoring Mr. Schulman. A livestream in which you ironically interrupted with a phone call to the afore mentioned troll and national treasure. If we knew each other I’m sure we would have much in common to discourse.

    Best wishes and Godspeed.

  • steve heller August 12, 2019, 7:36 pm

    I have confirmed his death by speaking with his sister.

  • Renard August 12, 2019, 8:06 pm

    A beautiful tribute.

  • Bevin Chu August 12, 2019, 10:01 pm

    His unpacking of the meaning of the 2A was brilliant. RIP, comrade.

  • Stephen Bone August 13, 2019, 8:51 pm

    Does anyone know why he was in Colorado Springs?

    • Stephan Kinsella August 21, 2019, 3:50 pm

      He had been evicted from his mother’s home and was living with a friend, I believe.

      • Margaret September 2, 2019, 6:37 pm

        He was staying with me, his sister, after having lost his house in Nevada to foreclosure.

        • Stephan Kinsella September 4, 2019, 12:15 pm

          When I spoke to him, he swore me to secrecy about his whereabouts and living arrangements. Good for you for putting him up.

    • Margaret September 2, 2019, 6:34 pm

      He was staying with me, his sister, after having lost his house in Nevada. :’-(

  • Mr Ecks August 15, 2019, 2:08 pm

    His most strange book was about his meeting with God-which did not seem to be a spoof. I hope that he has once again met with that Being and is safely exploring Paradise as we write.

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