Sloan Wilson Book order (chronological)

“Call me anything but John Galt. That is my name, but it is also the name of my father and grandfather. I am not like them and the world they created is not the one I desire. The III after my name does not sufficiently set me apart.” With these words, famed scientist and nonfiction writer David Sloan Wilson launches a devastating critique of Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism and its impact on the world. Just as Rand advanced her ideas through fiction in addition to nonfiction, including her iconic novel Atlas Shrugged, Wilson pursues his quarry into the fictional realm with the story of John Galt III, the grandson of the main protagonist of Rand’s novel, and his quest to defeat the Evil Empire constructed by his father, grandfather, and grandmother—Ayn Rant.

Set against the backdrop of a summer vacation, this story explores the intertwining lives and secrets of its characters. Originally published in 1958, it delves into themes of love, betrayal, and the complexities of relationships, capturing the essence of a transformative summer. The book's popularity led to a film adaptation in 1959, featuring notable actors such as Troy Donahue and Sandra Dee, further solidifying its place in popular culture.

The following is the Author's Note: This novel is strictly fiction, but it is based on the blunt fact that drug smuggling is a multibillion-dollar industry nowadays, The files of The New York Times and Coast Guard and police records show that drug smuggling is as real, and as melodramatic, as any other kind of war. In addition to consulting official records, I have based this novel on many stories I heard during seven years of living aboard a yacht which was based in Miami and which often cruised the waters from Long Island Sound south to the Bahamas. As a World War II Coast Guard officer, I also was given much information by men who are still active in that embattled service. The Coast Guard could put a stop to activities of the sort described in this book, but it would need many more will-equipped ships, and many more men--in short, much money from Congress. Professional drug runners nowadays form a much bigger army and navy than the old rum runners ever did and they deal in vastly greater sums of money. Thousands of amateurs hear of all the "easy money" being made and try to get into the "action." The result is seldom reported because no one involved wants to talk about it. This book, of course is fiction. If it were factual, I'd be afraid to write it.

Universally acclaimed when it was first published in 1955, the novel captured the mood of a generation. It was a sensational best-seller that was made into an award-winning film with Gregory Peck, it was translated into twenty-six languages, and its title has become a permanent part of our vocabulary.