Meeting of the Board
"Meeting of the Board" is a science fiction novel written by Alan Edward Nourse in 1957. The story follows a group of scientists and businessmen who are invited to attend a mysterious meeting on a remote island. Once they arrive, they discover that they are actually part of a psychological experiment designed to test their reactions to a series of increasingly bizarre and disturbing events. As the participants struggle to make sense of what is happening around them, they begin to question their own sanity and the true nature of reality. The novel explores themes of paranoia, conformity, and the blurring of lines between reality and fantasy, making it a thought-provoking and unsettling read.
By Alan Edward Nourse · First published 1981 · Genre: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Speculative Fiction · 7,073 words
First lines
It was going to be a bad day. As he pushed his way nervously through the crowds toward the Exit Strip, Walter Towne turned the dismal prospect over and over in his mind. The potential gloominess of this particular day had descended upon him the instant the morning buzzer had gone off, making it even more tempting than usual just to roll over and forget about it all. Twenty minutes later, the water-douse came to drag him, drenched and gurgling, back to the cruel cold world. He had wolfed down his morning Koffee-Kup with one eye on the clock and one eye on his growing sense of impending crisis. And now, to make things just a trifle worse, he was going to be late again.
What this Textopian page supports
Meeting of the Board is listed on Textopian as a novel by Alan Edward Nourse, dated 1981 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Alan Edward Nourse
- Date: 1981 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Speculative Fiction, Business
- Length: 7,073 words
- Structure: 1 section, 144 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Meeting of the Board by Alan Edward Nourse
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Meeting of the Board?
- How does this novel by Alan Edward Nourse fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Science Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Martyr by Alan Edward Nourse
- The Brain Sinner by Alan Edward Nourse
- Marleys Chain by Alan Edward Nourse
- With These Hands by C. M. Kornbluth
- Star Surgeon by Alan Edward Nourse
- The Defenders by Philip K. Dick
Genres
- Science Fiction — The book revolves around a futuristic theme of business meetings being conducted through telepathic communication, which falls under the science fiction genre.
- Short Stories — While the main plot revolves around the concept of telepathic communication in boardrooms, the book is a collection of multiple self-contained stories, making it also fit into the short stories genre.
- Speculative Fiction — The book's theme involves speculation about future technology and societal practices, making it fit the speculative fiction genre.
- Business — Though depicted in a futuristic and surreal manner, the core theme of the book revolves around business meetings which can be linked to the business genre, even if subtly.
Tags
back · bailey · board · company · could · day · desk · dividends · even · fiction · get · industrial relations