The extent to which the Church of Scientology supported Auditor 202’s career and perceived success is gradually coming to light, despite his very public and apparently untruthful denials.
Neil Gaiman has consistently stated that he is not a Scientologist, despite his family’s deep ties to the Church of Scientology. In a 2013 interview with The Guardian, Neil addressed rumors about his involvement with the church, suggesting that he had not been a practicing member since becoming an adult.
However, some documentary evidence has surfaced which appears to directly contradict this claim, especially since he appears to have still been completing Scientology courses between the ages of 26 and 28, and to have been a donating member in good standing at the age of 49.
- Neil Gaiman’s name appears in graduate lists in The Auditor Worldwide (published by AOSH UK copyright 1986) as Auditor #202. Neil is listed as completing three courses: the Hubbard Senior Sec Checker Course #222 (1988), the 21 Dept Org Board Course #227 (1988) and the Hubbard Basic Art Course.
- Cornerstone Newsletter, November 2009: List of Members in GOOD STANDING: MARY AND NEIL GAIMAN ($35,000.00)
It would also appear The Simpsons saw through Neil Gaiman all along. While some might think that Gaiman being in on the joke would tend to exonerate him, that’s not the way imposters play the game. It’s just what the psychological operators call Revelation of the Method, or blown cover as cover.
“The Book Job” is the sixth episode of the twenty-third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 20, 2011. In the episode, Lisa is shocked to discover that all popular young-adult novels are conceived by book publishing executives through use of market research and ghostwriters to make money. Homer decides to get rich by making a fantasy novel about trolls, with help from Bart, Principal Skinner, Patty, Moe, Professor Frink, and author Neil Gaiman. Lisa does not think writing should be about money, and decides to write her own novel.
However, when Lisa opens a copy of the book, she discovers that Gaiman is listed as the author, not her. It turns out that by slipping a third flash drive with his name onto Lisa’s possession with his secret co-conspirator Moe’s help, Gaiman has heisted his way to the best-seller list “once again” despite being illiterate. During the credits, Gaiman and Moe celebrate with a toast at Shelbyville Beach, but Gaiman double-crosses Moe and poisons his drink.
Whether Gaiman is, or is no longer, a Scientologist remains an open question. The more interesting question, of course, is what percentage of those 50 million books Gaiman has reportedly sold were purchased by members of the Church of Scientology. Because Gen Xers will recall another erstwhile Scientologist who wrote science fiction novels that appeared even more often on the bestseller charts, and for much longer periods of time, an author by the name of L. Ron Hubbard.