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Need To Know

Above Black - (Project Book Club)

Need To Know

Bryce Zabel

Society & Culture, News

4.7548 Ratings

🗓️ 22 September 2025

⏱️ 54 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode of Project Book Club, Bryce Zabel and Chrissy Newton dive headfirst into Above Black, a gripping memoir by Dan Sherman that claims to reveal a classified U.S. government program involving alien communication. The conversation explores Sherman's military background, his alleged psychic training, and the controversial Project Preserve Destiny (PPD).

The hosts dissect Sherman's assertions with curiosity and caution, pondering how much might be metaphor, misdirection, or an overlooked piece of a larger puzzle. Throughout the episode, Bryce and Chrissy reflect on the thematic layers within the book—namely, the relationship between military intelligence and psychic phenomena. They examine the plausibility of government-run telepathic programs, especially within the broader historical context of MK-Ultra, Stargate, and recent claims by whistleblowers like David Grusch. With a nod to current headlines and Disclosure-era momentum, the hosts weigh whether Sherman's story could be an early breadcrumb trail or part of a clever disinformation campaign.

A key tension arises between the need for discernment and the appeal of compelling narratives. The hosts don't shy away from questioning Above Black's reliability, but they also acknowledge its unique place in the UFO literary canon. As Bryce says, sometimes the stories that seem the strangest can end up being strangely prophetic. The episode ends with reflections on the value of exploring even the more fringe accounts—especially when Disclosure itself is becoming increasingly mainstream.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Welcome to Project Book Club, where UFOs and UAP have close encounters with morning coffee.

0:08.3

Grab a fresh mug and enjoy our steaming hot takes on this month's book that deals with anomalous phenomena.

0:15.6

Brand new, classic, and often controversial.

0:19.2

We talk about the ideas and we read between the lines. Now here's

0:24.2

Bryce Sable in Hollywood and Chrissy Newton in Toronto. Good morning, everybody. Welcome back to

0:30.8

Project Book Club. As you know, Bryce and I break down some of your favorite UAAP book, some that you

0:36.3

might know, some you might not know.

0:38.7

And we break down and get into the nitty gritties of them.

0:42.5

But before we get into our book of this month, Bryce, you have to tell me you have been

0:47.3

extremely busy, busier than I've been.

0:50.9

I was busy last month.

0:52.1

You were very busy this month.

0:54.0

Can you tell us what you've

0:54.8

been doing? Well, September's always a busy time for me because, as you know, I used to be the

1:00.2

chairman of the TV Academy, which means I have lifetime tickets to the Emmys, which means in September

1:07.2

there are three Emmy events I go to. The Creative Arts, the week before prime time, has two different events.

1:14.1

So you go Saturday and Sunday.

1:16.4

And then the prime time is on Sunday the week later.

1:21.1

And at the same time, Chrissy, to be honest with you, like I've just become a grandfather

1:25.9

for the second time this month. So welcoming little

1:29.7

Remy into our lives. And in a week, my youngest son is getting married. So it's crazy time around

1:37.9

here. Just crazy time. But good. It's good crazy time. Congratulations, too. That's so amazing.

...

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