Robert Anton Wilson died yesterday, after a long illness. As author of the Illuminatus! trilogy, Cosmic Trigger, and Masks of the Illuminati, his creativity and his irreverent outlook on politics had a tremendous influence on me. Be sure and read R.U. Sirius's tribute today, as it says what I wish I could.
On his blog, Bob's care-givers wrote this final entry:
Robert Anton Wilson Defies Medical Experts and leaves his body @4:50 AM on binary date 01/11.
All Hail Eris!
On behalf of his children and those who cared for him, deepest love and gratitude for the tremendous support and lovingness bestowed upon us.
But this is what Bob had to say previously:
Wavy Gravy once asked a Zen Roshi, "What happens after death?"
The Roshi replied, "I don't know."
Wavy protested, "But you're a Zen Master!"
"Yes," the Roshi admitted, "but I'm not a dead Zen Master."
LONG before Dan Brown milked the Illuminati and other hermetic lore masters for Da Vinci Crud bucks, RAW's "Illuminati Trilogy" was breaking ground for its radical narrative shifts and intricate mixture of pseudo-history, political paranoia and dolphins. With the exception of Stein, Joyce and a few others, reading RAW was one of the most challenging things I've ever done.
Now he's gone and we'll NEVER know what happened to Sigismund Celine in the New World.
Bummer.
Posted by: Anthony | January 12, 2007 at 07:15 AM
I thought of that. The Historical Illuminati Chronicles - that was a very promising (sci-fi?) series.
Posted by: pam | January 12, 2007 at 08:09 AM
I think I would be sadder if I did not suspect that he was trying to explain Schrödinger's cat to Sam Clemens and Robert Heinlein. I do hope that the energy and spirit of RAW lives on in humor, pulling the tail feathers of overblown egos that have passed on, or are still on this plane of eris.
Posted by: bb | January 12, 2007 at 10:03 AM
That *is* a nice piece by R.U. Sirius. Who is a trip in his own right.
Posted by: Dan | January 12, 2007 at 10:24 AM