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:''Illuminatus redirects here. For other uses of Illuminati, see Illuminati (disambiguation) .'' ''The Illuminatus! Trilogy'' is a '' (1977), page 145. ISBN 1561840033 The trilogy is a Satirical , Postmodern , Science Fiction -influenced adventure story; a Drug - and Sex -laden trek through a number of Conspiracy Theories , both historical and imaginary, which hinge around the authors' version of the Illuminati . The narrative often switches between Third and First Person perspectives and jumps around in time. It is thematically dense, covering topics like Counterculture , Numerology and Discordianism . The three books that comprise the trilogy are ''The Eye in the Pyramid'', ''The Golden Apple'' and ''Leviathan''. They were first published starting in September 1975, as three separate volumes, and in 1984 as an 2006 ) The authors went on to create several works, both fiction and nonfiction, that further discussed the themes of the trilogy, but no direct sequels were produced. ''Illuminatus!'' has been adapted for the stage, and has influenced several modern writers, musicians and games-makers. The popularity of the word " Fnord " and the 23 Enigma can both be attributed to the trilogy. It remains a Seminal work of Conspiracy Fiction , predating '' Foucault's Pendulum '' and '' The Da Vinci Code '' by decades. NARRATIVE The plot meanders between the thoughts, hallucinations and inner voices (both real and imagined) of its many characters, as well as through time (past, present and future)—sometimes in mid-sentence. Much of the back story is explained via dialogue between characters, who recount unreliable, often mutually contradictory, versions of their supposed histories. There are even parts in the book where it actually reviews and jokingly Deconstructs itself. Plot summary The trilogy's rambling story begins with an investigation by two New York City detectives (Saul Goodman and Barney Muldoon) into the bombing of ''Confrontation'', a Leftist magazine, and the disappearance of its editor, Joe Malik. Discovering the magazine's investigation into the John F. Kennedy , Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. , assassinations, the two follow a trail of memos containing cryptic clues that suggest the involvement of powerful secret societies. They slowly become drawn into a web of conspiracy theories. At the same time, the magazine's reporter, George Dorn, having been turned loose without support deep in Right-wing Mad Dog, Texas , is arrested for possession of drugs. He is jailed and physically threatened, at one point hallucinating about his own execution. The prison is bombed and he is finally rescued by a group of strangers. He finds himself being bodily dragged into the hands of the Discordians , led by the enigmatic Hagbard Celine , captain of a golden submarine designed and built by himself. Hagbard represents the Discordians in their eternal battle against the Illuminati, the conspiratorial organization that secretly controls the world. He finances his operations with gold from the undersea remains of Atlantis . The plot meanders circuitously and Non-linearly around the globe to such far-flung locations as Las Vegas, Nevada (where a potentially deadly, secret USA government-developed mutated Anthrax epidemic has been accidentally unleashed); Atlantis (where Howard, the talking Porpoise , and his porpoise aides help Hagbard battle the Illuminati); Chicago, Illinois (where someone resembling John Dillinger was killed many years ago); and to the island of Fernando Poo (the location of the next great Cold War standoff between Russia , China and the USA). The evil scheme uncovered late in the tale is an attempt to '' Immanentize The Eschaton '' (a catchphrase meaning "bringing about the end of the world" or "creating heaven on earth", and derived from a quotation in the works of Eric Voegelin ). Here it refers to the secret scheme of The American Medical Association , an evil rock-and-roll band, to bring about a mass Human Sacrifice , the purpose of which is the release of enough "life-energy" to give eternal life to a select group of initiates, including among others Adolf Hitler . The AMA are four siblings who comprise four of the five mysterious Illuminati Primi. The identity of the fifth remains unknown. The first European " Woodstock " festival, held at Ingolstadt , Bavaria , Germany , is the chosen location for the sacrifice of the unwary victims, via the reawakening of hibernating Nazi battalions from the bottom of nearby Lake Totenkopf. The plot is foiled when, with the help of a 50-foot-tall incarnation of the goddess Eris , the four heads of the Illuminati are killed. Wilhelm is killed by the monstrous alien being Yog-Sothoth , Wolfgang is shot by John Dillinger, Winifred is drowned by porpoises and Werner is trapped in a sinking car. The major protagonists, now gathered together onboard the submarine, are menaced by the Leviathan , a giant, pyramid-shaped single-cell Sea Monster that has been growing in size for millennia. The over-the-top nature of this encounter leads some of the characters to question whether they are merely characters in a book. This Metafiction al note is swiftly rejected (or ignored) as they turn their attention to the monster again. The threat is neutralized by offering up their onboard computer as something for the creature to communicate with to ease its loneliness. Finally, Hagbard Celine reveals himself as the fifth Illuminatus Primus—he has been toying with both sides and playing them off against each other in order to keep balance. He is a representative of the "true" Illuminati, whose aim is to spread the idea that everybody is free to do whatever they want at all times. Titles The titles of the three volumes or parts (the front covers were titled ''Illuminatus! Part I The Eye in the Pyramid'', ''Illuminatus! Part II The Golden Apple'' and ''Illuminatus! Part III Leviathan'') refer to recurring symbols that relate to elements of the plot. ''The Eye in the Pyramid'' refers to the Eye Of Providence , which in the novel represents in particular the Bavarian Illuminati , and makes a number of appearances (for example, as an altar and a tattoo). ''The Golden Apple'' refers to the Golden Apple of discord, from the Greek Myth of the Judgement Of Paris . In the trilogy it is used as the symbol of the Legion of Dynamic Discord, a Discordian group; the golden apple makes a number of appearances, for example, on a Black Flag , and as an emblem on a uniform. ''Leviathan'' refers to the Biblical sea monster Leviathan, which is a potential danger to Hagbard's submarine the ''Lief Erickson''. The three parts of the trilogy are subdivided into five "books" named after the five seasons of the " states: "Where are the missing eight appendices? Answer: Censored." This appears to be another of the authors' jokes, although it is true that eight letters of the Hebrew Alphabet are missing, and the publisher required the authors to cut 500 pages from the book.Wilson has stated in an online forum for his Maybe Logic Academy "Missing appendices among the 500 pages cut when Dell announced they wd only risk investment in 800 pages." Wilson, Robert Anton (2004). "Simple Questions - not necessarily simple answers" Illuminatus!: The First Trip forum, ''Maybe Logic Academy'' PUBLISHING HISTORY The trilogy was originally written between 1969 and 1971 while Wilson and Shea were both associate editors for '' 2006 ) In a 1980 interview given to the science fiction magazine ''Starship'', Wilson suggested the novel was also an attempt to build a myth around Discordianism : There was no specific division of labor in the collaborative writing process, although Shea's writing tended towards melodrama, while Wilson's parts tended towards satire. Wilson states in a 1976 interview conducted by Neal Wilgus:
According to Ken Campbell , who created a stage adaptation of ''Illuminatus!'' with Chris Langham , the writing process was treated as a game of one-upmanship between the two co-authors, and was an enjoyable experience for both: The unusual end product did not appeal to publishers, and it took several years before anybody agreed to take it on. According to Wilson the division of ''Illuminatus!'' into three parts was a commercial decision of the publisher, not of him and Shea, as the authors conceived it as a single continuous volume. Publishers Dell also required Shea and Wilson to cut 500 pages to reduce printing costs on what was seen as a risky venture,HELLOalthough Wilson states that most of the ideas contained therein made it into his later works. The idea that the top secrets of the Illuminati were cut from the books because the printer decided to trim the number of pages is a joke typical of the trilogy. Dell first released these individual editions (with covers illustrated by Carlos Victor) in the USA in 1975 , to favorable reviews and some commercial success. It became a cult favorite but did not cross over into large mainstream sales. In Britain , Sphere Books released the individual editions (with different cover art) in 1978 . The individual editions sold steadily until 1984 , when the trilogy was republished in a single Omnibus volume for the first time. This collected edition lost the "what has gone before" introduction to ''The Golden Apple'' and the "Prologue" to ''Leviathan''. Some of the material in that foreword, such as the self-destruct Mynah birds, appears nowhere else in the trilogy, likely a result of the 500 pages of cuts demanded by Dell. The omnibus edition gave a new lease of life to flagging sales, and became the most commonly available form of the trilogy from then on. The trilogy was translated and published in 2006 ) THEMES ''The Illuminatus! Trilogy'' covers a wide range of subjects within its 805 pages. These include discussions about mythology, current events, conspiracy theories and the Cthulhu Mythos . Conspiracies Although the many conspiracy theories in the book are (presumably) imaginary, these are mixed in with enough truth to make them seem plausible. For example, the title of the first book, ''The Eye in the Pyramid'', refers to the , Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin were members. Such theories are alluded to in the Illuminati Project Memo #7 in ''The Eye in the Pyramid'' which alleges Jefferson and George Washington were members. The books are loaded with references to the Illuminati, the 2006 ) Proponents of this theory point to Washington's portrait on the United States One-dollar Bill , which they suggest closely resembles the face of Weishaupt. Fnord One of the most well-known conceits in the book is the '' Fnord '', a word coined by the writers of '' Principia Discordia '' and given meaning by Shea and Wilson for ''Illuminatus!'' which has since been adopted in numerous other contexts. It makes its first appearance in ''The Illuminatus! Trilogy'' without any explanation: "The only good fnord is a dead fnord"''The Eye in the Pyramid'', page 280. Several other unexplained appearances follow. Only much later in the story is the secret revealed, when Joe Malik is hypnotized by Hagbard Celine to recall suppressed memories of his first-grade teacher training his class to ignore the fnords: "If you don't see the fnord it can't eat you, don't see the fnord, don't see the fnord..."''The Golden Apple'', page 255 It is a type of 2006 ) Numerology 2006 ) Counterculture The books were written at the height of the late 1960s, and are infused with the popular 2006 ) The prevalence of to achieve higher states of consciousness, in line with the beliefs of key counterculture figures like Timothy Leary . Leary himself called the trilogy "more important than '' Ulysses '' or '' Finnegans Wake ''". This quote is Blurb ed on the covers or front page of its various printings. Cognitive dissonance Every view of 2006 ). This Postmodern lack of belief in Consensus Reality is a cornerstone of the semi-humorous Chaos -based religion of Discordianism . Extracts from its sacred text, the '' Principia Discordia '' by Malaclypse The Younger , are extensively quoted throughout the trilogy. It incorporates and shares many themes and contexts from ''Illuminatus''. Shea and Wilson Dedicated the first part "To Gregory Hill and Kerry Thornley ", the founders of the religion. The key Discordian practice known as " Operation Mindfuck " is exemplified in the character of Markoff Chaney (a play on the mathematical random process called Markov Chain ). He is an anti-social dwarf who engages in subtle practical joking in a deliberate attempt to cause social confusion. One such joke involves the forging and placing of signs that are signed by "The Mgt." (leading people to believe they are from "The Management" instead of "The Midget") that contain absurdities like "Slippery when wet. Maintain 50mph." Self-reference There are several parts in the book where it reviews and jokingly deconstructs itself. The fictional journalist Epicene Wildeblood at one point is required to critique a book uncannily similar to ''The Illuminatus! Trilogy'': Several protagonists come to the realization that they are merely fictional characters, or at least begin to question the reality of their situation. George Dorn wonders early on: "if I was in some crazy surrealist movie, wandering from telepathic sheriffs to homosexual assassins, to nympho lady Masons, to psychotic pirates, according to a script written in advance by two acid-heads and a Martian humorist".''The Eye in the Pyramid'', pages 83-84 Hagbard Celine claims towards the climax that the entire story is a computer-generated synthesis of random conspiracies: "I can fool the rest of you, but I can't fool the reader. FUCKUP has been working all morning, correlating all the data on this caper and its historical roots, and I programmed him to put it in the form of a novel for easy reading. Considering what a lousy job he does at poetry, I suppose it will be a High-camp novel, intentionally or unintentionally."''Leviathan'', page 509 Allusions to other works For a work of fiction, ''Illuminatus!'' contains a lot of references to songs, films, articles, novels and other media. This is partly because the characters themselves are involved in doing research, but it is also a trademark of Wilson's writing. The novel '' Telemachus Sneezed'' by the character Atlanta Hope with its catchphrase "What is John Guilt?" is a spoof of Ayn Rand 's Atlas Shrugged .Wagner, Eric (2004). ''An Insider's Guide to Robert Anton Wilson'', page 98. Ayn Rand is mentioned by name a few times in ''Illuminatus!'' herself, and her novel is alluded to by Hagbard who says, "If Atlas can Shrug and Telemachus can Sneeze, why can't Satan Repent?" There are also references to Thomas Pynchon 's '' The Crying Of Lot 49 '' and his '' Gravity's Rainbow '', an equally enormous experimental novel concerning liberty and paranoia that was published two years prior to ''Illuminatus!'' Wilson claims his book was already complete by the time he and Shea read Pynchon's novel (which went on to win several awards), but they then went back and made some modifications to the text before its final publication to allude to Pynchon's work.HELLO Author H.P. Lovecraft is alluded to a lot, with many mentions of characters (e.g., Robert Harrison Blake , Henry Armitage , Klarkash-Ton ), monsters (e.g., Tsathoggua , Yog-Sothoth ), books ('' Necronomicon '', '' Unaussprechlichen Kulten '') and places ( Miskatonic University ) from his Cthulhu Mythos . He even appears himself as a character, as does his aunt Annie Gamwell and one of his acquaintances, Hart Crane . Interest in Lovecraft reached new heights in 1975, with two full-length Biographies published in the same year as ''The Illuminatus! Trilogy''. LITERARY SIGNIFICANCE The books have received laudatory reviews and comments from '' Playboy '', '' Publishers Weekly '', the American Library Association 's '' Booklist '' magazine, '' Philadelphia Daily News '', '' Berkeley Barb '', '' Rolling Stone '' and ''Limit''. '' The Village Voice '' called it "The ultimate conspiracy book ... the biggest sci-fi-cult novel to come along since '' Dune '' ... hilariously raunchy!" John White of the ''New Age Journal'' described it as: '' The Fortean Times '' was also enthusiastic, whilst acknowledging the difficulties many readers would have attempting to follow the convoluted plot threads: ''Illuminatus!'' even garnered some attention outside of literary criticism, having several pages devoted to it in a chapter on the American New Right in ''Architects of Fear: Conspiracy Theories and Paranoia in American Politics'' by George Johnson (1983) ''Architects of Fear: Conspiracy Theories and Paranoia in American Politics'' by George Johnson (1983) ISBN 0874772753. In more recent years, it was complimented in the bibliography to the '' New Hackers Dictionary '' as a book that can help readers "understand the Hacker mindset," though it had been written before Home Computer s. The Dictionary described it as: It was also included in the "Slack Syllabus" in ''The Official Slacker Handbook'' by Sarah Dunn (1994) ''The Official Slacker Handbook'' by Sarah Dunn (1994) ISBN 0446670588, a satirical guide aimed at Generation X . FOLLOW-UPS Wilson and Robert Shea went on to become prolific authors. While Shea concentrated mainly on historical novels, Wilson produced over 30 works, mixing fictional novels with nonfiction. Although both authors' later work often elaborated on concepts first discussed in ''Illuminatus!'', the pair never collaborated again. The trilogy inspired a number of direct adaptations, including a stage play and a comic book series, and numerous indirect adaptations that borrowed from its themes. Shea and Wilson Wilson subsequently wrote a number of '', a standalone work entitled '' Masks Of The Illuminati '' and a direct spin-off from the original work entitled '' The Illuminati Papers ''—among others. Many of Wilson's other works, fictional and nonfictional, also make reference to the Illuminati or the ''Illuminatus!'' books. Several of the characters from ''Illuminatus!'', for example, Markoff Chaney ("The Midget") and Epicene Wildeblood, return in Wilson's '' Schrödinger's Cat Trilogy '', which also carries on some of its themes. The third book of the ''Cat'' trilogy, ''The Homing Pigeons'', is actually mentioned as a sequel to ''Illuminatus!'' in "Appendix Mem". Wilson and Shea did plan to collaborate again on a true sequel, ''Bride of Illuminatus'', taking place in 2026. It was rumored that it would feature a resurrected Winifred Saure (the only female member of the American Medical Association) exerting her influence through 2006 ) Curiously, in ''Intelligence Agents'' by Timothy Leary (1996) ''Intelligence Agents'' by Timothy Leary (1996) ISBN 1561840386 he was credited with having already authored ''Son of Illuminatus'' in the 1980s. Shea, meanwhile, never wrote another ''Illuminatus!''-related book, although many of his later novels include references to the themes of that work. ''Locus'' Magazine describes Shea's Saracen novels as "Deep background for the ''Illuminatus'' trilogy". The Locus Index to Science Fiction Adaptations An audacious proposal by English actor, theatre philanthropist and comedian to 27 March 1977 . It initially opened in Liverpool on the November 23 , 1976 , and even featured ''Illuminatus!'' author Robert Anton Wilson as a naked extra in the Witches' Sabbat scene. Wilson himself was delighted with the adaptation, saying: In thanks, Wilson dedicated his '''' (1977) to "Ken Campbell and the Science-Fiction Theatre Of Liverpool, England." The 23-strong cast featured several actors, such as 2006 ) An attempt was made to adapt the trilogy in Comic Book form beginning in the 1980s, by "Eye N Apple Productions" headed by Mark Philip Steele. Steele met with Wilson in 1984 and subsequently obtained permission from Wilson's agent to adapt the trilogy. ''Illuminatus!'' #1 was issued in July 1987, then reissued in substantially revised form later that year by Rip Off Press (who had published an edition of the '' Principia Discordia '' in 1970). A second issue followed in 1990, and a third in March 1991, after which the venture was abandoned. Each comic covered one "trip" from the original trilogy, so had further issues followed this pattern, there would have been ten issues in total. The "new first issue" contained a letter from Bob Shea, who had seen the first issue and the materials for the next two. He wrote in part, "I'm delighted. I think it is very faithful to the novel and does a wonderful job of translating the spirit of the novel into a visual medium." The creators of the comic also made an ''Illuminatus!'' discussion room on Citadel Bulletin Board Systems . Influence The infamous 1980s computer German motion picture '' 23 '' told a dramatized version of his story. Robert Anton Wilson appears as himself. A 2006 ) On banner. Wick credits the game's inspiration to the ''Principia Discordia'' and the ''Illuminatus! Trilogy''. The game features the players as "Discordian Double Agents" infiltrating various conspiracy groups such as the Bavarian Illuminati and the Hashashim. ''The Illuminatus Trilogy!'' is steeped with references to the 1960s popular music scene (at one point a list of 200 fictional bands performing at the 2006 ) In general, ''The Illuminatus! Trilogy'' can be credited with popularizing the genre of 2006 ) EDITIONS Major English-language editionsMajor editions culled from four primary sources:
NOTES AND REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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