Robert Shea

Robert Joseph Shea (February 14, 1933 - March 10, 1994) was the co-author (with Robert Anton Wilson) of The Illuminatus! Trilogy.

Robert Shea met Robert Anton Wilson in the late 1960s, when both were working in the editorial department of Playboy. Before long, they decided to collaborate on a novel that would combine sex, drugs, alternative religions, anarchism, and conspiracy theory, which became Illuminatus!. While they remained close friends for life, they had philosophical and political disagreements, and these enriched the book, helping to make it a dialogic novel in which no single point of view is privileged.

On his own, Shea went on to write historical novels, including Shike (1981), All Things Are Lights (1986), and The Saracen, a novel published in two volumes in 1989 depicting the struggle between a blond Muslim warrior called Daoud ibn Abdullah and his French crusader adversary Simon de Gobignon. His last book was the Native American tale Shaman (1991). These stories were straightforward beginning-middle-end tales, but included a few sly hints about the subjects of Illuminatus!

For several years, Shea edited the anarchist zine No Governor. The title comes from a quote attributed to Zhuangzi, "There is no governor anywhere." The zine was mentioned in and read by one of the characters in Illuminatus!.

Clipped from the Robert J. Shea Tribute page:

Robert Joseph Shea attended Manhattan Prep, Manhattan College and Rutgers University and worked as a magazine editor in New York and Los Angeles. In the 60's he edited the Playboy Forum where he met Robert Anton Wilson, with whom he collaborated on Illuminatus! After publishing Illuminatus!, Bob left Playboy to become a full time novelist. His novels include: Shike, set in medieval Japan. All Things Are Lights, a story that entwines the fate of Cathars of southern France with the occult traditions of Courtly Love and the troubadours. The Saracen, describing the intricate politics of medieval Italy through the eyes of an Islamic warrior. Shaman, tracing the fate of the survivors of the Black Hawk War in 19th century Illinois. Lady Yang, a tragic story of an idealistic empress of medieval China.

All Things Are Lights and the outline for Children of Earthmaker have been released under a Creative Commons license and are available to read and copy at Robert Shea's website. Three of his lectures and two panel discussions he participated in were recorded when he was a featured speaker at both the Starwood Festival and the WinterStar Symposium (both with and without Robert Anton Wilson). He also offered the only public reading from his unfinished novel Children of Earthmaker at the WinterStar Symposium.

Robert Shea is survived by his son, Michael E. Shea.

Bibliography

• The Illuminatus! Trilogy 1975 (with Robert Anton Wilson)
  • The Eye in the Pyramid
  • The Golden Apple
  • Leviathan
• Shike 1981
  • Time of the Dragons
  • Last of the Zinja
• All Things Are Lights [1] 1986
• From No Man's Land to Plaza De Lago 1987
• The Saracen 1989
  • Land of the Infidel
  • The Holy War
• Shaman 1991
• Children of Earthmaker

Recorded lectures & panel discussions

• A Meeting With Robert Shea
• Writing and Mysticism
• Magic in the Central Empire
• The Once and Future Legend (panel discussion with Ariana Lightningstorm, Patricia Monaghan, Jeff Rosenbaum, Rev. Ivan Stang, and Robert Anton Wilson)
• What IS the Conspiracy, Anyway? (Panel Discussion with Anodea Judith, Jeff Rosenbaum, Rev. Ivan Stang, and Robert Anton Wilson)

External links

• Robert Shea's Official Website: Robert J. Shea's official website maintained by his son, Michael E. Shea. The site includes creative commons licensed versions of All Things Are Lights and other works.