The Historical Illuminatus Chronicles

"The Historical Illuminatus Chronicles" is a series of three novels by Robert Anton Wilson written as a follow-up trilogy to his highly successful "The Illuminatus! Trilogy". His co-author from the original series, Robert Shea, was not involved in this series, providing only a praiseworthy blurb.

It is composed of three books: "The Earth Will Shake" (1982) ISBN 1-56184-162-5, "The Widow's Son" (1985) ISBN 1-56184-163-3, and "Nature's God" (1991) ISBN 1-56184-164-1. A fourth book, "The World Turned Upside Down", was promised at the end of "Nature's God" but has yet to be seen. Wilson (d. January 11, 2007) had stated he intended the Chronicles to be a pentalogy. [http://www.nii.net/~obie/1988_interview.htm David A. Banton interview of RAW 1988 for KFJC, 89.7 FM in Los Altos Hills, California] (URL accessed 16 February, 2007)] There is an audiobook of the first novel read by Scott Crisp. [http://www.deepleafaudio.com/theearthwillshake.htm]

It concerns the adventures of Sigismundo Celine, an ancestor of the Hagbard Celine character from the Illuminatus! Trilogy, as he blunders through Europe and America during the Enlightenment, constantly fighting to escape becoming a part of history.

In an interview Wilson did with James Wallis of ESTWeb, Wallis mentioned "someone held up a fast-food restaurant demanding $100,000, a helicopter and a copy of "The Widow's Son." Wilson was familiar with the case, which he said happened in Atlanta, Georgia where Kenneth Lamar Noid felt he was being insulted by a pizza commercial. [http://media.hyperreal.org/zines/est/intervs/raw.html James Wallis, "Robert Anton Wilson Interview" 27 February, 1991] (URL accessed 16 February, 2007)]

Notes and references

External links

* [http://www.iblist.com/series90.htm Internet Book List series information]
* [http://www.rawilson.com/earthshake.html "The Earth Will Shake" excerpt @ Robert A. Wilson's website]
* [http://www.rawilson.com/widowson.html "The Widow's Son" excerpt @ Robert A. Wilson's website]