Beyond Chaos and Beyond

For over a decade (1987-1997), Robert Anton Wilson, co-author of the Illuminatus! trilogy and author of Cosmic Trigger, published a quarterly newsletter, Trajectories: The Journal of Futurism and Heresy, full of original articles, unpublished fiction and outrageous opinion. The 1994 book Chaos and Beyond collected the best essays from the first ten issues of the newsletter; this sequel, Beyond Chaos and Beyond, preserves the best of the final issues, including an excerpt from RAW’s unfinished sequel to Illuminatus!, transcripts of audio and video issues, and transcripts of the several videos featuring RAW produced specifically for his globe-girdling fan base. Additional material includes a rare 1977 interview with RAW; a major essay on Philip K. Dick, as well as RAW’s comments from a PKD documentary; transcripts of RAW’s 1978 PBS appearances discussing The Prisoner; and a 30,000-word essay by the editor detailing his 30-plus-year association with Wilson. Beyond Chaos and Beyond is essential reading for hardcore fans of Robert Anton Wilson’s extraordinary work and life.'I agree with the Oriental teachers who say it’s very important to be careful what you feed into your nervous system. I prefer to feed my nervous system on images of heroic things that human beings have accomplished, or could accomplish. I like to read biographies of people of great courage and people of wisdom and so on. I would much rather program myself with things that give me an idea that we can all be sublime creatures, which I think we can, rather than with the programming that we are merely the most vicious beasts loose on the planet. Mark Twain, by the way, said the same thing as I’ve just said. He said, 'Don’t associate with people who have a low view of humanity; it’ll give you a low view of yourself.' Associate only with people who are heroic and striving. I agree with that.'- Robert Anton Wilson, Beyond Chaos and Beyond