Robert Joseph Shea (February 14, 1933 – March 10, 1994) was an American

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

and former

journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

best known as co-author with Robert Anton Wilson of the

science fantasy file:Warhammer40kcosplay.jpg, Cosplay of a character from the ''Warhammer 40,000'' tabletop game; one critic has characterized the game's setting as "action-oriented science-fantasy." Science fantasy is a hybrid genre within speculative fiction ...

trilogy '' Illuminatus!'' It became a cult success and was later turned into a marathon-length stage show put on at the British National Theatre and elsewhere. In 1986 it won the Prometheus Hall of Fame Award. Shea went on to write several action novels based in exotic historical settings.

Early life and education

Robert Joseph Shea was born in New York City. He attended high school at Manhattan Prep (Manhattan College High School), a Roman Catholic school run by the Christian Brothers, in the Riverdale section of The Bronx. After graduation, he attended Manhattan College and Rutgers University.

Career and other works

Apart from co-authoring ''Illuminatus!'' with Wilson, Shea wrote several historical action novels, including '' Shike'' (1981), a two-volume novel set in Ancient Japan about the warrior monk Jebu and his love Lady Shima Taniko, '' 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 published book was the Native American tale ''Shaman'' (1991). '' All Things Are Lights'' and the outline for the unfinished novel '' Children of Earthmaker'' have been released under a

Creative Commons Creative Commons (CC) is an American non-profit organization and international network devoted to educational access and expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has release ...

license and are available to read and copy at Robert Shea's website, as are ''Shike'', ''The Saracen'', and ''Shaman'' under similar license terms. ''Lady Yang'' was finished but never published; a Creative Commons online version is in the works by Shea's son Michael. 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) and produced by the Association for Consciousness Exploration. For several years, Shea edited the anarchist

zine A zine ( ; short for ''magazine'' or ''fanzine'') is, as noted on Merriam-Webster’s official website, a magazine that is a “noncommercial often homemade or online publication usually devoted to specialized and often unconventional subject ...

'' 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!''.

Tributes

''Clipped from the Robert J. Shea Tribute page:'' :Robert Joseph Shea attended Manhattan Prep,

Manhattan College Manhattan University (previously Manhattan College) is a private, Catholic university in New York City. Originally established in 1853 by the De La Salle Christian Brothers (Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools) as an academy fo ...

and

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

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 A troubadour (, ; ) was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word ''troubadour'' is etymologically masculine, a female equivalent is usually called a ''trobairitz''. The tro ...

; ''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 The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans led by Black Hawk (Sauk leader), Black Hawk, a Sauk people, Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of ...

in 19th century

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

; ''Lady Yang'', a tragic story of an idealistic empress of medieval China.Bob Shea Website
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Personal life

Shea was a resident of Glencoe, Illinois He was survived by his son, Michael E. Shea, and his second wife, author

Patricia Monaghan Patricia Monaghan (February 15, 1946, – November 11, 2012) was a poet, a writer, a spiritual activist, and an influential figure in the contemporary women's spirituality movement. Monaghan wrote over 20 books on a range of topics including Go ...

Bibliography

* '' The Illuminatus! Trilogy'' (with Robert Anton Wilson) Full Trilogy printed December 1, 1983 by Dell: , ** ''The Eye in the Pyramid'' (1975) Dell ** ''The Golden Apple'' (1975) Dell ** ''Leviathan'' (1975) ISBN Dell * '' Shike'' (January 13, 1992) Two in One version: Ballantine Books ** ''Time of the Dragons'' (June 1, 1981) Jove ** ''Last of the Zinja'' (July 1, 1981) Jove * ''All Things Are Lights'' (April 12, 1986) Ballantine Books

* '' From No Man's Land to Plaza del Lago'' (October 1987) Amer References , * '' The Saracen'' - both books available as free downloads from Project Gutenber

an

** ''Land of the Infidel'' (February 13, 1989) Ballantine Books, ** ''The Holy War'' (March 13, 1989) Ballantine Books * ''Shaman'' (February 20, 1991) Ballantine Books - Available as a free download from Project Gutenber

Recorded lectures & panel discussions

* ''A Meeting With Robert Shea'', ACE * ''Writing and Mysticism'', ACE * ''Magic in the Central Empire'', ACE * ''The Once and Future Legend'' (panel discussion with Ariana Lightningstorm,

, Jeff Rosenbaum, Rev. Ivan Stang, and Robert Anton Wilson), ACE * ''What IS the Conspiracy, Anyway?'' (Panel Discussion with Anodea Judith, Jeff Rosenbaum, Rev. Ivan Stang, and Robert Anton Wilson), ACE

References

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. * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shea, Robert Novels by Robert Shea 1933 births 1994 deaths 20th-century American novelists American anarchists American historical novelists American male novelists Manhattan College alumni Playboy people 20th-century American male writers