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From: wjr@frog.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.books,net.misc
Subject: Re: In search for Malaclypse the younger.
Message-ID: <733@frog.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 16-Apr-86 18:16:55 EDT
Article-I.D.: frog.733
Posted: Wed Apr 16 18:16:55 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 28-Apr-86 06:14:43 EDT
References: <1256@enea.UUCP> <2514@bbncc5.UUCP>
Reply-To: wjr@frog.UUCP (Bill Richard)
Organization: Superfrog Heaven [ CRDS, Framingham MA ]
Lines: 41
Keywords: Principia Discordia, Illuminati, Robert Anton Wilson
Xref: watmath net.books:3450 net.misc:9516

In article <2514@bbncc5.UUCP> alatto@bbncc5.UUCP (Andrew Latto) writes:
>In article <1256@enea.UUCP> pesv@enea.UUCP (Peter Svensson) writes:
>>
>> I am, to begin with, searching for a book named:'Principia Discordia' by a
>> certain Gregory Hill a.k.a. Malaclypse the younger.
>>
>	I believe that this book doesn't exist. It is mentioned in the
>Illuminati trilogy, by Robert Anton Wilson and Shea, and probably
>reappears, along with other fragments of the Illuminatus Conspiracy,
>in other works of Wilson. The quotations you find from the Principia in
>these books are the only parts that really exist. Wilson would probably
>deny all this, but he likes to pretend that large parts of what he
>makes up are true. fnord

Firstly, 'Principia Discordia' does exist independantly of 'Illuminatus'. I
first saw a copy of it in 1969, several years before 'Illuminatus' was
published. However, it is not suprising that references to it appear in
'Illuminatus' because the Discordian Society was founded in the mid '60s by
Gregory Hill, Kerry Thornley(sp?) and Robert Anton Wilson. As to where to find
a copy I don't know, but you might try checking occult/newage type bookstores.

Secondly, about 'Illuminatus' in general. It would be a mistake to assume, as
Andrew apparently does, that just because an obscure book or organization is
mentioned in 'Illuminatus' it's a fiction created for the book. In fact most
of the books are real, and many of the organizations mentioned are real to
the degree that their names have been used independantly of 'Illuminatus'.
For example, I remember seeing a leaflet from the John Dillinger Died for You
Society before the publication of the book. This is not to say that all of the
organizations mentioned are real or that any of them have the forms and
purposes attributed to them in 'Illuminatus'. 

In summary, Wilson and Shea seem to have inserted a number of verifiable facts
into the book in a deliberate attempt to confuse the readers and leave them
wondering if it really is a work of fiction after all. As they say in one of
the appendices: (approximate quote) "This book is in fact part of the only real
conspiracy it describes, i.e. Operation Mindfuck, but by now it is too late."

----
William J. Richard @ Charles River Data Systems
983 Concord St. Framingham, MA 01701
Tel: (617) 626-1112
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