The Illuminatus! Trilogy is a series of three novels written by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson first published in 1975. The trilogy is a satirical, postmodern, science fiction-influenced adventure story; a drug-, sex-, and magic-laden trek through a number of conspiracy theories, both historical and imaginary, related to the authors’ version of the Illuminati. The narrative often switches between third- and first-person perspectives in a nonlinear narrative. It is thematically dense, covering topics like counterculture, numerology, and Discordianism.
The trilogy comprises three parts which contain five books and appendices: The Eye in the Pyramid (first two books), The Golden Apple (third and part of fourth book), Leviathan (part of fourth and all of fifth book, and the appendices). The parts were first published as three separate volumes starting in September 1975. In 1984 they were published as an omnibus edition and are now more commonly reprinted in the latter form.
In 1986 the trilogy won the Prometheus Hall of Fame Award, designed to honor libertarian science fiction.
Various elements of The KLF’s mythology are references to the books of Shea and Wilson, most notably adopting the name of fictional group “The Justified Ancients Of Mummu” as their own (though spelling it “Mu Mu” instead). The many occurances of the number 23 throughout their works can also be tracked down to the Illuminatus! trilogy, while the pyramid theme also regularly appears in both.
Even though it may seem like Drummond and Cauty were heavily into the trilogy, according to Bill he only ever read the first few pages of the first book.
“I don’t like dealing with Hagbard,” Simon said. “He’s a right-
wing nut, and so is his whole gang.”
“He’s one of the best allies we have against the Illuminati,”
Dillinger said. “Besides, I want to exchange some hempscript
for some of his flaxscript. Right now, the Mad Dog bunch won’t
accept anything but flaxscript—they think Nixon is really going to
knock the bottom out of the hemp market. And you know what
they do with Federal Reserve notes. Every time they get one, they
burn it. Instant demurrage, they call it.”
“Puerile,” Simon pronounced. “It will take decades to undermine
the Fed that way.”
“Well,” Dillinger said, “Those are the kinds of people we have to
deal with. The JAMs can’t do it all alone, you know.”
“Sure,” Simon shrugged. “But it bugs me.” He stood up and put
his drink on the table.
“Let’s go,” he said to Joe. “You’re going to be illuminized.”
Dillinger accompanied them to the door, then leaned close to Joe
and said, “A word of advice about the Rite.”
“Yes?”
Dillinger lowered his voice. “Lie down on the floor and keep
calm,” he said, and his old, impudent grin flashed wickedly.
—
That’s from The Illuminatus! Trilogy: The Eye in the Pyramid. Always found it relevant.