Discordians and other fans were saddened, though not particularly surprised, when author and philosopher-genius Robert Anton Wilson died on Thursday, January 11, after a prolonged illness. Plagued by Post-Polio Syndrome for many years, Wilson’s medical problems were brought to a climax late last year when his accelerating sickness was coupled with unexpected poverty. A largely internet-based fundraising campaign swiftly raised the necessary cash to cover his medical expenses, which allowed him to die in relative comfort.

In December, Wilson began keeping a blog from his hospital bed, though his entries were few. The most relevant came five days before his death, on January 6:

“Various medical authorities swarm in and out of here predicting I have between two days and two months to live. I think they are guessing. I remain cheerful and unimpressed. I look forward without dogmatic optimism but without dread. I love you all and I deeply implore you to keep the lasagna flying.

Please pardon my levity, I don’t see how to take death seriously. It seems absurd.

RAW”

The following message appeared on that same blog, and eventually on many other sites, serving as the official announcement (probably originating from one of the Maybe Logic insiders).:

“Robert Anton Wilson Defies Medical Experts and leaves his body @4:50 AM on binary date 01/11.

All Hail Eris!

On behalf of his children and those who cared for him, deepest love and gratitude for the tremendous support and lovingness bestowed upon us.

(that’s it from Bob’s bedside at his fnord by the sea)”

Compared to the deaths of other superheroes in recent years, this one is, due to its expectedness, surprisingly easy to take. Douglas Adams’ treadmill heart attack in 2001 was felt with horrified disbelief, and I still find it disturbing to think about. When Hunter S. Thompson fed himself a shotgun sandwich in 2005, we were all shocked, but upon reflection, we probably should have seen it coming. In comparison, Wilson had a long time to prepare, and was, by all accounts on record, at peace when the time came. The many, many people who look upon him as a brilliant teacher (myself included) perhaps have had time to come to terms with the inevitable, as well.

Look, people, I’m not very religious, and I don’t know what happens to people after they die, but I do know one thing. If anyone is clever enough to pull off the Obi-Wan Kenobi “if you strike me down I’ll become more powerful than you can possibly imagine”/friendly blue ghost trick, it’s Robert Anton Wilson. And I think that says a lot. Even if most of us do no more than take the dirt sleep, I think maybe ‘ol RAW is still out there somewhere, making trouble.

Meanwhile, his estate is planning a memorial service for February (presumably in California), date forthcoming. Rawilson.com is probably the best place to watch if you’re interested in when the service will be held. Also, the folks over at discordian.com, who were already planning on holding a Papal Inauguration ceremony and ritual at the PantheaCon pagan convention in San Jose, CA in February, are now planning on holding their own Wilson memorial during the convention.

Update:
Since RAW was so often snubbed by the mainstream media during his lifetime, it didn’t even occur to me to look there for further coverage of his death. It seems the New York Times has proven me wrong, with a nice and lengthy obituary on their website. Among other things, they cover his many books and even mention Discordians in the context of The Illuminatus! Trilogy, describing them as a group who “resist [The Illuminati] through convoluted tactics that include a network of double agents.” A bit vague, yes, but how often do you see Discordians mentioned in the New York Times?