Robert Shea
Robert Joseph Shea (February 14, 1933 – March 10, 1994) was an American novelist and former journalist best known as co-author with Robert Anton Wilson of the science fantasy 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.
Also recorded as Robert Joseph Shea
Robert Shea

Yanmega2 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Robert Shea
- Birth Name
- Robert Joseph Shea
- Born
- 14 February 1933
- Birthplace
- New York City
- Died
- 10 March 1994
- Spouse
- Yvonne Bremseth Shea, Patricia Monaghan
- Education
- Manhattan College Rutgers University
- Nationality
- United States.
- Occupation
- writer, journalist and novelist.
- Honours
- Prometheus Award - Hall of Fame.
- Languages
- English.
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Robert Joseph Shea (February 14, 1933 – March 10, 1994) was an American novelist and former journalist best known as co-author with Robert Anton Wilson of the science fantasy 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.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
No house-authored Note is published until its assertions and sources pass the VALÉORINE evidence contract. The documentary article remains available in full while that enrichment is being consolidated.
Documentary enrichment in progress · no unsupported statement published
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Robert Shea. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
Documentary evidence
Evidence Panel
not yet certified
- Identity
- resolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
wikidata · Q967627 · wikipedia · Robert Shea
In this article
Biography
Biography
Shea went on to write several action novels based in exotic historical settings.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Robert Shea • Birth Name — Robert Joseph Shea • Born — 14 February 1933 • Birthplace — New York City • Died — 10 March 1994 • Spouse — Yvonne Bremseth Shea, Patricia Monaghan • Education — Manhattan College Rutgers University • Website — http: bobshea.net/
Early life and education
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
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 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 No Governor. The title comes from a quote attributed to Zhuangzi, "There is no governor anywhere." Copies of the zine in PDF format may be downloaded from Bobshea.net. The zine was mentioned in, and read by, one of the characters in Illuminatus!. In 2025, Hilaritas Press issued Every Day Is a GOOD Day, a collection of short pieces by Shea, the first new Shea book in about 30 years.
Personal life
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.
Fictino
Fictino
• The Illuminatus! Trilogy (with Robert Anton Wilson), omnibus edition 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) omnibus edition: 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, Available as a free download from Project Gutenberg. • The Saracen - available as free downloads from Project Gutenberg and • 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 Gutenberg
Nonfiction
Nonfiction
• Every Day Is a GOOD Day: Robert Shea on Illuminatus! Writing and Anarchism, (Sept. 23, 2025) Hilaritas Press
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
The authorities additionally record the heading Robert Joseph Shea. His recorded language was English. He married Patricia Monaghan.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1933
Robert Shea born at New York City.
1994
Robert Shea died at New York City.
Recorded lectures and 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, Patricia Monaghan, 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
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
38,960 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Robert SedgewickAuthor
- Robert SempillAuthor
- Robert ServiceAuthor
- Robert ShawAuthor
- Robert SheckleyAuthor
- Robert SherardAuthor
- Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of LeicesterAuthor
- Robert SmithdasAuthor
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Robert Shea?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.