Wilhelm Reich in Hell (Paperback)

~ Robert Anton Wilson (Author) "There is no "set" in the normal sense..." (more)
Key Phrases: computer whistles, emotional plague, muscular armor, Wilhelm Reich, Sex Object, Marilyn Monroe (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Erudite, witty and genuinely scary." -- Publishers Weekly

Erudite, witty and genuinely scary. --Publishers Weekly

Product Description

The great psychiatrist Wilhelm Reich once wrote, "No President, Academy, Court of Law, Congress or Senate on this earth has the knowledge or power to decide what will be the knowledge of tomorrow." In 1957, the government of the United States of America jailed Dr. Reich and burned all of his published works. Wilhelm Reich in Hell provides a remarkable new look at the vilification and destruction of a great man who refused to bow to Gestapo tactics.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: New Falcon Publications; Reprint edition (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561841080
• ISBN-13: 978-1561841080
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #673,463 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great paradigm-buster, October 23, 2000

By	Tad Ramspott "Baxil" (Auburn, CA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I noticed this book on a roommate's bookshelf at 2:30 AM one night, grabbed it (intending to flip through the preface to find out what it was about) ... and ended up reading the whole thing through before dawn. Wilson's like that.

This play is absolutely vintage RAW. From the lengthy introductions, where I finally found out where most of his tirades against organizations like CSICOP came from (he reveals that they were one of the major forces behind the book-burnings that played a central role in Reich's disintegration), to the play itself, new ideas are thrown out at a dizzying pace. Social commentary (such as the persistent beeping within the play of a computer tracking nuclear arms buildup), philosophy and a detailed and even-handed examination of Reich's later life (and eventual degradation into insanity) meld seamlessly.

The play itself is full of shocks -- both the prurient (some instances of actor nudity and simulated sex) and the brilliant. To avoid spoiling the surprises, I won't go too deeply into the latter, except to say that the boundaries between performance and reality at times disappear. This little gem is definitely worth a read.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wake Up Call To The Brain, June 18, 1998

By	[e-mail], Jim Kinney "pope_impious_xxiii" (Columbus, Ohio) - See all my reviews

A short and sweet play about eternal damnation, the flaws of science, reality (or what passes for it), the blindness of the dominant paradigm and impending armageddon. Great book. A quick, but mind blowing, read centering around a little known scientist. Wilson's second best play (next to Reality is What You Can Get Away With!). I highly recommend it.

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Historical Footnote found and Expanded, July 4, 2001

By	Jay Smith (Harrisburg, PA USA) - See all my reviews

Harness sexual energy to power the world? Of course, the man was mad. Anyone in that time who would proclaim such a thing would be the Victorian equivilant of a Salem witch! Of course, the port-o-potty booth he made to help, um...harness that power, was a little too weird for the time, but he was on to something. He had notes and everything! He was a free thinker! A psychologist! A student of the greatest minds of the time!

But even these days, it would mean a trip to the psyche ward for you to proclaim such a thing. However, I doubt the FBI would burn down his house and destroy all his notes these days...right?

Wilhelm Reich in Hell is an interesting collection of thoughts and ideas regarding the "truth" about Orgone enery, the man behind the ideas and his ultimate downfall. It's a weird read, but sharp, funny and exciting a read as anything Robert A. Wilson puts out. Good stuff.