The Walls Came Tumbling Down

by Robert Anton Wilson

The Walls Came Tumbling Down deals with the scary things that happen to those who stumble into a borderless or other-worldly consciousness without any intent to go there and without any preparation or Operating Manual to tell them how to navigate when the walls tumble, the doors of perception fly open and the bottom falls out of their mental filing cabinet, leaving the brain suddenly free of the limits of "mind."

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Robert Anton Wilson was an American author, futurist, psychologist, and self-described agnostic mystic. Recognized within Discordianism as an Episkopos, pope and saint, Wilson helped publicize Discordianism through his writings and interviews. In 1999 he described his work as an "attempt to break down conditioned associations, to look at the world in a new way, with many models recognized as models or maps, and no one model elevated to the truth". Wilson's goal was "to try to get people into a state of generalized agnosticism, not agnosticism about God alone but agnosticism about everything."
In addition to writing several science-fiction novels, Wilson also wrote non-fiction books on extrasensory perception, mental telepathy, metaphysics, paranormal experiences, conspiracy theory, sex, drugs, and what Wilson called "quantum psychology".
Following a career in journalism and as an editor, notably for Playboy, Wilson emerged as a major countercultural figure in the mid-1970s, comparable to one of his coauthors, Timothy Leary, as well as Terence McKenna.

Reviews

[Tom Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robert Anton Wilson wrote this film script in the late '90's while settling into a new environment (Los Angeles) and recovering from a collapsed film deal. Wilson waited nearly a decade before publishing it. This is not one of Wilson's better works. Wilson's books of philosophy and social criticism shine with brilliance, wit and a clarifying debunking. Praise of these points festoons the covers here, but it is not The Walls Came Tumbling Down that earner that lauding. In the story Michael, an academic scientist, is so barraged with hallucinations and the paranormal that his entire reality is upset for reality only to emerge as a world run by a controlling shadow government with an extraterrestrial treaty. The quick scene changes and short dialogues threaten to unseat even the reader. The Golgotha imagery, folk hallucinogens and parallel universe theorization is a grab bag of alternate reality models that may have been advanced in the late '80's. However, it now reads as predictable, unexciting and not revealing at all. Certainly a necessary addition to the library of the Wilson completists, but a better entry point into his wisdom can be found in Reality is What you can get Away With or Prometheus Rising.

Merged review:

Robert Anton Wilson wrote this film script in the late '90's while settling into a new environment (Los Angeles) and recovering from a collapsed film deal. Wilson waited nearly a decade before publishing it. This is not one of Wilson's better works. Wilson's books of philosophy and social criticism shine with brilliance, wit and a clarifying debunking. Praise of these points festoons the covers here, but it is not The Walls Came Tumbling Down that earner that lauding. In the story Michael, an academic scientist, is so barraged with hallucinations and the paranormal that his entire reality is upset for reality only to emerge as a world run by a controlling shadow government with an extraterrestrial treaty. The quick scene changes and short dialogues threaten to unseat even the reader. The Golgotha imagery, folk hallucinogens and parallel universe theorization is a grab bag of alternate reality models that may have been advanced in the late '80's. However, it now reads as predictable, unexciting and not revealing at all. Certainly a necessary addition to the library of the Wilson completists, but a better entry point into his wisdom can be found in Reality is What you can get Away With or Prometheus Rising.

[Richard Clay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Absolutely not the place to start with RAW. On the evidence of this, his dramatic writing was nothing like as strong as his fiction and his non-fiction. It was originally published in 1997 but some things about it are culturally specific enough to make me think it was written a decade or so before - maybe earlier. It's possible that it might only have come out when it did because the publisher was pestering him for more product: I can't believe the author of The Earth Will Shake would have been satisfied with this as a book.

The concepts are interesting - as ever; this is RAW - but all of them are done better elsewhere in his work. Most of the characterisation is acceptable, apart from the young female - 'Tree' - who takes us right back down to the levels of Mavis or Tarantella Serpentine: RAW had largely outgrown such lumbering sexual politics by the end of the 80s which, again, makes me wonder if this one was actually written around the same time as The Homing Pigeons or The Trick Top Hat.

Not entirely without merit then, but very little to do with why RAW is thought great.

[Michele Bucolic · Rating 3 out of 5]

This format is a rough one. Huge Wilson fan otherwise...

[S. Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Walls Came Tumbling Down is one of my least favorite works by Robert Anton Wilson. This is due less to the quality of the work itself, however, than it is to my familiarity with his other works, and how ill-suited his complex and multilayered material is for film. The imagery and references used in his screenplay to deliver his philosophies regarding spirituality, reality, belief, and individual consciousness, not only feel simplistic and forced, but barely manage to capture the tip of the proverbial iceberg. This might be a good introduction for somebody new to RAW's work, but for those familiar with the Illuminatus trilogy, Cosmic Trigger series, essay collections, etc, The Walls Came Tumbling Down might feel like a small step backwards.

[Zack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this months ago and had trouble getting into it because of the screenplay format, which made for a bumpy read. Months later I tried it again in a different mood and was extremely satisfied. It goes perfectly with what I'm writing and thinking about myself right now--how shocking it can be when unfamiliar data about reality rushes in overwhelming all the maps and charts and measurements. I guess they never really made a movie from the script--at any rate, I've never seen it listed anywhere--but I support the idea.

[Amai · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, this was the first fiction I've ever read from RAW and interestingly enough the first of his books I didn't really like. The characters were awful and dull and there were just too many RAW clichés scattered along the pages. Too much maybe logic on the conclusion and oh my god, give me a break with the fucking Ode to Joy. Anticlimactic. No wonder this never made into a movie.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a screenplay about how one's concept of reality can completely change and how jarring it can be for that person. Having gone through some similar situations in my own life, it was relatable, but this is one of Wilson's weaker works. Luckily, it was a really quick read, and the story was somewhat interesting, but his other books are so much better than this one.

[Geoff Gander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those who are familiar with RAW's other works will find that this play covers a great deal of familiar ground, but some of the scenes are quite memorable. It really is too bad this wasn't made into a film.

[H · Rating 1 out of 5]

A prime example of what a bad movie script is. Terrible dialogue, an interesting premise poorly executed.

[Julian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to watch that movie!