The Prankster and the Conspiracy: The Story of Kerry Thornley and How He Met Oswald and Inspired the Counterculture

by Adam Gorightly, Robert Anton Wilson

One of the 1960s counterculture's most fascinating characters was Kerry Wendell Thornley -- a writer, philosopher, Zen dishwasher, enlightened prankster, and, possibly, an Oswald double with disturbing ties to the Kennedy assassination. A lifelong provocateur, Thornley was linked to many of the fringe elements of the time. He helped create the spoof religion called the Discordian Society and its tract, the Principia Discordia. He coined the term "paganism" to describe various nature religions. And he befriended Robert Anton Wilson, inspired the Illuminatus, and gave his anarchic support to the Bavarian Illuminati, a brilliant prank.

Genres: Nonfiction, Conspiracy Theories, Biography, History, American

292 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2003

About the author

American author focussing on pananormal topics and conspiracy theories.

Gorightly has proclaimed himself to be a "crackpot historian" articles of him have been published in several underground magazines.

Reviews

[Anita Dalton · Rating 5 out of 5]

No matter what your opinion is of the JFK assassination, or even Thornley’s role in it, it is safe to assert that the madness and paranoia that plagued him in his later life was sparked in no small part by those who were either involved in the assassination or used the assassination to push their personal agenda. He started off as a sparkling trickster and died sick and paranoid, a very sad ending to be sure. I think this was one of the finer biographies and conspiracy books I have read in a while. Complex, interesting, mildly skeptical and interested in the truth but willing to admit it may never be known, and most importantly, evenhanded, open, scrutinizing yet ultimately kind to its subject. I highly recommend it. Read my whole review here.

[Del Khan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Less about the conspiracy far more about the prankster. Substantial knowledge of Kennedys assassination is assumed before hand so be aware. Worth a read though. 3.5 ish.

[Jacob Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kerry Thornley was the co-author of the legendary 'Principia Discordia.' It also turns out he served in the Marine Corps with Lee Harvey Oswald, and was later in New Orleans in 1962-63 during the time that some folks claim a CIA-affiliated plot to assassinate JFK was being hatched. Because of these coincidences, he was asked to testify before the Warren Commission, and later got looped into Jim Garrison's late-60's crusade to bring the conspirators to justice (the story depicted in Oliver Stone's 'JFK'). As a consequence of this surreal sequence of events, combined with his own drug abuse, Kerry descended into paranoid schizophrenia, from which he never really re-emerged. So the book is a bit sad, but nonetheless fascinating for anyone interested Discordianism, 60's counterculture, or conspiracy theories.

[Tom Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those obscure books you might find in a tucked away bookstore and think it's about nothing. Well, it's certainly not about nothing! This book tells some incredible stories of the wild characters that were shaping much of the world we know today.
If you can believe the author, and I have no reason not to, this book gives traces the source of the plot to begin the rumor of an "Illuminati" lurking in the shadows, plotting its own unfathomable plot.
Welcome to the strange, unpredictable, and untrustable world of the Discordians whose most famous member was author Robert Anton Wilson.
When you begin to get a whiff of a few of the pranks played by the Discordian society, you start to wonder if they may have been behind other pranks. Could a Discordian be behind the idea of chemtrails? Maybe a Discordian invented Bitcoin for a laugh? What better way to create discord?
But of course this doubt and paranopia is playing right into their hands. Discordianism is all about sowing seed of doubt and discord into everything. This is in a way a sort of tribute to the chaos of the cosmos.
At this point one can't help but form a quiet respect for the Discordians. And you can't help but think, "Well played. Well played."
As one progresses through the book the pranks played by the Discordians begin to become quite infuriating.
The traces of these pranks are still felt throughout our culture. Films today portray shadowy puppeteers conspiring to do evil. And of course underground newsletter and junk websites, youtube channels, and countless conspiracy theorists believe such bodies exist and this consinues to feed the mythology.
The author however is forgiving. He allows for these pranks to be seen as a socialogical experiment. They show, he says, how "conspiracy theories are born and bred and in time work themselves into the cosmologies of the paranoid and enlightened alike."
The Discordians, you will discover, are nothing if not creative. Even reading over the names of the various groups formed under the Discordian banner are veritably fantastic and a clear reflection that the late 60's and 70's were a time of liberation on all fronts.
In all this book is a strange journey into a past that is sometimes disconcerting, sometimes amusing, and at other times infuriating.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating! If you're into the 60s, Robert Anton Wilson, Discordianism, or even JFK you should read this book.

[Noah MacKinnon · Rating 3 out of 5]

it's a helpful book in learning about some of the figures and ideas surrounding Discordianism, and a biography of a guy that not many would want to write a biography about: Kerry Thornley. The book serves as a good intro to the JFK conspiracy world and the freaks and geeks that surround it... if that's your thing. I've been reading books that supplement my reading of Illuminatus and this is a great book to serve as one of the many ins to the world of Weird.

[Arthur Tassinari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok. I was mildly aware of Kery's connection to Lee Harvey Oswald and the book he wrote about the guy before Oswald killing JFK. But I had no idea about the full descend into piles and piles of madness this read would be.

I mean... The fact that it has Grace Zabriskie of all the persons was involved in this story is enough to make my head hurt.

[Adam Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first read the ‘Illuminatus!’ trilogy back in the early 80s, I assumed that Discordianism was a fictional religion invented by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea for the books. As I read more Wilson I discovered Discordianism was real, and later on I even found a copy of Principia Discordia in the (now long-gone) wonderful Compendium Books in Camden.

I bought ‘The Idle Warriors’ and ‘Zenarchy’ when these were finally published in the early 90s, and even wrote to Thornley once in the mid 90s, receiving a letter back enclosing a John Dillinger Died For You Society membership card and credit card.

Adam Gorightly has interviewed many of the people who knew Thornley best, including fellow Discordians, work/military colleagues and family members, and brings their stories together to give as detailed an account of the life (lives?) of Kerry Thornley as we’re likely to get. He doesn’t shy away from the less-comfortable aspects of Thornley’s personality and deals frankly with his later descent into paranoia.

If you have more than a passing interest in the works of Robert Anton Wilson, Discordianism, 60s counterculture or, of course the Kennedy assassination, then this book is a must-read. Now I’m off to read Gorightly’s second Thornley book: ‘Caught in the Crossfire: Kerry Thornley, Oswald and Garrison's JFK Investigation’.

[Fishface · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful read about a great American religious leader. What a fascinating life -- just as the jacket copy warned me, it was both tragic and hilarious. Brings back the paranoid flavor of the Sixties in all its pot-addled glory. Not to be missed for any Discordian, student of the counterculture or fnord.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting biography of this important underground cult figure. It gets bogged down somewhat in the section dealing with the Kennedy assasination, but there is good detail about Thornley's links to Lee Harvey Oswald.

[Stacey]

Eh.

[Brad Justice · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess I have moved on, really used to love reading this kind of thing; strange, esoteric, counter-culture. Kind of skimmed through the end as I went. So it gose.