St John, Graham - Strange Attractor

An intellectual biography of one of the most celebrated and yet least understood figures of the late twentieth century, Terence McKenna.A standup philosopher who made a unique contribution to science, humanism, and the hidden arts, Terence McKenna (19462000) was the twentieth century’s psychedelic Renaissance man. Perfecting his rugged philosophy on the role of psychedelics in evolution, consciousness, and time, McKenna was a riotous charmer who stalked the shadows but also sought the iridescence. More than 20 years since his untimely passing, McKenna has an enduring magnetism across the virtual pop stream, in pervasive digitization, and within social media networks. This book is an engaging chronicle of the life, works, and legacy of this brazen adventurer of the inner and outer dimensions. St John gathers previously unpublished materials (including McKenna’s journal, letters, and ephemera) and over 70 interviews with his friends, family, and coconspirators, as well as a magnificent gallery of 52 photographs and artworks. Neither glorifying nor disparaging its subject, Strange Attractor will appeal to those interested in the evolution of a psychedelic intellectual, and to those for whom McKenna’s wisdom endures.