All Things Are Lights
Encyclopedia
All Things Are Lights is a novel written by Robert Shea
in 1986. It is the story of a fictional 13th century French troubadour
named Roland.
Set amongst the historical details of Louis IX
's failed crusade to Egypt
and the extermination of the Cathars in France, Shea uses a combination of fictional and historically accurate characters to turn the history into an adventure story.
All Things Are Lights could be considered a sequel
to Shea's Shike
and a prequel
to Shea's The Saracen
, although the links between the three books are tenuous. Like most of Shea's books, a look into secret societies is a considerable feature of the story, in this case the Cathars and the Knights Templar
.
Robert Shea
Robert Joseph Shea 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...
in 1986. It is the story of a fictional 13th century French troubadour
Troubadour
A troubadour was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages . Since the word "troubadour" is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz....
named Roland.
Set amongst the historical details of Louis IX
Louis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
's failed crusade to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and the extermination of the Cathars in France, Shea uses a combination of fictional and historically accurate characters to turn the history into an adventure story.
All Things Are Lights could be considered a sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to Shea's Shike
Shike
Shike is a two-volume novel published in 1981 by Robert Shea. It fictionalises and compresses Japanese history in order to incorporate the Genpei War and attempted invasion of Japan by the Mongols within the lifespans of two characters: Jebu — a warrior monk of the Order of Zinja who is a highly...
and a prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
to Shea's The Saracen
The Saracen
The Saracen is a two-part novel written by Robert Shea. The two separate portions, The Land of the Infidel and The Holy War are a continuous tale....
, although the links between the three books are tenuous. Like most of Shea's books, a look into secret societies is a considerable feature of the story, in this case the Cathars and the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
.
External links
- Complete text online - (at bobshea.net, released under the Creative Commons license by his son, Mike Shea)