Wisdom’s Maw
Todd Brendan Fahey
Far Gone
This novel takes the premise that the drug counter-culture of the ’60s was engineered by the CIA in an effort to undermine the political left, and spins it into a very entertaining read. By weaving together a “fictional” conspiracy around the Merry Pranksters, Project MK-Ultra, the Hell’s Angels, Aldous Huxley, the CIA, and yet another twist on the JFK assassination, Fahey creates what could possibly be the first of a new genre – a spy novel informed by the characters and events in popular/underground culture. It seems that Fahey uses real names where the character is dead and pseudonyms when they are not. Those familiar with the history will have fun figuring out who is who. He chooses Franklin Moore (a.k.a. Ken Kesey) as the central character, and we get to vicariously enjoy some of his “fictional” exploits as the story unfolds. A great deal of the fun with Wisdom’s Maw is trying to separate the fact from the fiction, but as the story takes hold the distinction becomes less and less important. Possibly a bit like some of the chemically induced experiences Fahey’s characters helped introduce to the masses. Far Gone Books, P.O. Box 43745, Lafayette, LA 70504-3745; http://www2.linknet.net/fahey/Wisdom
