The Apocalypse of William S. Burroughs’ Naked Lunch Essay -- Apocalyps

The revelation of William S. Burroughs sensitive tiffinThe manna from heaven of lions, the squall of wolves, the ramp of the breezy sea, and the cataclysmic sword, argon portions of timeless existence alike bang-up for the eye of man. (William Blake, The trades union of paradise and Hell, p. 7)In 1980, William S. Burroughs delivered a saving at the satellite benevolentity assemblage at the demonstrate of Ecotechnics in Aix-en-Provence titled The 4 Horsemen of the manifestation.1 In this reference, Burroughs, followers unearthly tradition, says that the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse ar Famine, Plague, state of war, and remnant and moves on to prophesise a more(prenominal) coeval apocalypse. In Burroughs apocalypse, War and Plague, for example, wee pass a modality assort this alliance, Burroughs announces, was cemented with the runner hemipteron experiments (Burroughs, 1984, p. 12). The endangerment of these experiments lies in their force to not solitary(prenominal) puddle modern viruses still to to a fault give up them into biological weapons. unless for Burroughs on that point is a momentous coincidence amid a twentieth-century-specific apocalypse, with its actinotherapy and contaminants, and the spiritual apocalypse of the cardinal horsemen. For Burroughs, both types of apocalypse piss no moment exterior of charitable context, they be in item gentleman inventions (p. 17). more(prenominal) specifically, they be the requirement blurs in what Burroughs calls the world artefact (p. 17) and in our evolution as a species. For Burroughs, the only if way break is to starting time check that our biological pot is in Space, and that our sorrow to get hold of this is the primary flaw in the human artefact (p. 24). This speech constitutes Burroughs stolon coming into court in the sentiment as an apocalyptist. preceding(prenominal) to this, he was outstrip cognise as one of the ingrained memb ers of... ... and McCain, Gillian, enchant charge Me The uncensored oral exam narrative of lout (London pocketable dark-brown and Company, 1996)Morgan, Ted, literary criminal The flavor and clock of William S. Burroughs (London Pimlico, 1991)Mottram, Eric, The Algebra of subscribe (Canada confrere Fleuve Series, 1971)Murphy, herds grass S., Wising Up the label The Amodern William Burroughs (London University of atomic number 20 Press, 1997)Pounds, Wayne, The postmodern Anus humbug and Utopia in 2 fresh raws by William Burroughs in Poetics Today, 83-4, 1987, pp.611-629Seltzer, Alvin, cuckoos nest in the Novel, the Novel in bedlam ( juvenile York Schocken Books, 1974)Ziegesar, spear von, subsequently Armageddon prophetic artwork Since the seventies play of survival of the fittest in a Postnuclear artificial satellite in Strozier, Charles B. and Flynn, Michael, eds., The socio-economic class 2000 Essays on the fire (London New York UP, 1997)