originally published Arthur Barker Ltd, 1969
Howard Lester is a young intellectual living in small-town England. In the 1950's, when he is a teen, he befriends Sir Alastair Lyell, a noted scientist, and becomes his sort of unofficially adopted son. Some years later, when Lyell dies, he leaves Howard a small fortune.
Young and now wealthy, Howard does what young suddenly-rich guy would do: spend his life in intellectual pursuits! Particularly of interest are issues of human consciousness, ESP, and longevity (why do some people seem to live longer than others for no apparent physical reason). His researches and writings bring him into contact with Sir Henry Littleway, an older scientist also engaged in similar research. They travel to the countryside, where they meet Henry's pervy brother Roger and study a local farm worker who, thanks to a brain injury, has become psychic. They experiment with the farm worker for a period of time, until a brain tumor does him in. They believe that somehow their experiments, and his psychic gifts, are a root cause of the brain tumor.
Howard and Littleway press on with their studies. They devise a simple brain implant (a tiny length of wire) that produces remarkable, but slightly different, effects in a local wino and a local artsy-suicidal girl. Finally, they decide to take the plunge and put the brain implants into themselves.
The result is greatly expanded consciousness, intellect, awareness, and learning capacity. They pursue their studies even more doggedly. Howard (especially, and then he leads Littleway into it) develop psychic abilities. They can mentally travel through time, receiving vivid waking dreams of past eras. They develop forms of telekinesis and psychometry. They continue to learn. But there are oddities. At Stonehenge, Howard perceives not only the ancientness and some of the uses of the megaliths, but also a powerful presence of menace and evil. Similarly, when Littleway hands him a small stone idol thought to be of Hittite origin, Howard perceives that it is actually far older - pre-human, in fact. And again, that there is a powerful and menacing presence connected with it.
Sometime later, a picture of a similar item leads Howard and Littleway to an investigation of ancient Mayan culture. And a bizarre experience on Silbury Hill in which they perceive the presence of a great, very ancient, and alien power that has the ability to block their psychic perceptions.
Their investigations now lead them to the metaphysical theories of Rene Guenon and the works of H.P.L. They also learn that the presence from Silbury has the power to mentally attack minds, causing them to become distracted, and causing weaker minds to snap completely. Thus the people around Littleway become difficult, either acting as nuisances or, in some cases, genuine menaces. In time, these situations ease, but Howard believes the presence (or presences) are attacking him in other ways - leading him down blind alleys or false trails in his research, his falling in love and marrying (thus making him more vulnerable). He begins to search for the Necronomicon - or rather, the actual works Lovecraft's fictional grimoire might be based upon. They learn of the origins of man (created by the Ancient or Old Ones, as Howard names this presence), and the fate of the Old Ones, who still live beneath the earth, in a state akin to sleep. Howard comes to believe the development of the brain as in the operation he and Littleway have undergone, is the key to meeting the Old Ones on their own terms, when they revive. If there is enough time...
In his introduction, Wilson describes The Philosopher's Stone as a novel of ideas. And that is an accurate description. There is not a lot of action. Not much happens. Howard learns about things, then theorizes on them, then discusses them with Littleway or some other character.
In fact, The Philosopher's Stone reads very much like Wilson's books about the occult The Occult: A History, Mysteries, Beyond the Occult and Alien Dawn (there are others), with Wilson theorizing and speculating in a breezy, logical and highly readable manner about ESP, ancient civilizations, art, philosophy, science and history - occasionally interrupting it with some narrative events.
Now, you either find this engaging or boring. Me, I love those aforementioned occult books and I thoroughly enjoyed this one as well. But it is not a thriller nor even a horror novel - I had expected Wilson's Old Ones to turn out to be more malevolent, but in the end, Wilson perceives them merely as a challenge (albeit a monumental one) for future man to overcome.
Similarly, Wilson is not interested in perpetuating Lovecraft's mythos. Essentially, his discoveries about the Old Ones and the ancient world are the proposed inspiration for Lovecraft's writings, the truth behind the Lovecraftian metaphors.
Those looking for chilling cosmic horror, anti-Cthulhu action, or anything remotely "canonical" are going to be let down. But let it be known that I found The Philosopher's Stone a thoroughly enjoyable read.
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