“The Brotherhood of the Screaming Abyss is a wonderful and completely unique book. Beautifully written by Dennis McKenna, full of human insight and detail, it paints a complex picture of the late, great genius, master orator, and seer Terence McKenna, of their lives and adventures together, and of their boots-on-the-ground approach to investigating the mysteries of consciousness that psychedelics reveal. Highly recommended!” —Graham Hancock, author of Supernatural: Meetings with the Ancient Teachers of Mankind

“In The Brotherhood of the Screaming Abyss, Dennis McKenna has formulated a potent alchemical potion full of wild adventures and remarkable encounters as well as thoughtful contemplations on society, politics, and culture; everyone needs a drink of this awe-inspiring medicine.” —Monica Gagliano, PhD, Research Associate Professor of Evolutionary Ecology at Southern Cross University, coeditor of The Mind of Plants: Narratives of Vegetal Intelligence, and author of Thus Spoke the Plant: A Remarkable Journey of Groundbreaking Scientific Discoveries and Personal Encounters with Plants

“Serving as a valuable resource on the brothers McKenna, Brotherhood reminds us of the plant (and planetary) agents that represent seeds of hope in dark times.” —Graham St. John, author of Terence McKenna: The Strange Attractor (forthcoming from MIT Press)

“I owe my family to Terence McKenna. Jeremy and I met at a party fêting him, and over time, his ‘little brother’ Dennis has become a trusted colleague. The tales in this book paint a glorious masterpiece: the wondrous relationship between two brothers, their ancestry and progeny, their journeys inward and outward, and their consequential contributions, both scientific and cultural, to the psychedelic ecosystem.” —Julie Holland, MD, author of Good Chemistry: The Science of Connection, From Soul to Psychedelics

“As profound an experience as it was to read, it is difficult to describe. It is a biography of Terence, an autobiography of Dennis, a series of even increasingly scary adventures, laced with visionary insights obtained by over-the-top amounts of psychedelics, and the implications of all of the above. Terence became a charismatic visionary whose enthralling narratives dominated a generation of psychedelic seekers, while Dennis became a respected ethnopharmacologist, transporting and translating plants’ wisdom into the scientific world. And if that wasn’t enough, Dennis’ reflections about how their collective impact blended and disrupted the prevailing cultural narrative are perhaps the book’s greatest takeaway.” —James Fadiman, author of The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys

“This intimate narrative of two lives intertwined with worlds, communities, and cultural transformation is a gift to those interested in psychedelics. As attention to psychedelics with their medicinal and poisonous powers is ignited by the current frenzy of enthusiasm for biomedicalization and commodification, it is more important than ever that the deep history of contemporary engagement with these materials be told. This beautiful book contributes wonderfully to that.” —David E. Presti, Professor of Neurobiology at Universityof California, Berkeley, and author of Foundational Concepts in Neuroscience: A Brain-Mind Odyssey and Mind Beyond Brain: Buddhism, Science and the Paranormal

“It’s hard to imagine two more influential psychedelic voices than the brothers McKenna, but if, up till now, the late Terence has rather hogged the limelight, Dennis now gets a chance to shine. He presents a rounded and at times uncompromising picture of his elder sibling, but one that is steeped in a brother’s enduring love. An essential read for trippers, McKenna fans, psychedelic historians, and anyone wanting to know more about fin-de-siècle American psychedelia from someone who was there, right at the center of the cyclone.” —Andy Letcher, PhD, Senior Lecturer and Program Lead for the MA in Engaged Ecology at Schumacher College and author of Shroom: A Cultural History of the Magic Mushroom

“Yet another McKenna mix of brilliant insight, insane adventure, and strange interludes. Highly recommended!” —Mark Plotkin, Ethnobotanist and President of the Amazon Conservation Team

“Of the two McKenna brothers, as much as I’ve benefited by playing with Terence’s wild ideas, I’ve learned more from Dennis’ scientifically grounded investigations. The road to deep psychedelic consciousness starts in the ineffable and winds its way towards practical manifestations in the material world. Few grasp this trajectory as well as Dennis, as is lucidly depicted in this insightful personal history. He shows you how it’s done.” —Ken Jordan, Editorial Director, Lucid News

“What a delightful tale! A memoir of brothers—Terry and Denny—growing up, four years apart, exploring the world and varied states of consciousness, and sharing so much more than most brothers ever do. This book is a mitzvah, a memoir in which Dennis reflects on both his own life and that of the silver-tongued brother who died all too young.” —Ethan A. Nadelmann, Founder and Former Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance

“Little appreciated in the current renaissance is the place the brothers McKenna played in working out and publishing (as Oss and Oeric) how anyone with a few items from their local hardware store can grow psilocybin mushrooms at home. A very under recognized contribution whose scale of reach has few equals. This book is a clear-eyed treatment of seminal influences that led to that and other contributions.” —Carey Turnbull, Vice President, Heffter Research Institute

“Dennis McKenna's Brotherhood of the Screaming Abyss is a moving, informative, and joyfully readable coming of age account of the early years of these two leaders of the psychedelic science movement. Both Dennis, who evolved into a leading scientific authority on the ethnobotany and pharmacology of plant hallucinogens, and his older brother Terence, a mesmerizing raconteur of the value and oddities of the psychedelic experience,  have had a profound influence on how we conceptualize our encounters with these extraordinary altered states of consciousness. They have graciously charted a path forward for future explorers.” —Charles S. Grob, MD, Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, UCLA School of Medicine

“The Brotherhood of the Screaming Abyss tells the story of the two most influential and inspirational psychedelic pioneers. Discovering magic mushrooms, Psilocybe cubensis, in Columbia, they ingested them, and then accepted and fulfilled the mushrooms’ assigned mission to help spread their light and message around the globe. With the brothers’ seminal book, Magic Mushroom Growers Guide, they created and disseminated the technique to grow your own, and soon magical visionary experiences were sprouting up around the earth, well, like mushrooms! This must-read book tells their story and gives keys to the interior landscape wonderland.”  — Ganga White, Author of Psychedelic Yogi, and Yoga Beyond Belief and Founder of White Lotus Foundation