Friday, August 21, 2009
A Scanner Darkly
Another Phillip K. Dick book I read this summer was "A Scanner Darkly" (1977). It took me a little while to get into it because the main character was so vulgar and hard to sympathize with, but I did end up liking it.
The story revolves around a group of friends who are all addicted to "Substance D," or "Death." The book did a very good job in my opinion of realistically depicting the brutality of drug dependence, in real contrast to movies like Trainspotting. I made the mistake of reading the book jacket, which I think gives a lot away, so I won't say a great deal about the plot here, only that it is a real page turner and gives a powerful view of a seamy drug culture in a futuristic Orange County, California.
The story revolves around a group of friends who are all addicted to "Substance D," or "Death." The book did a very good job in my opinion of realistically depicting the brutality of drug dependence, in real contrast to movies like Trainspotting. I made the mistake of reading the book jacket, which I think gives a lot away, so I won't say a great deal about the plot here, only that it is a real page turner and gives a powerful view of a seamy drug culture in a futuristic Orange County, California.
Labels:
drug culture,
dystopia,
fiction,
junkies,
LMB,
nark,
Orange County,
philip k. dick,
police,
sci-fi,
thriller
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I saw the movie and liked it. (However, it might be worth Colin's impression as someone who likely knows the book and the movie.)
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