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.