PK Dick's A Scanner Darkly comes in at number 19. The trailer pushed me into reading this one. I meant to read it a while ago, but never could track down a copy. It's quite a bit different from what I expected. Far more drug trip and far less sci-fi. After reading this and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, I just need to track down Naked Lunch and I'll have hit the drug trip trifecta. Still, you can tell it's a PK Dick book. His unique world view is still in evidence even through the "trip goggles". Actually it's an interesting look at the addict world. There are times I'm amazed that America made it through the 60's. What a strange time period that must have been. I remember watching that show about Charles Manson a while back and thinking the same thing then.
Scanner follows narc and addict Bob Arctor as his life slowly dies due to his addiction to Substance D. No one is who they seem in this book and the plot bounces around like a super ball. There are moments of humor and pathos. It's not hard to feel sorry for the people caught up in this life style. Especially sobering was Dick's afterword where he talked about the real life influences he based the characters on.
Not a book for everyone, that's for certain. But it was definitely an interesting read. I'm curious to see how they make a movie out of it...
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