A Scanner Darkly

Phillip K. Dick is one of the most well known authors of the Science Fiction genre, and he pretty much set the bar for a lot of science fiction that evolved from that not only in other books, but other media as well: games, movies, television series, etc. The story of A Scanner Darkly is instantly introduced in a very twisted and vulgar sort of manner, which all based off of Dick's own personal experiences of drug abuse and schizophrenia. I kind of noticed this write away when it mentions about him constantly trying to wash the bugs off of him, and all the bugs he sees all over his dog and his apartment. Seeing bugs like that is one of the symptoms of schizophrenia. I can imagine this novel not being for everyone, but I certainly enjoy stories about abnormal characters with different psychological disorders. He definitely captured the atmosphere of what heavy drug users were like at the time. A lot of his concepts within the book, such as the rehab centers that were really drug smuggling centers seemed like they were based off of his own experiences with paranoia. These concepts are referenced a lot in not only his other works, but also the works of other writers like William Gibson, and other stories. I think these particular concepts like these help to bridge good plot devices within the story. At least, that's why I find most interesting about it. This is definitely an interesting read if you can tolerate some of the vulgar dialogue and presentation. I'm rather intrigued by the concepts within Phillip K. Dick's books, and I have a feeling they'll have an influence on ideas within my own stories as well. I look forward to reading some of his other works such as Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and The Man in the High Castle.