A Scanner Darkly
Philip K Dick
First Published 1977 This Panther Ed: 1985 SC 253pp
"Once a guy stoood all day shaking bugs from his hair."
Philip.K.Dick is a reverential figure in modern Sci-Fi and I can only say that 'I'm just not that into him'.
Look, I've tried - for about the last 20years. Every so often I pick up a volume - and they are only slim - and I try, but each time I fall down. I have a number of friends for whom this man is 'my favorite writer ever', but then they also tend to be able to read Asimov and C.Clarke as well. It must be a guy thing.
I can admire his technique, I can admire his imagination, I can admire Rutger Hueur in tight black pants but I care so little about any of Mr Dick's characters that I don't think that I have ever finished even one of his books. Although he has great ideas etc but he writes in that distant way of the 1950's sci-fi authors - I can't connect with any of his people and it is all so 'dry' to me that it is an effort to read.
(Yes, I know I explain it in such technical literary terms but I hope still accessible to the lay-blog-reader)
This story involves Bob Arctor who is an undercover Narc in a surveillience heavy police state where due to the anonymity of his police role he is directed to surveill himself. An emotional afterword tells us this book is about addiction and is kind of cool as Mr Dick talks about his own life and all his addict friends who are now dead.
A cautionary tale - don't do drugs and sometimes I have to accept that being a legend doesn't mean I have to like him.
- posted by FuschiaReads @ 3:57 PM
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