A Scanner Darkly is my first, and
somewhat belated foray into the writings of the almighty Philip K. Dick, and on
coming out the other side I can conclude it was most definitely overdue.
Originally
published in 1977, the book tells of the exploded paranoia stemming from
systemic drug abuse that many of Dick's friends fell prey to.
Exploring
what you're at first lead to believe is an infiltration into the underground
narcotics industry through the investigations of undercover agent, Bob Arctor the facts soon start becoming blurred. Balancing his dual life as addict: Bob
and agent: Fred, he starts off able to compartmentalise his two lives. This
then gradually starts to unravel thanks to Fred being assigned to investigate
the activities of his alternate identity. From this point, Bob/Fred becomes
increasingly confused as his life starts overlapping whilst the effects of
Substance D simultaneously start splitting the communication between his
brain’s hemispheres and his reality becomes progressively distorted. When the
drug starts winning, Fred ceases to function, Bob’s reality starts
disintegrating and the machinations of the narcotics industry begin to be
exposed.
A Scanner Darkly is an ‘Alice down the
rabbit hole’ of drug-induced paranoia and mental breakdown. At the same time as
wanting to reach out and stop Arctor there’s a certain amount of inevitability
to his downfall. I think Dick manages to sum this up best himself in his notes
at the end.
"It is...only a speeding up, an intensifying, of the ordinary human existence."
"It is...only a speeding up, an intensifying, of the ordinary human existence."
