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A Scanner Darkly

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( 108,795 ratings, 4,800 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Philp K. Dick's novel A Scanner Darkly is a science fiction narrative set in a dystopian future where the lines between identity and reality blur. It follows an undercover narcotics agent who becomes entangled in the drug culture he is investigating, losing himself in a world of dual identities and surveillance. The story explores themes of addiction, identity, and the impact of technology on personal reality.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are intrigued by thought-provoking tales of identity and reality, set in a near-future world plagued by drug addiction. Its blend of dark humour and insightful commentary on surveillance and personal freedom will captivate fans of dystopian science fiction who appreciate an exploration of human consciousness.

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A brilliant sci-fi novel from one of the last century's most influential pop culture figures.

* #20 in the Gollancz SF Masterworks series, a library of the finest science fiction ever written * 'Explores the implications of drug-taking with an almost hallucinated vehemence' -- The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction * 'One of the most original practitioners writing any kind of fiction, Dick made most of the European avant-garde seem like navel-gazers in a cul-de-sac' -- Sunday Times

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Substance D—otherwise known as Death—is the most dangerous drug ever to find its way onto the black market. It destroys the links between the brain's two hemispheres, leading first to disorientation and then to complete and irreversible brain damage.

Bob Arctor, an undercover narcotics agent, is trying to find a lead to the source of supply, but to pass as an addict, he must become a user. Soon, without knowing what is happening to him, he is as dependent as any of the addicts he is monitoring.

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Philip K. Dick's A Scanner Darkly is praised for its originality and imaginative prowess, with Dick being acknowledged as a groundbreaking figure in fiction writing, even surpassing many avant-garde writers. Fay Weldon lauds him as a literary hero, while Terry Gilliam highlights Dick's foresight in navigating complex modern realities before anyone else.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781857988475

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 14 October 1999

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Gollancz

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 17.0mm

Width: 131.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 205g

Pages: 224

About the Author

Philip K. Dick (1928-1982) was born in Chicago but lived in California for most of his life. He went to college at Berkeley for a year, ran a record store and had his own classical-music show on a local radio station. He published his first short story, 'Beyond Lies the Wub' in 1952. Among his many fine novels are The Man in the High Castle, Time Out of Joint, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said.

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