A SCANNER DARKLY By Philip K Dick

Published : 1977
Pages : 217
Overall Mark : 8/10

Bob Arctor has been sent deep undercover to infiltrate a small group of drug dealers so that he can find the source of their product, but soon he finds himself addicted to Substance D, a drug that causes disorientation and irreversible brain damage, and his odd behaviour leads his bosses, who aren't actually aware of which of the group is their agent, to think that Arctor himself may be the brains behind the operation.

This is a great novel, and the movie didn't really do it justice. There are some great ideas embedded in the plot, and the characters are lively and full of humour and imagination. Clearly this is something of an important story for Dick to tell, and this was written shortly after he discovered that he himself had done his body serious damage through drug abuse and he dedicates it to the memory of many of his dead friends. This book is a must, which although it doesn't really have an actual ending, it does end on a note that indicates that the makers of Substance D will soon meet with their comeuppance.