This is a brilliant science-ficition novel that portrays an all-too-real drug culture in a futuristic society. The 1977 novel by Philip K. Dick joins protagonist Bob Arctor in the future (1994) living with a group of drug users. However, they are unaware of a parallel life that Bob is living as Agent Fred (an undercover police officer in charge of the surviellence of Arctor's house. A major part of the story is that all undercover narcotics agents must sheild their identity in order to avoid collusion or curruption. Arctor was only supposed to pose as a drug user but becomes addicted to Substance D (Slow Death or D) which is a powerful psychoactive drug.
In the book, extensive consumption of substance D causes the user's two hemispheres of the brain to function independently or "compete" resulting in hallucinations and a state of lucid dreaming. In the case of Arctor and Agent Fred it causes them to fail to see that they are the same person and Agent Fred begins to spy on Arctor. Throughout all of this Agent Fred is being put through a series of psychological tests which eventually reveal that he is no longer capable to do his job. Donna, Arctor's dealer and love interst, takes him to rehab (known in the book as "New-Path") where he is renamed Bruce and ultimately descovers the secret behind the emergence of Substance D.
The title of the book comes from a Bible passage in 1 Corinthians 13 which states:
" For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."
The main character of the book is required to view clips of his life on a 'scanner' (holographic recorder/projector used by the undercover police). In Chapter 13 of the book, the protagonist claimes that he has seen his life through the scanner but has come no closer to understanding it (similar to St. Paul in Corinthians) and that true understanding will only come in death. In other words, there are some things too big for one person to comprehend / there are things that we don't understand that will be revealed.
Although Dick's vision of the technology in the future was a little off the actual themes really struck a chord with me. Some of the key themes surrounded police surveillence and the blurring of a seedy drug culture with law enforcement agencies (which is also personified in the form of the character Bob Arctor). This duality seems to be underlying throughout the book but it could be argued that in today's society the blurring of boundaries is also a common theme. For example, in the case of surveillence where is the line drawn between lokking out of our best intersts and voyeurism?
What I also liked about this book is that although you are presented with a plausable protagonist there is no clear antagonist until late into the book.
I also watched the recent film adaptation of 'A Scanner Darkly' which I feel was a really underrated film. Directed by Richard Linklater, the film has been shot and cut like a normal film and than painfully rotoscoped to create an almost life-like animation.
The visual style for the film is spot on because it reinforces the idea of lucid dreaming or being in a state of consciousness when you are aware of what is going on around you but nothing seems real.
The Intro sequence to the film couldn't have been achieved in the same way with live footage. A Substance D user has developed paranoia and thinks he is covered in aphids but as he continuously washes they re-appear tormenting him. Please watch this film, if you are a designer or just a fan of Philip K. Dick it is worth a watch.
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