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Scanner Darkly
Scanner Darkly | Philip K Dick
Dick is Thoreau plus the death of the American dream. Roberto Bolano Bob Arctor is a junkie and a drug dealer, both using and selling the mind-altering Substance D. Fred is a law enforcement agent, tasked with bringing Bob down. It sounds like a standard case. The only problem is that Bob and Fred are the same person. Substance D doesn t just alter the mind, it splits it in two, and neither side knows what the other is doing or that it even exists. Now, both sides are growing increasingly paranoid as Bob tries to evade Fred while Fred tries to evade his suspicious bosses. In this award-winning novel, friends can become enemies, good trips can turn terrifying, and cops and criminals are two sides of the same coin. Dick is at turns caustically funny and somberly contemplative, fashioning a novel that is as unnerving as it is enthralling. "
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kricheal
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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Starting this next on #primereading

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homosapienbert
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick

Be happy now because tomorrow you are dying.

3 likes1 stack add
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Dilara
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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This is my first P. K. Dick and a) I can't help but roll my eyes at the themes (drugs/addiction and the tricks your mind can play on you), and b) I hate the hip sixties writing style so much! If it wasn't for book group, I'd bail. I know P. K. Dick is a well-loved author. Are there any other titles I should try before giving up on him?

catsuit_mango A scanner darkly is probably not the easiest to try it, if you still want to give him a try maybe try the short stories? 1y
RamsFan1963 So many to chose from, but The Man in the High Castle is probably the easiest to read. I enjoyed The Martian Time Slip and Dr. Bloodmoney. I second @catsuit_mango , maybe it would be best to start with a short story collection like The Philip K. Dick Reader to get you into his unique writing style. 1y
22 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Minervasbutler
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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Pickpick

Bob Arctor is an undercover narcotics cop who is attempting to uncover the bigger players in the supply chain. To do this effectively he has to pose as a drug fiend, and for complicated reasons is assigned to spy on himself. The appeal and horror of drug addiction is expertly rendered and the meandering paranoid conversations of the dopers is brilliantly done and often very funny.

Bookwomble Such a good book - one of my favourites. Have you seen the film version? I think it's one of the few PKD adaptations that captures his spirit. 2y
Minervasbutler @Bookwomble no, I haven't. Must seek it out. 2y
50 likes2 comments
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RamsFan1963
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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Pickpick

72/150 Robert Arctor is a substance D addict and dealer. Fred is a narcotics agent assigned to investigate Robert and his roommates. Simple enough, except Fred is Robert, and substance D has caused a split in his brain where he begins to see himself as two separate people. Usual PKD mindf*ck, all about identity and what is real or unreal. Paul Giamatti is a fine narrator. 3⭐⭐⭐💫
1st book for #20in4 readathon @Andrew65

Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏 2y
Bookwomble One of my favourite PKD novels 💙 2y
vivastory I haven't read the book yet, but the movie is a favorite 2y
63 likes3 comments
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eeclayton
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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Mehso-so

I didn't exactly like it, but there were some fascinating passages, and I'm sure this story will stay with me for a while.

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broughtyoubooks
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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Panpan

Idk i was intrigued by the start and end, and the character building was interesting, but it just felt like the story was filler monologuing for a lot of it. Might be better if I approach it in book format instead of audio.

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DaveGreen7777
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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Thank you for this Sweet #ManicMonday @JoScho 😊

#LetterS
📖 - (a) Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick (a sci-fi masterpiece 😧)
📝 - Sanderson, Brandon
🎥 - Star Wars (all of them)! 🤓
📺 - Star Trek (all of them)! 🤓
🎤 - Simons, Simone (Epica)
🎸 - Slipknot (I know, I know... 🙈 But they have some of my favorite drum and percussion tracks of all time!)
🎶 - “Stand My Ground” by Within Temptation

TK421 No shame in liking Slipknot drum lines. 😉 4y
vivastory The Scanner Darkly movie is pretty phenomenal 4y
DaveGreen7777 @TK421 Good to know! 😁 🥁 4y
DaveGreen7777 @vivastory Agreed! And the movie did answer a question about someone‘s identity that was never definitively revealed in the book, too! 😱 4y
46 likes4 comments
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Mistermandolin
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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Pickpick

Classic from Dick‘s Mid-Late period. The horror is in no way offset by the effortless lyricism but what really nails it for me is the dialogue. Spaced, stoned and darkly funny, it sets A Scanner Darkly apart from anything he‘d written up to that point. A career high, only matched by Valis a few years later. Masterful.

PaperbackPirate Welcome to Litsy! #LitsyWelcomeWagon 4y
Mistermandolin Thanks! Great to be here! 4y
See All 13 Comments
PaperbackPirate If you follow the link above there‘s a post with some helpful Litsy tips. 🙂 4y
Mistermandolin Thanks! I will. 4y
Eggs Welcome to Litsy 🥳 4y
Mistermandolin @Eggs I‘m really enjoying Litsy! Do you know of any other similar, dedicated readers‘ sites? 4y
Eggs I‘ve heard of bookstagram and librarything but I don‘t know 🤔 4y
Schwifty Have you seen the film? A rather odd cast, but it works! 4y
Mistermandolin @Schwifty I saw it many years ago. Enjoyed it. When I first read the book, I did‘t think it could possibly be made into a film, but there you go...As you said: it works. 4y
TheNeverendingTBR This cover! 👌 4y
10 likes13 comments
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Novelista71
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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Much better than film

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Novelista71
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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Read this having seen the film. It is much better than the movie, with a plot that is perfectly explained and an ending that makes sense

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imitelis
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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But the actual touch of her lingered, inside his heart. That remained. In all the years of his life ahead, the long years without her, with never seeing her or hearing from her or knowing anything about her, if she was alive or happy or dead or what, that touch stayed locked within him, sealed in himself, and never went away. That one touch of her hand.

Linda_Bloodworth_Author Yaaaaaasss! Philip K Dick is my ultimate favourite author. 5y
imitelis 🤔Seems like i just found a companion! 😊 5y
35 likes2 comments
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imitelis
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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Imagine being sentient but not alive. Seeing and even knowing, but not alive. Just looking out. Recognizing but not being alive. A person can die and still go on. Sometimes what looks out at you from a person's eyes maybe died back in childhood.

Suet624 Oh boy. 😭😭 5y
Reggie Jesus. 5y
35 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Linda_Bloodworth_Author
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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Pickpick

I absolutely LOVE this book. Philp K Dick is a genius and I didn't see the ending coming at all. The movie is also spot on, I'd highly recommend it.

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Bookwomble
Scanner Darkly | Philip K Dick
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"This has been a novel about some people who were punished entirely too much for what they did. They wanted to have a good time, but they were like children playing in the street; they could see one after another of them being killed--run over, maimed, destroyed--but they continued to play anyhow. We really all were very happy for a while, sitting around not toiling but just bullshitting and playing...??

Bookwomble ...but it was for such a terrible brief time, and then the punishment was beyond belief." 6y
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Bookwomble
Scanner Darkly | Philip K Dick
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@dystopianaut My shelf-full of Dicks - too long to fit them all on the Dick pick! (I promise I'll stop with that, now 😂)

quietlycuriouskate I just showed this to my daughter: she's now wondering what kind of company I keep online. 😉 6y
Bookwomble @River_Voice I'm mostly harmless 😉 6y
dystopianaut 😂😂😂😂😂 now this is a dick pic i can get behind! 😉👌🏻😂 6y
Bookwomble @dystopianaut Phew! I thought I was sailing a bit close to the wind with that one! 😁 6y
19 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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dystopianaut
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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ice cream social at work + reading outside on my break = best day ever. 🍨📚💕 #myPKDjourney

32 likes3 stack adds
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PagesOfKate
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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Holy calamity it's #virtualinsanity - time to suit up! Bob Arctor/Fred bears witness to the destructive nature of Substance D by posing as an addict.
This vision of a troubled near future is loosely inspired by Philp K Dick's own experiences with drugs.
#aprella @Mdargusch @Reviewsbylola @emilyhaldi @Cinfhen

emilyhaldi Ahhh yes, another author whose drug use influenced his writing. Trippy!! 6y
Mdargusch Sounds crazy. 6y
Reviewsbylola This is one author I know I wouldn‘t enjoy. 6y
63 likes4 stack adds3 comments
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jearl4
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
Mehso-so

Not sure what I just read but that's sort of the classic PKD style. Overall the book felt slow and confusing to me but the last 20% really shines. If you can make it through the first 80% it's worth a read.

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StephMC82
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
Pickpick

This book demands your undivided attention, so I may have to re-read this in the future. For now, I can proudly say I have read a Phillip K. Dick book, and it was just lovely. 😍 #Lovedit

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tlmorgan
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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Bailedbailed

I just couldn‘t get into this. Nothing about the story or characters were compelling to me. Moving on

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StephMC82
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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Super excited for this Amazon download!! I feel like I totally forgot this book existed. Changing from my #TBR list to my second book of #december.

Although I should switch to reading The Magicians at night, I think....
#nighttimereading #twobooksatatime

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DeborahSmall
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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#eyecandygiveaway part 2! The centrefold shows the contrast in design choice. There‘s a great YouTube video via one of the Folio Society newsletters, with one of the editors chatting to the illustrators 💚💙❤️📚

ScorpioBookDreams This is so striking! 6y
Kalalalatja That bottom right pic is really creepy, but also kind of stunning 👌 6y
Oryx I've been eyeing this one up. It looks fab. Although I'm scared it'll start of a folio addiction from which I shan't recover. So many good Littens lost to it already... 😁 6y
See All 7 Comments
TrishB I'm so envious of this one 💝 6y
DeborahSmall @Kalalalatja I love the top left illustration the most. @Oryx so true but worth it 😂😂 @TrishB I wish I‘d bought it for myself but happy it‘s at least in my house even if it‘s Sam‘s bedroom! I‘ll miss it when he eventually moves out 😂💕 6y
TrishB I brought my daughter The Handmaids Tale and I shall enjoy it whilst it is in the house too 👍 6y
DeborahSmall @TrishB The Handmaids Tale one of my favourite folios. I‘ve read a lot of the folios I‘ve bought this year like Rebecca, Orlando, Emma, P&P, The Hobbit, The Great Gatsby and at least 5 more; my plan is to re read them next year starting with The Handmaids Tale ❤️ 6y
69 likes7 comments
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LumosNox
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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Panpan

I just finished listening to this and while it's not horrible, it just wasn't for me. I've never been able to get drawn into stories that mostly deal with drugs and somehow missed that, that is what this book is completely about. Decent writing, just didn't find myself caring about anyone really.

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Conservio
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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From the top:
1. A pre-history book of the natives. Was also tucked away behind a big stack of books on the floor.
2. I want to own the complete royal diaries series.
3. On my TBR list
4. Non fiction about a region
5. Historical fiction
6. Non fiction on my TBR.
#usedbookstore #hiddengems

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Leniverse
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
This post contains spoilers
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The title explained! And I guess that means we are cursed, at least if Arctor is right in his analysis. But at this point there is little reason to think Arctor right about anything!

TobeyTheScavengerMonk I hear Keanu's voice as I read this. Seen the movie? 7y
Leniverse @TobeyTheScavengerMonk No, I haven't! I knew nothing about this book when I started it, and it's so spaced I'm tripping. No drugs needed. I need to look up all of the psychology and brain hemisphere info when I've finished the book. But... Keanu? I'm sort of picturing Charles Bronson here. Or maybe Kevin Spacey. (Though that might be due to other roles Spacey has done.) 7y
TobeyTheScavengerMonk Check it out! Robert Downey Jr. as Barris, Woody Harrelson as Luckman, Winona Ryder as Donna 7y
Leniverse @TobeyTheScavengerMonk Ok, those castings I can picture! I saw Barris more like John Malkovich, but Robert Downey Jr has probably lived that role, or near enough! 7y
9 likes4 comments
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Leniverse
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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And now I have Neil Young's "The Needle and the Damage Done" playing on my own internal recording. "For every junky's like a setting sun..."

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Leniverse
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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Phillip K. Dick doesn't ease you into his weirdness, he plunges you straight in. That's one helluva opening paragraph!#FirstSentences

28 likes2 stack adds
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mcvaughn138
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick

Listening to this on audio book with Paul Giamotti narrating. Now this is good stuff!

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underthebelljar
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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Pickpick

It's a bit hard to find words to describe this book, especially so soon after finishing... In some parts it is darkly funny then pages later heartbreakingly serious. The afterword by the author shows how personal this book was to him. It is a snapshot of life as a drug addict with hints of growing mental illness set against a slight sci-fi backdrop. I'll be thinking about this one for a while.

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Gerthquake
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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Justice and honesty are not properties of this world, she thought; and then, by God, she rammed her old enemy, her ancient foe, the Coca-Cola truck, which went right on going without noticing. The impact spun her small car around; her headlights dimmed out, horrible noises of fender against tire shrieked, and then she was off the freeway onto the emergency strip, facing the other direction, water pouring from her radiator...

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underthebelljar
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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Branwen Great quote! :-) 7y
18 likes1 stack add1 comment
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underthebelljar
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
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Reading A Scanner Darkly now with little Leeloo 🐶🤓

22 likes1 stack add
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scaifea
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
Pickpick

A strange and troubling and touching tribute to the world of drug use in the '60s. Excellently written, of course.

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LusMat
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
Pickpick

I've loved this novel. It's weird, dark and very psicological. It's also a weight travel into the degradation of human because of drugs. There are lots of religious reference, most of them ravings, but the work is crossed by a deep, even if weak, vein of hope. The final dedication to his friend is touching.

MrBook Great review! 😊👍🏻 8y
LusMat Thank you @MrBook ! 8y
11 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Cshreve
A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick
Pickpick

My favourite of PKD's work, darkly funny and ironic, but still plausible enough to make you more than a little uncomfortable

3 likes1 stack add