A Scanner Darkly

Undercover Police Officer Fred walks a fine line between his real identity and that of his alter ego, drug abuser Bob Arctor. But overdosing causes Fred to lose his balance and fall headlong into the chaotic world of substance abuse in which his two personalities fight against each other. Paul Giamatti's raspy voice adds a definitive depth to this edgy novel about the codependence of law enforcement and the drug scene. He fully captures the characters in their various drug-induced states, juggling paranoia, irrelevant banter, and dazed vocal tones. While his female voices sound similar, they are still discernable enough, and his overall performance certainly makes up for this shortcoming. L.E. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

July 10, 2006
The great science fiction writer Philip K. Dick died in 1982, but his fame continues to grow—especially through films based on his work, like Terminator
and Blade Runner
. This dark but devilishly entertaining audio—read by the terrific Giamatti (American Splendor
, Sideways
)—offers Dick fans the complete book just in time to compare it to Richard Linklater's movie adaptation starring Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr. and Winona Ryder. Giamatti is an inspired choice, managing to capture both the touching charm and the irritating obsessiveness of Dick's leading characters in a slightly futuristic version of Los Angeles: a drug addict named Bob and a narcotics cop called Fred—who might just be the same person, especially since they're both addicted to a drug called Substance D, which gradually splits the user's brain into two warring entities. Dick's book is not for the squeamish or those offended by strong language, but he and Giamatti make the degradation and despair of addiction poignant and often hilarious. Simultaneous release with the Vintage paperback movie tie-in.

January 9, 2006
Described as being "like a graphic novel come to life," the 2006 film version of Dick's classic 1977 novel A Scanner Darkly
is a full-length animated feature directed by Richard Linklater using rotoscope visual technique. In rotoscoping, filmed actors are digitally transformed into drawings. The graphic novel version of the film consists mostly of direct screen grabs from the animated version. Harvey Pekar has added some narration that has been adapted from the novel. The books and film tell the story of a futuristic Southern California in which drugs are rampant and identity mutable. Keanu Reeves plays an undercover cop who has to spy on and understand the druggy circles around him. The film looks intriguing, but the graphic novel version falls asleep instead of coming to life. Simply arranging film stills on a page to resemble comic book panels does not a narrative make. And while the dialogue seems mostly drawn from the film, the narration, intended to bridge the gap between watching action unfold and reading it, is incongruous and sometimes nonsensical in this setting. This bizarre hybrid is no substitute for Dick's original and will serve best as a reminder of the film.