Yep. PKD really was a [literary] genius.
Dick explored mass surveillance, addiction, humanity, identity crises, and empathy with A Scanner Darkly. The narrative can be discombobulating at first, but around the midpoint even someone unfamiliar with Dick’s work can really start putting together what’s truly happening and it’s entirely enthralling and mind blowing; the intense manipulation… On the other hand, I can see why this book would be off-putting to those not acclimated to his style or typical concepts explored throughout his novels. It’s well deserving of the “mindfuck” label as are many of PKD’s novels.

P.S. I loved the random German-language excerpts from Goethe’s Faust and Heinrich Heine alluding to Arctor’s childhood.