Don’t get me wrong: I thoroughly enjoyed Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. It was like an acerbic version of Alice in Wonderland but with drugs I could recognize. Thompson was a great writer, if not a little self-absorbed. However, his self-inflected death should not have surprised anyone (unless it was that it took him so long to pull the trigger) and its seems that his family was the least surprised of all. You don’t pump that much drugs and alcohol into yourself and act life a madman unless your running away from something. Fear most certainly fuel Thompson’s writing career. I am amazed at the people that look to his work as some kind of guide to life. Why not pick up a copy of Crowely’s Diary of a Drug Fiend or de Sade’s Justine?
What is remarkable is how his death continues to make news. Can we be on the verge of a new cult? Will HST raise from his grave of Bad Craziness to join the Lizard King Morrison and His Grace Elvis? Bad Craziness indeed…
In non-HST news, I’ve unfortunately come down with a bad case of Hellsing. A regular course of Manga seems to be helping. The character of Sir Integra is androgilicious!