The best science fiction books that use an invented drug

Dune is one of my all-time favorite imagined worlds – a complex and intricate interstellar society set in the far future. The story centers on the character of Paul Atreides, born into a powerful family and tasked with overseeing the inhospitable and dangerous planet Arrakis – the only planet that produces a drug called melange or “spice.” The drug, which has the capacity to extend life and heighten mental abilities, is not only coveted, but is the basis for a whole host of social, economic, and political feuds. Control of Arrakis and the drug itself is considered the pinnacle of power throughout the planets. It is a world, essentially, that is powered by a drug that everyone wants.

This is the book that got me into Science Fiction in the first place and it remains, perhaps, my favorite novel. The setting is a near-future dystopian society where a subculture of young, roving gangs control the streets through extraordinarily violent antics (ultra-violence). This violent behavior is enhanced by “milk plus,” a drink laced with synthetic drugs available at the Korova Milk Bar, which is where we first encounter our main character, Alex, a 15-year-old gang leader.

When Alex is arrested for murder, he is selected to undergo an experimental therapy (The Ludovico Technique) designed to wean him off violent behavior forever, after which his sentence will be commuted. During these treatments, he is injected with (yet another) drug called Serum 114. This drug induces extreme nausea while he is made to watch horribly violent films. Utterly changed, Alex is released back onto the streets to a world in which he can no longer safely take part. To me, the book poses thoughtful questions about the dangers of interfering with natural human development and what can happen if our nature is too radically altered – either for good, or for evil.

This book, said to be at least partly an autobiographical account of Dick’s own experience with drug culture in the 1970s, centers on protagonist Bob Arctor, an undercover narcotics agent spying on the household of drug users with which he’s associated himself. The novel deals with a drug called Substance D which makes the two hemispheres of the brain work independently, effectively splitting the user almost into two distinct individuals. As a result of his eventual addiction to Substance D, Arctor does not even realize he is both people and acts independently as a narcotics agent and drug user. It’s definitely one of the most fascinating invented drugs in all of science fiction and makes for a uniquely schizophrenic adventure.

Another favorite novel of mine, Brave New World takes place in a near-future dystopian society where an authoritative government uses a drug called Soma to induce feelings of calm contentment in its own citizens. The highly addictive (and readily available) drug is meant to keep the populace happy and also to keep them from rebellion against a regime that dictates almost every aspect of daily life. When the main character, Bernard, takes a trip to a far-off “savage” village, he witnesses what people are like living entirely free from the constructs of “civilized” society – and from Soma. Loosely based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Brave New World questions the role of both government and of society on the natural human state. This is a book I’ve gone back to many times.

I know plenty of people have seen film adaptations of this story, but in Stevenson’s novel, the drug takes on a larger, more sinister role. In the story, Dr. Jekyll – a respected and well-meaning scientist – creates a drug that can alter his personality to allow his baser, more evil elements to come to the surface. It essentially summons his “alter-ego” Mr. Hyde. As the good doctor becomes more and more dependent on the drug, his evil counterpart becomes more and more the prominent personality. At its surface, the novel is a classic exploration of good vs. evil, but a careful reading also illuminates the real dangers of substance abuse and what that can do to a personality.