Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
A drug-fueled quest for the American Dream in Las Vegas.
Last updated
P.J. O'Rourke stated that the book deals with anomie, being and nothingness, and existential terror.[1]
Making and release
An assignment for Sports Illustrated that was meant to be a 250-word photo caption expanded into a story of novel length for Rolling Stone.[2] The 2,500-word manuscript Thompson first gave to Sports Illustrated received an "aggressively rejected" response.[2] The combined texts appeared as a two-part story in Rolling Stone during November 1971, with artwork by Ralph Steadman.[3] Random House put out the hardcover edition in July 1972, which included more drawings by Steadman.[3]
Thompson started writing the complete manuscript on April 29, 1971, while in a hotel room located in Arcadia, California.[4] He combined his Las Vegas experiences into a structure he described as "an essentially fictional framework."[4] Thompson referred to the work as "a failed experiment in the gonzo journalism" he practiced.[5]
What the cited sources add
P.J. O'Rourke pointed out that Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas originally appeared in Rolling Stone 25 years before his 1996 article.[1] O'Rourke characterized the book as "also a sort of accident."[1] The title might allude to a Bible verse, Philippians 2:12, which speaks of working out salvation "in fear and trembling."[6][7] Thompson's initial use of the phrase "fear and loathing" occurred in a letter composed after the Kennedy assassination.[8]
References
- O' Rourke, P.J. Fear and Loathing at 25 : Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. November 28, 1996.. facts only, no text reused. plagiarismbeginsathome.wordpress.com
- Wikipedia, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Thompson, "The Great Shark Hunt: Strange Tales from a Strange Time", Summit Books, 1979, p. 105–109 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Duke, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream. Part I", November 11, 1973, p. 37–48; Duke, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream. Part II", November 25, 1973, p. 38–50; Gilmore, Mikal. (March 24, 2005). "The Last Outlaw." Rolling Stone, 970, 44–47; Woods, Crawford (July 23, 1972). Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream. By Hunter S. Thompson. Illustrations by Ra; Back cover, Fear and Loa en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Thompson, Hunter S. Jacket Copy For Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream; Thompson, Hunter S. Jacket Copy For Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Thompson, Hunter S. Jacket Copy For Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Philippians 2:12 Meaning and Commentary - Explaining the Bible", March 15, 2025. facts only, no text reused. scripturesavvy.com
- Wikipedia, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Philippians 2:12 Meaning and Commentary - Explaining the Bible", March 15, 2025 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Thompson, "Proud Highway", Ballantine Books, 1998 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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