The Big Fix!

"The Big Fix!" by Richard Wilson is a mid-20th century science fiction novel that focuses on the nature of addiction and the lure of an alternate reality. The story centers on a drug called uru, which not only acts as an addictive substance but also as a gateway to another world. Former addict Barry, living in a run-down city, seeks something beyond his addiction and meets Jones, a strange pusher who introduces him to uru, a drug that sends him to the beautiful yet violent planet Uru as Boru, the Fighting Man. As Barry gets caught up in the new world, he discovers dark truths about this paradise, blurring the lines between entertainment and morality. Faced with a choice between staying in Uru or returning to Earth, Bary confronts questions of purpose, identity, and the deceptive nature of escape.