The Diary of a Drug Fiend

Diary of a Drug Fiend, published in 1922, was occult writer and mystic Aleister Crowley's first published novel, and is also reportedly the earliest known reference to the Abbey of Thelema in Sicily. The story is widely thought to be based upon Crowley's own drug experiences, despite being written as a fiction. This seems almost conclusively confirmed by Crowley's statement in the novel's preface: "This is a true story. It has been rewritten only so far as was necessary to conceal personalities." Crowley's own recreational drug use and also his personal struggle with drug addiction, particularly heroin, is well documented. Crowley made a study of drugs and their effects upon the body and mind, experimenting widely himself. Many of his conclusions are present within this novel. The story follows Peter Pendragon and Louise Laleham, a couple passionately in love, as they fall head-first into a drug binge across Europe. Diary of a Drug Fiend encapsulates much of Crowley's core philosophy concerning Thelema and his conception of True Will.

About the Author

Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) was a magus, poet, sexual athlete, mountaineer, traitor, drug fiend, and Prophet of a New Eon. He has been dubbed "The Wickedest Man in the World." Author of 777, Diary of a Drug Fiend, and Book of Lies, as well as many other books, Crowley, with Freida Harris, also created the bestselling Thoth Tarot Deck.

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