Fictional Drugs

264   8.2  

Melange

Type:
Medicinal

Source:
Produced by Sandworms on the planet Arrakis

Effects:
Geriatric drug that increases user's lifespan, vitality and in some cases, offers the ability of precognition.

Side-effects:
Addictive, turns whites of eyes blue, withdrawal is fatal.

Notes:
Melange is a sign of extreme wealth and is regarded as the most valuable commodity in the universe. Melange grants humanity the ability of inter-stellar travel and is more commonly known as The Spice.

486   8.1  

Soma

Type:
Medicinal

Source:
Mass produced by the government

Effects:
Antidepressant and hallucinogenic. Strongly linked to sexual hedonism.

Side-effects:
Virtually none, though overdose can be fatal via the shutting off of the Medulla oblongata in the brain, which controls respiration.

Notes:
Soma is universally accepted by the population and is used as a method of control-by-pleasure by the government. Soma is seen to be used in place of tear-gas during civil unrest, and in place of alcohol at a civil partnership ceremony.

Grand Assault's rating:

2   6  

Boosterspice

Type:
Medicinal

Source:
Synthetically produced by the Institute of Knowledge

Effects:
Life prolonging drug that reverses the effects of ageing. Could potentially be used indefinitely.

Side-effects:
None, though an analogous, incompatible compound exists on the Ringworld, and if both are consumed the user will die.

Notes:
The drug is marketed as a genetically engineered ragweed variant, though is actually manufactured from the Tree-of-life.

6   9.5  

Betathanatine

Type:
Military and Recreational

Source:
Developed by the government

Effects:
Reduces metabolic activity and body temperature to an almost flat-line state, without causing cellular damage.

Side-effects:
Causes complete emotional detachment, thus inhibiting humanitarian thought processes.

Notes:
The drug was developed to study near-death experiences, but was later used by the military to prompt soldiers to carry out amoral orders without objection. Is used by the protagonist to avoid advanced security scanning systems.

Grand Assault's rating:

172   8.3  

Drencrom

Type:
Recreational

Source:
Developed by the government

Effects:
Based on adrenochrome, an anti-haemorrhagic drug.

Side-effects:
Psychotropic, hallucinogenic and linked to schizophrenia.

Notes:
Drencrom, along with Synthemesc and Vellocet are ingredients of Milk-plus, sold in the Korova milk bar and frequently consumed by the novel's protagonist.

67   6.8  

Kalocin

Type:
Medicinal

Source:
Surreptitiously discovered by Jensen Pharmaceuticals.

Effects:
Wonder drug that cured all known virus, bacterial, fungus, parasitic and cancer-related diseases.

Side-effects:
Withdrawal causes anyone who previously took the drug to die of bizarre, novel microbial infections that were previously unseen in medical science.

Notes:
Due to the horrific withdrawal effects, research into the 'universal antibiotic' was swiftly scrapped and covered up, though the drug was considered for use against the Andromeda Strain.

130   7.9  

Betaphenethylamine

Type:
Recreational

Source:
Unspecified

Effects:
Stimulant, hallucinogen.

Side-effects:
Addictive, similar to modern narcotics.

Notes:
Betaphenethylamine was produced to counter livers and pancreases that are surgically altered to be resistant to narcotics. Administered as a skin dermal patch.

70   7.8  

Substance D

Type:
Recreational

Source:
Secretly manufactured at drug rehabilitation clinic.

Effects:
Powerfully psychotropic

Side-effects:
Severs the links between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. Lethally addictive, over use can lead to two distinctly separate personalities forming in the users brain.

Notes:
Substance D is also known as Slow Death, and is produced from a small blue flower of the species Mors ontologica.

117   7.7  

Novril

Type:
Medicinal

Source:
Pharmaceutical company.

Effects:
Powerful analgesic.

Side-effects:
Dependency, addictive, hallucinogenic.

Notes:
Novril is used as a prescription painkiller, much like codeine. Throughout the course of the novel, a the protagonist becomes addicted to the drug and suffers extreme withdrawal symptoms after his kidnap ordeal.

9   6.6  

Hardovax

Type:
Medicinal

Source:
Pharmaceutical company.

Effects:
Prevents erectile dysfunction

Side-effects:
None

Notes:
Written in 1969, Hardovax is heard advertised on a radio. An obvious analogue to modern-day viagra.

85   8.3  

Phalanx

Type:
Medicinal Vaccine

Source:
Corrupt Pharmaceutical company.

Effects:
Phalanx is a vaccine used to protect against rabies.

Side-effects:
None

Notes:
Phalanx was championed as a prevention against the zombie apocalypse, despite having no effect whatsoever. It offered a false sense of security to humanity and prevented quicker government response to the disaster. When winter weather briefly halted the spread of zombie activity, Phalanx was credited. The fraudulent manufactures of Phalanx soon escaped to the South Pole after a public backlash.

Grand Assault's rating:

12   9  

Allswell

Type:
Medicinal

Source:
Naturally occurring brain chemical.

Effects:
Induces feelings of calm, happiness and satisfaction.

Side-effects:
None

Notes:
Allswell is forbidden amongst some cultures, but appears regularly as a food supplement in others. It takes approximately 14 days for the positive well-being effects of Allswell to accumulate in the body.

49   5.6  

Glitterstim

Type:
Recreational

Source:
Mined on the planet Kessel.

Effects:
Intoxicating and hallucinogenic

Side-effects:
May grant temporary telepathic and psychic ability to the user.

Notes:
Glitterstim dealing was highly prohibited by the Galactic Empire. A black hole close to the planet of Kessel, along with Imperial patrols, makes smuggling of the spice particularly treacherous - unless you're Han Solo.