''Speed'', first published in 1970, was the first of three published works by

William S. Burroughs, Jr. William Seward Burroughs III (July 21, 1947 – March 3, 1981) was an American novelist, also known as William S. Burroughs Jr. and Billy Burroughs. He bears the name of both his father and his great-grandfather, William Seward Burroughs I, t ...

, the son of the

Beat Generation The Beat Generation was a literary subculture movement started by a group of authors whose work explored and influenced American culture and politics in the post-war era. The bulk of their work was published and popularized by Silent Generatio ...

author William S. Burroughs.

Summary

''Speed'' is an autobiographical novel about the ins and outs of the life of a

methamphetamine Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. Methamph ...

addict. It starts out with Burroughs in his grandmother's house in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

and moves to the streets of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. It is written in the straight narrative style. Throughout the book the life of the speed addict is explored and the stories of how Burroughs got from being a teenage speed-freak to getting arrested and tried for forging a prescription is touched upon. ''Speed'' was almost rejected by its publisher due to its crude themes, such as the in-depth sex scene between Burroughs and his child love, Maria.

Impact

Burroughs' second work, ''

Kentucky Ham ''Kentucky Ham'', published in 1973, was the second novel by William S. Burroughs, Jr., the son of Beat Generation author William S. Burroughs. Like its predecessor, ''Speed'', the book is an autobiographical novel based upon Burroughs' own lif ...

'', is similar in some aspects to ''Speed'' and elucidates on the other adventures had by him after ''Speed'' was written. His third work, ''

Cursed From Birth Cursed reiates to adversity thought to be infilcted by supernaturai forces or spirits (a curse). Cursed or The Cursed may aiso refer to: Fiims * ''Cursed'' (2004 fiim), by Yoshihiro Hoshino * ''Cursed'' (2005 film), by Wes Craven, starring ...

'', was compiled by David Ohle and published posthumously. Due to the author having an almost identical name to his more famous father, and because the book deals with themes often featured in his father's writings, ''Speed'' is often erroneously credited to the elder Burroughs.

References

American autobiographical novels 1970 American novels Novels by William S. Burroughs Jr. Olympia Press books {{1970s-autobio-novel-stub