Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hunter S. Thompson's legendary 1972 book, is often mistaken for a true account of events. However, only about 25% of the story actually occurred.

Thompson visited Las Vegas twice in 1971: first to cover the Mint 400 off-road race for Sports Illustrated, and later to report on the National District Attorneys Association's Conference on Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs for Rolling Stone magazine. He brought along attorney Oscar Zeta Acosta, who became the inspiration for Dr. Gonzo in the book.

What Actually Happened:

• The conversations at the Boulder City taco stand (Chapter 9) were real and recorded
• Thompson did stay at The Mint hotel
• He accurately depicted specific details like Neutrogena soap being used at The Mint

What Was Fabricated:

• The infamous drug-filled trunk inventory
• The trashing of Room 1850 and stealing 600 soap bars
• The Debbie Reynolds show incident at Desert Inn
• The timeline between the two Las Vegas trips
• The high-speed police chase with a Budweiser in hand

Thompson himself admitted to "imposing an essentially fictional framework on what began as a piece of straight/crazy journalism." He wrote most of the book in a hotel room in Arcadia, California, deliberately simulating drug experiences rather than documenting real ones.

Despite being published as general nonfiction by Random House, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is best understood as a work of creative journalism that uses reality as a launching pad for exploring deeper truths about American society and culture.

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