Thompson specialized in semi-autobiographical literature, and took few liberties with the portrayal of personal experiences. Here is a list of facts that help us explore the experience of writing this provocative, and often haunting, novel:
1) Thompson traveled to Las Vegas with a latino attorney, Osca Zeta Acosta, to investigate the unlawful killing of a Vietnam protester in the 70's. His commission, however, was for Sports Illustrated, who planned to publish an article on the annual Mint 400 race. The original article was initially rejected, but later published by Rolling Stone.
2) The novel necessitated two trips to Las Vegas, the first of which was the genesis of the novel. He returned a year later to amass more information, a trip he called "Vegas II". He finished the work during stay at a hotel in Arcadia, California.
3) Thompson said, post-publication, that his portrayal in the novel was intentionally chaotic and unkept. He hoped that the 'messy' protagonist would allude to the listless and "permanently crippled" seekers of a previous age.
4) The novel was published less than a year after its initial conception.
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