Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is the title of a fictional book by the gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thompson written about a 1974 trip to Las Vegas to cover a motorcycle race in the desert, but ended up being a social commentary on the end of the 1960's. The trip is loosely based off a trip that Thompson took to Las Vegas with his friend Oscar Zeta Acosta (fictionalized in the book as Doctor Gonzo) to try and get him away from his bodyguards in Los Angeles and learn more about a high profile murder that he was writing about.