John O'Brien was a stunningly talented writer who created poetry from
the most squalid materials.--Jay McInerney, author of Bright
Lights, Big City
Within the walls of a foreboding mansion situated in the hills
overlooking Los Angeles, the suave Double Felix plays host to an array
of beautiful women as well as his unlikely sidekick William. The
mysterious patriarch grants his live-in guests' every wish while asking
nothing in return. Days begin with William and Double Felix discussing
their conquests with the ladies over morning Vodka, a ritual that is
nonetheless edged in homoerotic tension. From there the drinking
continues, only to be interrupted by some miscellany--perhaps a rerun of
The Love Boat or some casual sex.
But the ongoing torpor has been upset by the house's newest arrival, a
stunning young woman named Laurie, with whom both Double Felix and
William become hopelessly smitten. Trash-talking Maggie and Zipper, the
hooker who flew in on a trick and never left, smolder with envy while
Laurie garners more and more attention from the men.
As tensions spiral out of control, the house--an almost anthropomorphic
entity in itself--ejects some of its denizens while further ensnaring
others. Eventually, each faces the same ultimatum: leave or stay. The
decision is fraught with consequence.
Better delves deep into the psyche of its subjects through an
intricate web of cultural icons, loyalty, covert communications, and
sex. John O'Brien's characters loom in and out of a surreal world that
seems to float high above the rest of us, but is in fact firmly tethered
to the human condition.
John O'Brien was born in 1960 and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. He
moved to Los Angeles in 1982 with his then-wife Lisa. During his
lifetime, he was a busboy, file clerk, and coffee roaster, but writing
was his true calling. He committed suicide in April 1994 at age
thirty-three. His published fiction includes Leaving Las Vegas, The
Assault on Tony's, and Stripper Lessons.
