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John Eames, a desktop publisher living with HIV in San Francisco, is the primary character. Described as "shockingly handsome," John bulked up after taking steroids following his near death from AIDS. John lives with his cat Rafsanjani and his dutiful partner Harrison, a college professor obsessed with the Civil War.
John's friends constitute the supporting cast of characters: Patricia, a stereotypical fag hag; Kevin, his workout partner; Ethan, his shopping partner; and Brian, the younger man John has an affair with.
Every Man for Himself maps John's "world of romantic troubles" as he approaches his 33rd birthday. In the throes of early-onset gay mid-life crisis, he struggles to decide whether to stay with Harrison or to enjoy single gay life in San Francisco.
Complicating his decision is his new body, the result of steroid treatments and his workout regimen. He's starting to find himself treated differently in this new skin: he now gets cruised when walking down Castro Street, and store clerks give him discounts just because he is "so cute." John also becomes a hit - and hit upon - while on an all-gay vacation in Mexico (a thinly disguised Atlantis Event) without his Harrison to keep track.
And if the woes of being Every Man's Fantasy aren't something with which you can identify, you may at least recognize woes of another kind: Outland offers both a witty and memorable look at apartment hunting (complete with crazy roommates) and a well-written and well-researched bashing of the Reagan era.
Outland's comic timing is effective and his humor hits the mark, making Every Man for Himself fun and easy to read. You'll especially enjoy it if you've ever been - or longed to go - to San Francisco. It contains references to many gay landmarks, including Badlands, Cafe Flore, Midnight Sun, Eros, Coit Tower, and Fisherman's Wharf.
If you're looking for a good late summer read, there's still time to pick this one up on the way to the beach.
