Dark Days, Bright Nights: Surviving the Las Vegas Storm Drains

by Matthew O'Brien

A vivid and enlightening oral history of homelessness in the Las Vegas storm drains and the hard work of re-entering mainstream society.
A vivid and enlightening oral account of homelessness in the Las Vegas storm drains and the hard work of re-entering mainstream society.

Are you aware that hundreds of people live underground in the flood channels of Las Vegas? Few people were until Matthew O'Brien grabbed a flashlight, tape recorder, and expandable baton for protection and explored the storm-drain system in depth. This research resulted in his landmark book Beneath the Neon. Now the drains have been covered by CNN, Fox News, NPR, Dr. Phil, the New York Times, the BBC, Al Jazeera, and many other media outlets. They have even found their way on to popular TV shows, including CSI, Criminal Minds, and into mainstream movies.

But the fact that several of these drug- and gambling-addicted tunnel dwellers have clawed their way out of the drains and turned around their lives has received far less attention.

Dark Days, Bright Nights shares their harrowing stories and provides a unique perspective on one of America's most fascinating cities. It also paints a larger picture of homelessness and recovery in America. These stories are the happy (though not Hollywood) ending to the infamous tunnel tale.

The narrative is complemented by bios and stark, black-and-white images of the survivors, putting a scarred, knowing face to the unblinkingly honest accounts.

Genres: Nonfiction

250 pages, Paperback

Published October 27, 2020

About the author

Matthew O'Brien is an author and journalist who's lived in Las Vegas since 1997. His first book, Beneath the Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas, chronicles his adventures in the city's underground flood channels. His second book, My Week at the Blue Angel: And Other Stories from the Storm Drains, Strip Clubs, and Trailer Parks of Las Vegas, is a creative-nonfiction collection set in off-the-beaten-path Vegas. He's the founder of Shine a Light, a community project that provides housing, drug counseling, and other services to the people living in the drains.

Reviews

[Susan J]

I'm honored to be in this book with my son. It occurs to me that he and i can spread the current news (and for the past 6 years) that we have enjoyed freedom from the tunnels of Las Vegas.. myself nearing 11 years now. Seeing our stories in print moved me in such a way that healing organically came about for me💓
My 1st 5 visits with Shine_a_light brought up many emotional barriers that I was able to deal with
and heal from.
When I saw Matthew O'Brien 4 years later.. (about 35 days ago) I could feel the change in me
and our relationship .
it is an honour to be in your book sir.
Thank you for my growth.
Oneshoesue🥿

[Ayre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I went into this book I had some preconceived notions about what it means to be homeless and why some one would be homeless. I know a lot of people hate homeless people and seem them as subhuman. I even noticed these type of comments a lot on Matthew's other book about homelessness. This book is written in interview style where a lot of homeless people are telling their stories of homelessness and their recoveries.

Are a lot of homeless people addicts? Yes. Do a lot of homeless people have mental health issues? Yes. Do they deserve to be treated like they're not worth existing because of these things? NO! Homelessness and addiction aren't something that should be treated like a crime. It should be treated like an illness.

The hardest part of this book is how accepting these people are about the horrible things they've experienced. There is a true lack of emotion in their stories, which makes it harder to be interested in but, ultimately, sad that they've had such horrible lives that these traumatic things are just common place.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book at no charge from Edelweiss. I was not required to review this book.

[Billy Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read!! True life events through the eyes of the homeless that have escaped from the life of addiction and homelessness.

[Bo Broom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book by an Awesome author....

[Alison Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, from cover to cover was heartbreaking but also many times uplifting. To read the personal stories of the people who lived in the drains of Las Vegas, the ones who were able to rise to the top was truly captivating. A definite can't put it down! Matthews knack for putting into writing the interviews he conducted, is a talent that will keep me coming back for more of his books!

[Alex Gruenenfelder · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who loves Las Vegas and has been aware of the tunnels for some time, this has been a book that I have long wanted to read. It is a tale of "what lurk[s] beneath Las Vegas," one that attempts to tell the stories of the homeless people who live as so-called "mole people" beneath Sin City in their own words. "Day to day experiences can vary widely" in the tunnels, so this book attempts to cover as much ground as possible on the author's path of providing rehabilitation and a way out, from hard drug addicts and gambling hustlers to shoplifting runaways and a literal sex offender. There is certainly a politically sympathetic lens to this work, but there is also a nearly journalistic neutrality that I greatly appreciated.

One of the interview subjects references "The Laramie Project" in their backstory, and I can think of no better comparison for the writing style of this book. Filled with "devastating" true-to-life stories, it nonetheless manages to capture people authentically as they are, and ultimately attempts to end on a positive note. This book will take you places that you may not want to go, but it is a refreshingly honest portrait of a few dozen of the thousands of complex people who live in the storm drains beneath one of the most famous cities in the United States.

[Judy Lavelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matthew O’Brien does an incredible job in illuminating (no pun intended) this fascinating community in Las Vegas. The engaging structure made for a seamless read and let both the subtle and profound stories unfold so faithfully. I really felt I got to spend time with the survivors, and O’Brien’s respect and tenderness for this community really came through. It’s brutally honest, but through that honesty, ultimately very hopeful.

I finished this over a month ago, and I’m still thinking about it. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in homelessness, poverty, addiction, recovery, and/or Las Vegas. And if you’re not interested in those topics yet, you will be by the end of the first chapter.

[Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through the carefully crafted interview process of the author, I was able to feel the pain, the anxiety, the desperation, the hopelessness and a plethora of other emotions of the interviewees.

As I read anecdote after anecdote, I started to see a pattern: most of the interviewees experienced some sort of childhood trauma ("adverse childhood experience"). The one that stood out the most was the woman who witnessed the death of her baby brother (in an accident)when she was two years old. A year later, one parent died by suicide. Needless to say, she became addicted and unhoused. Perhaps staying high is the only way she could stay alive.

I highly recommend this book. I am looking forward to reading more of Matthew O'Brien's work.

[Rozalyn Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible person Matthew is; as I understand, Matt was the first person to investigate & make known the people living in the storm drains under the Las Vegas strip & from documentaries I’ve watched, he has helped these people no end, he still apparently has regular communications with the underground inhabitants and keeps in touch via the government issued mobile phones. This book was a solid 5 stars, it was informative, interesting, well structured & incredibly thorough. I just wish I would have known about the underground life before I visited Vegas so I could have kept an eye out for the drain entrances (purely for curiosity purposes!).

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my attempt to learn more about the city I’m living in, this was a unique and heartbreaking book. Individuals who have lived in the tunnels under The City of Lights share how they got there, why they stayed, and what they learned about themselves. A rare telling of the challenges facing the homeless and how they see the world around them. It was not an easy read, but one that will stick with me.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

actual rating: 3.5

This is a tough book. I've heard about the tunnels under Las Vegas but had no idea how many people call those same tunnels home. The stories of people who end up in the tunnels are told in this book---what brought them there, how they survived and if they were able to get out and find a new life.

[Mark Nowowiejski · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was possibly the most depressing thing I've ever read in my life. I suppose that is the point the author was trying to make(?). I really liked Matt's other books, especially the Blue Angel but this one is in an odd sort of oral history/interview format and the stories are all awful/tragic.

Skip this one

[RAVEN · Rating 5 out of 5]

I work at homeless encampments and do photography I absolutely love what I do are the people I help is the ones who Puts before me. They are the true blessing. Love reading this and wish more books like this were out there. Educate people

[Yvonne Reynders · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea... I find many things wrong with the assumptions made. I only finished the book because it was chosen for one of my four clubs. I'm curious to hear what everyone else thought of the book.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really fascinating look at the people who have lived in the tunnels under Vegas and then found their way out of homelessness.

[Kim Perron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for book club. Zoomed with author. Fascinating read.

[Kyle Carnegie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written book of vignettes of people who lived in the Las Vegas tunnels and their life stories.

[Evil Secret Ninja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories of overcoming homelessness and addiction. I enjoyed it a lot and found the stories touching and full of trauma.

[McKaylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really quick read/listen. Firsthand accounts from homeless people who lived in the Las Vegas tunnels. You get to hear about their struggles, addictions, and how they got out.

[Graham Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brutal, but powerful.

[Kent Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating oral history about the largely unseen community of homeless persons living in the Las Vegas storm tunnels.

[Prescilla Arellano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short book filled of narratives about those who are homeless and live in the tunnels in Las Vegas. Discusses what led many to live in the tunnels and what decisions they made in order to escape that life style.
I appreciate it for its attempt to dissolve the stigma around the homeless community, which is too often looked down upon.

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 2 out of 5]

I assumed I'd be interested in this because I live in Vegas and I drive over the tunnels all the time. You can see folks coming and going into them from some places right from your car.
I'm pretty sure I even "knew" the ex-husband mentioned by the current boyfriend of the woman who was swept away in the water because he lived across the street from my (now) ex-husband and I when this happened. I remember being shocked hearing that it happened and wondering why anyone would take that chance.
I think I didn't like how the book was laid out really. The short paragraphs, I forget how many each chapter, and having to remember which story went to each person, didn't do it for me personally.
I might read the one before this if I happen to see it someplace but I doubt I'll ever seek it out or pay more than a buck or two for it.
It also would have been insanely easy to take a couple photos to give people more of a sense of things. I had not ever heard of anyone going in, much less LIVING underground in tunnels before so I know a few photos would have helped me understand the situation more, if I had read this before living here.