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One Of These Things Is Not Like the Other
Winner of the 2005 Lambda Literary Award for Gay Men’s Mystery
Brotherhood Is Going To the Dogs“You’re your own man,” Jake Barnes tells himself upon arrival at his father’s isolated cabin in the woods of Oregon. “You are yourself.” But in the strange world of One of These Things Is Not Like the Other, manhood and self are not to be so easily understood. Or trusted.
Quadruplet brothers. Raised in rural seclusion by their identical, namesake father. Now in their twenties, the Jake Barnes brothers are shocked by their father’s sudden suicide during one boy’s visit. More surprises come in the video he leaves behind, announcing that one of them is an unrelated outsider, and daring his sons to uncover the truth of their birth. From across the U.S. the brothers converge to find a woman who may be their mother, but twisted lust, murderous secrets, and shifting identities threaten their lives along the way.
“This gorgeous existential mystery is a page-turner, a grand novel of possession from beyond the grave in which the nuclear family becomes an opera of identity puzzles. Surprises contend on every page. Father may know, but daddy knows best.” —Robert Glück, author of Margery Kempe
"Tender is the fright. If you put together the moody, specter-ridden dreamscape of Lynch and the lyrical wit of Fitzgerald, you might get something like Scott's new novel... A dark tale of suicide, homicide, fratricide and incest in which sons try to deal with their father's death..." —San Francisco Gate
"A bizarre thriller/dark comedy/love story... Maybe it is kind of like Sesame Street—written by Clive Barker, directed by David Lynch, and starring Crispen Glover as Elmo." — Instinct
"An amazingly adept wordsmith...who can starkly paint every detail against the inside of your eyelids so that the images linger long after you put down his hook. His new novel is no exception to the dark, gritty, psychological insight into human development that he demonstrated in Texas, 1987... This is a compelling read and experiencing it more than once helps to extricate the deeper existential meanings, which dance primitively at the edge of his gripping style. It was hard to put this hook down and I douht you will forget the experience. I am certain you will never think of family in quite the same way." — Stonewall News Northwest
"When their domineering, demanding, and reclusive dad dies, four identical brothers set out to discover who they really are. One of them is gay — or is it two? And if their mother died giving birth to triplets, who is the fourth son? And when they start dying, who among them is the killer? This is a uniquely spooky horror-tinged thriller." — Books to Watch Out For
D. Travers Scott is an author and educator interested in identities, particularly related to gender, sexuality, health, and technology. He has authored five books, (co)edited two, and published over 150 short pieces. A cultural producer and analyst, he has published fiction and creative nonfiction since 1989, and academic writing since 1997. Seeing the marginal outlets of outsider voices as equally important to authoritative sources, he has published in outlets ranging from underground ‘zines to scholarly journals. For 13 years he straddled professional work in advertising—for clients such as AT&T Wireless, Netflix, and Microsoft—with performing in the USA, Canada, and Australia—his work profiled in Harper’s magazine and This American Life.
Brotherhood Is Going To the Dogs“You’re your own man,” Jake Barnes tells himself upon arrival at his father’s isolated cabin in the woods of Oregon. “You are yourself.” But in the strange world of One of These Things Is Not Like the Other, manhood and self are not to be so easily understood. Or trusted.
Quadruplet brothers. Raised in rural seclusion by their identical, namesake father. Now in their twenties, the Jake Barnes brothers are shocked by their father’s sudden suicide during one boy’s visit. More surprises come in the video he leaves behind, announcing that one of them is an unrelated outsider, and daring his sons to uncover the truth of their birth. From across the U.S. the brothers converge to find a woman who may be their mother, but twisted lust, murderous secrets, and shifting identities threaten their lives along the way.
“This gorgeous existential mystery is a page-turner, a grand novel of possession from beyond the grave in which the nuclear family becomes an opera of identity puzzles. Surprises contend on every page. Father may know, but daddy knows best.” —Robert Glück, author of Margery Kempe
"Tender is the fright. If you put together the moody, specter-ridden dreamscape of Lynch and the lyrical wit of Fitzgerald, you might get something like Scott's new novel... A dark tale of suicide, homicide, fratricide and incest in which sons try to deal with their father's death..." —San Francisco Gate
"A bizarre thriller/dark comedy/love story... Maybe it is kind of like Sesame Street—written by Clive Barker, directed by David Lynch, and starring Crispen Glover as Elmo." — Instinct
"An amazingly adept wordsmith...who can starkly paint every detail against the inside of your eyelids so that the images linger long after you put down his hook. His new novel is no exception to the dark, gritty, psychological insight into human development that he demonstrated in Texas, 1987... This is a compelling read and experiencing it more than once helps to extricate the deeper existential meanings, which dance primitively at the edge of his gripping style. It was hard to put this hook down and I douht you will forget the experience. I am certain you will never think of family in quite the same way." — Stonewall News Northwest
"When their domineering, demanding, and reclusive dad dies, four identical brothers set out to discover who they really are. One of them is gay — or is it two? And if their mother died giving birth to triplets, who is the fourth son? And when they start dying, who among them is the killer? This is a uniquely spooky horror-tinged thriller." — Books to Watch Out For
D. Travers Scott is an author and educator interested in identities, particularly related to gender, sexuality, health, and technology. He has authored five books, (co)edited two, and published over 150 short pieces. A cultural producer and analyst, he has published fiction and creative nonfiction since 1989, and academic writing since 1997. Seeing the marginal outlets of outsider voices as equally important to authoritative sources, he has published in outlets ranging from underground ‘zines to scholarly journals. For 13 years he straddled professional work in advertising—for clients such as AT&T Wireless, Netflix, and Microsoft—with performing in the USA, Canada, and Australia—his work profiled in Harper’s magazine and This American Life.
211 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 5, 2021
2 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
D. Travers Scott
12 books23 followersD. Travers Scott is author of Gay Men and Feminist Women in the Fight for Equality: What Did You Do During the Second Wave, Daddy? and Pathology and Technology: Killer Apps and Sick Users. He has also published two novels: the internationally acclaimed Execution, Texas: 1987 and One of These Things is not Like the Other, winner of the 2005 Lambda Literary Award for Gay Men's Mystery. His first story collection, Love Hard: Stories 1989-2009 was published in 2009 from Rebel Satori Press / Queer Mojo. He has a PhD in Communication from the University of Southern California and is currently Associate Professor of Communication at Clemson University.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 24, 2009
When I started reading the book, I was very tempted to put it down. It's a bit heavy-handed at first, particularly for a writer like me who likes to write out the details and leave nothing out. The story seems as though it would be confusing ~ four brothers, all with the same name and the same appearance as their father, discover upon his death that one of them is not in fact related to the others.
However, the only confusion I came across was early on in the story, during an internet conference with all four brothers. For the rest of the story, though, there was little confusion ~ the brothers called each other by the places where they lived, and each chapter was devoted to one brother only (with the exception of the first and the last).
Without giving much of the story away, each brother secretly hopes that he's the one who's different. I can imagine growing up with three carbon copies of yourself would make anyone wish for some distinguishing trait to separate you from the rest. So in an effort to be their own men, the brothers have tried very hard to distance themselves from their siblings. The "main" brother (I guess you can call him that, as the story starts and ends with him) is gay.
Personally I would've liked more explicit scenes ~ not just sex, but other parts were glossed over and I'm one who likes it spelled out. I wanted to know how the father managed to keep all four brothers identical if one of them was not his flesh and blood. I wanted to see the scene where the sheriff comforts the West Hollywood brother (natch). I wanted to see what happened when the WeHo brother confronted his Alaska brother (who was in the closet, so to speak). Little things like that would've added to the story for me.
As the story wound towards the conclusion, I'll admit it was a real page-turner, and I'm glad I didn't let the early language deter me from reading more. I found myself wanting to devour the book, which made me flip to the end numerous times to see how things played out with a particular piece of the plot (this is why I don't read mystery or suspense much, because I hate waiting for the payoff and jump ahead just to satisfy my own curiosity). It was almost like a Stephen King novel, that level of intensity, with an openly gay character that just added to the fun.
So yeah, great read. If you're looking for a spooky read, give this one a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
However, the only confusion I came across was early on in the story, during an internet conference with all four brothers. For the rest of the story, though, there was little confusion ~ the brothers called each other by the places where they lived, and each chapter was devoted to one brother only (with the exception of the first and the last).
Without giving much of the story away, each brother secretly hopes that he's the one who's different. I can imagine growing up with three carbon copies of yourself would make anyone wish for some distinguishing trait to separate you from the rest. So in an effort to be their own men, the brothers have tried very hard to distance themselves from their siblings. The "main" brother (I guess you can call him that, as the story starts and ends with him) is gay.
Personally I would've liked more explicit scenes ~ not just sex, but other parts were glossed over and I'm one who likes it spelled out. I wanted to know how the father managed to keep all four brothers identical if one of them was not his flesh and blood. I wanted to see the scene where the sheriff comforts the West Hollywood brother (natch). I wanted to see what happened when the WeHo brother confronted his Alaska brother (who was in the closet, so to speak). Little things like that would've added to the story for me.
As the story wound towards the conclusion, I'll admit it was a real page-turner, and I'm glad I didn't let the early language deter me from reading more. I found myself wanting to devour the book, which made me flip to the end numerous times to see how things played out with a particular piece of the plot (this is why I don't read mystery or suspense much, because I hate waiting for the payoff and jump ahead just to satisfy my own curiosity). It was almost like a Stephen King novel, that level of intensity, with an openly gay character that just added to the fun.
So yeah, great read. If you're looking for a spooky read, give this one a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
June 8, 2007
D. Travers Scott's second novel, following Execution, Texas: 1987. There's a slightly surreal edge to this tale of four identical brothers and their identical father. It's a mystery in the tradition of Nabokov's The Real Life of Sebastian Knight in which a protagonist tries to ferret out the mystery of the life of a recently-deceased relative. Only in this case the protagonist has fragmented into the four idential brothers.
February 2, 2008
I just finished reading this book. It is good, keeps you guessing and the ending is unclear, so you're not really sure which Jake it is. I have an idea though...
When I bought the book I didn't know it would graphically explain gay sex scenes, which was a little weird for me, but to each their own. It was part of the story line and wouldn't have been the same without it.
This is a quick read, and like I said, leaves you wondering "who done it".
When I bought the book I didn't know it would graphically explain gay sex scenes, which was a little weird for me, but to each their own. It was part of the story line and wouldn't have been the same without it.
This is a quick read, and like I said, leaves you wondering "who done it".
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2023
Actually 3.5, but we still don’t get half stars on here) Fantastic premise with good pacing. At times, though, the confusion that the author wants becomes actual confusion, which can be off-putting. It wouldn’t happen in the movie, though, which this 100% should be. Recommended.
April 11, 2021
Pretty bad. The plot becomes implausible as the writing deteriorates.
April 7, 2024
This is a very clever mystery novel, unlike any that I've encountered. It's a page-turner and will keep you guessing throughout.
If you're a mystery fan, I recommend it, without hesitation!
If you're a mystery fan, I recommend it, without hesitation!
December 30, 2012
It was ok. It was hard to follow and I don''t think I really gained anything from reading it. There is a twist at the end which is why it was ok.
September 28, 2013
Mostly solid but the climax/ending was a little weak.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews