George Miles Cycle

The George Miles Cycle is a series of five novels published by American author Dennis Cooper between 1989 and 2000. The series is inspired by George Miles, an acquaintance during Cooper's youth, who later became his boyfriend and who had a profound impact on his life. The series is characterized by the eroticization of death and sexual violence as a common theme. Other commonly presented and recurring themes in the novels include the impossibility of performing certain fantasies, drug use, rock bands, murder, and child abuse. George Miles appears as a character in each of the novels, although he is presented under different identities. In Closer (1989), Miles appears under his own name. In Frisk (1991), he is named Kevin, while in Try (1994), he appears as Ziggy. In Guide (1997), he is represented by Chris, and in Period (2000), he again appears under his own name as George. Due to its transgressive themes, the series has been compared to the works of other authors such as the Marquis de Sade, Georges Bataille, and William Burroughs. The books have generated controversy, particularly Frisk, for which Cooper received death threats and was accused of homophobia and being anti-gay. However, the book series also bought recognition to Cooper.