The Neon God

In the suffocating bosom of August, Dionysus arrives in New Orleans. For too long, the Greek God of Revelry and Wine has endured the incessant bickering atop Mt. Olympus, and so he descends to be with the mortals and indulge himself in the city's reputed decadence and vice.

When Dionysus is parched and aching for even a drop of the vine, he mistakenly stumbles into a bookstore and begs an employee who reminds him of the last pharaoh of Egypt―Cleopatra―to point him in the direction of wine. Zibby Dufossat, on the cusp of her first year of law school and desperate for a distraction, sets aside her anxieties to peel back the layers of the esoteric, anachronistic, and often offensive beautiful stranger, only to find heartache and pain.

But before she can decipher this enigma, he disappears into the French Quarter fray of sweaty, gyrating lovers. With grapevines sprouting from the path he walks and an unexplainable, addictive libido placing the city under his spell, the god deflects his retinue of Olympians and fantastical creatures attempting to deliver him back home.

But it soon becomes clear that Dionysus alone can determine his fate, and the fates of Zibby and New Orleans with it.

What People Are Saying

“The Neon God is an inventive little offering from Ben D’Alessio whose writing is full of zest, artfully drawing in the reader to Dio’s enticing journey of drinking and carousing…it’s a pleasure to see that the author has done his homework-not just in Greek mythology-but in the colorful artistic history of New Orleans. References to John Kennedy Toole’s A Confederacy of Dunces and more of the city’s unique cultural touchstones abound. Characterization is solid, with the story revolving around two well-rounded personalities. Dio is almost a tragic figure; his gut-wrenching sadness creates an elegant poeticism that makes him much more relatable than just as a hard-drinking, self-absorbed Greek god. His newfound friend Zibby is a gem of a character…Witty, inspired and playful, The Neon God is an original, offbeat read and perfect for readers interested in learning more about New Orleans’ one-of-a-kind heritage.”
— Heather McNamara, IndieReader

“The Neon God is first and foremost a story about New Orleans. While it could be argued New Orleans is merely the backdrop, I’d say no other city could support what happens within this story…Ben D’Alessio weaves the twin story threads of Zibby and Dio around the chaotic maypole that is New Orleans, rendering a very entertaining read…The Neon God is very well written and this reader was pulled through the story almost non-stop. If the concept (What can go wrong when a party god hits a party town?) appeals to you, this is a fine choice!”
— Dan M. Kalin, Readers’ Favorite