Nine short stories relocating the settings from Carver's Northwest to Los Angeles during a spraying of malathion brought on by a Medfly epidemic - intercut tales of disconnection and emotional emptiness. The stories concern variations upon the theme of Los Angeles angst --a happily married couple, Ann and Howard have to deal with the deep emotions felt when their child, Casey is struck by a car before his birthday and lapses into a coma, while the baker Andy of their child's neglected birthday cake sinks into a rage and torments them in their grief. Three men Stuart, Gordon and Vern leave on a much anticipated fishing trip, only to discover the drowned body of a nude woman floating in the river and decide to finish their fishing trip and ignore the corpse. A Los Angeles cop, Gene uses his badge as an excuse to cheat on his wife, Sherri. A pool cleaner Jerry resents his wife, Lois for her part-time job as a phone sex performer. A waitress, Doreen is devoted to her limousine driver husband, Earl, who is loving and concerned as long as he is sober. Jerry and Lois are friends with Doreen's daughter, Honey, and her husband, Bill, who works as a makeup artist. They entertain themselves in the apartment that they are watching while its owners are on vacation by taking some pictures of Honey in which Bill has made her up to look as if she were brutally beaten. An irate husband, Stormy, a helicopter pilot decides to divide up his estranged wife's property in a unique way. Zoe, a lonely woman who's a successful cellist wants to form a connection with her alcoholic mother Tess, a local jazz singer. Claire, a clown and her long-unemployed salesman husband, Stuart are invited to dinner for the first time by a embittered couple Marian, a painter and Dr. Ralph who get into a massive argument just before their dinner party. Marian admits she has had an affair. Both couples alleviate their stress by drinking heavily, and the party lasts all night long.
