Straight men—rather, men who believe themselves straight—suddenly finding themselves attracted to or falling in love with other men is a popular theme in gay literature. This is partly due to the historically widespread nature of this experience for gay and bisexual men: In a heteronormative society, it is often surprising to discover that oneself is not the “norm,” and the realization can happen late in life. The general premise of such a straight/gay romance entered popular mainstream consciousness with the Annie Proulx’s 1997 short story, “Brokeback Mountain,” which was made into a major motion picture. As with Nick’s narrative in The One, “Brokeback Mountain” presents two seemingly straight men who meet and become irresistibly attracted to one another. Proulx, like Marrs, maintains some ambiguity in what exactly this means. In a 2005 interview, Proulx describes the narrative situation:

It is not a story about ‘two cowboys.’ It is a story about two inarticulate, confused Wyoming ranch kids in 1963 who have left home and who find themselves in a personal sexual situation they did not expect, understand nor can manage […] Their relationship endures for 20 years, never resolved, never faced up to, always haunted by fear and confusion.