Synopsis of The Abortion Technique by James Howard

Colchester, the present day. 35 year old alcoholic Keith attends an alcoholics
anonymous meeting with his long time associate and confidante Homer.
Everything follows the usual codes and conventions of an ordinary meeting
at first with Keith sharing his thoughts in a monologue before another
alcoholic shares to the group. During an interlude in the meeting a group of
personified Higher Power beings mingle, drink copiously and network in a
bar. A rumour is started by this group of Higher Power 's (Physical and
human manifestations of the AA concept of a spiritual Higher Power) that this
will be no ordinary meeting and that in fact God, the reclusive leader of the
organization, will be in attendance and delivering a key note speech. It is not
a normal meeting but a conference of some kind that bears a resemblance to
a political rally with fascist undertones.

As God takes to the stage an assassination attempt takes place and he is

rushed by the AA secret service to a clandestine location in the conference
centre. God is put on lockdown and it is explained to him that the evenings
transmission, a kind of internet broadcast trial for alcoholics, will go ahead
none the less. Keith is arrested during the aftermath of the assassination
attempt and taken to the secure area, as he is to be the subject of the
transmission. Salman, the AA Head of communications and Spin doctor, is
meanwhile orchestrating the whole event backstage.

Once backstage Keith is given drugs to induce psychosis and begins to

hallucinate his own alcoholic death which in turn is broadcast to the live
audience. He is told that he now has the honour of doing the ultimate service
to AA, the twelth step, by donating his brain to the true secret Leader of AA
who is being kept in isolation and is suffering from dementia. Keith descends
into madness as the procedure is completed and the power structure of the
organization restored.