Although They Whisper is not plotted as a novel about Vietnam, but about a man's attempts to interpret his world through Eros, the main character is posed as a person who took full advantage of most every opportunity for sexual contact during his tour of duty with a military intelligence unit in Vietnam. Thus, They Whisper has passages that parallel portions of The Alleys of Eden, Sun Dogs, On Distant Ground (1985), and The Deuce (1989). In addition, the use of reverie and flashbacks in the mind of the narrator connect Butler's novels.