The following version of this story was used to create the guide: Eisenberg, Deborah. "Some Other, Better Otto." Twilight of the Superheroes. Picador, 2006. Pages 45 - 88.

Deborah Eisenberg's third person short story "Some Other, Better Otto," tells the story of middle-aged Otto's struggle to confront his familial relationships and personal discontent. The narrative is told in the past tense and shifts frequently between past and present. For clarity, the following summary employs the present tense and a largely linear structure.

Otto is the eldest of four siblings. As a middle-aged man, Otto feels that his sibling relationships are no longer relevant to his adult life. A few days before Thanksgiving, Otto expresses his regret over accepting his sister Corinne's invitation to Thanksgiving dinner to his partner, William. When Corinne called the week prior, Otto pretended to have other holiday plans. Yet when Corinne mentioned the wellbeing of their youngest sister, Sharon, Otto's attitude shifted. Later, Otto reflected on the things Corinne said. He believed Corinne was right in saying that he and his siblings once defined the world for one another. However, Otto sees the world as a barren and distant place from which he is desperate to be free.

Shortly before the holiday, Otto and William pay Sharon a visit at her apartment. Being in the space reminds Otto of his childhood. Sharon was always the smartest of the four children. Yet everyone's fascination with Sharon's intelligence kept them from perceiving her need for mental care. Eventually she experienced a psychotic break, which led to her hospitalization and diagnosis with an unnamed mental illness. Over the years following, Otto continues feeling connected to Sharon, yet incapable of helping or understanding her in a productive way. In the narrative present, Sharon is the only person in Otto's life he does not treat with hostility or disregard. Sometimes he wonders why William has stayed with him at all. He remembers how significant it was the first time he brought William home to meet his family. Though his siblings were kind, Otto thought they were being inauthentic, and feared the event would mark the end of his relationship with William. This, however, was not the case.

After deciding to move in together, Otto purchased the brownstone where he and William continue to live. Their life is peaceful, and William is consistently gracious and patient. Otto wishes he could treat William better. However, after the visit with Sharon, he snaps at William again. William and Sharon's conversation about the nonlinearity of time infuriates Otto, and he scoffs at everything his partner says.

Thanksgiving dinner only succeeds in worsening Otto's already tenuous emotional state. He cannot stand being around his siblings' children, and is angered by conjectures Corinne makes about their niece Portia's alienation. On the taxi ride home, he begins ranting about the pointlessness of family. For the first time in the narrative, William confronts Otto about his attitude. Overwhelmed and confused, Otto shuts down.

In the days following, Otto becomes even more encompassed by the unanswerable questions that define his past and present. Life seems banal, meaningless, and inescapable. A call from the hospital regarding Sharon, and a visit with their neighbors, Margaret and Naomi, lead Otto to a breaking point. Perceiving his partner's need, William comforts Otto, showing him understanding and grace.