Once a brilliant linguist, Sebastian Black shunned academic success and is currently unemployed and living in a suburb of south London. Trying to flee from his traumatic past, he descends into an increasingly surreal and fragmented world of drink, drugs and prostitutes. After a chance encounter with his ex-colleague, Max Wesengrund, he realises that far from being forgotten, his fame has increased over the years. Max invites him to a drinks party of ex-colleagues, and it is there that he begins to plan a murder.