Phoenix has been described as one of the least sustainable cities in the US. The sixth largest urban area of the US, there is an alarming superficiality tourism-oriented discourse of the leaders and citizens. This study examines narrative works that question this discourse in a frequently stinging fashion. The works examined are anchored in a critical understanding of the dominant urban myths of Greater Phoenix, and an awareness of how all the newness, modernity, and fun-in-the-sun mentality mask a dystopian human experience.