John O'Brien (May 21, 1960 – April 10, 1994) was an American author, known for his debut novel Leaving Las Vegas.

[2][3] Through a friend of his ex-wife, O'Brien got a gig writing Episode 37 of the animated series Rugrats, "Toys in the Attic", which premiered in 1992 under his only known pseudonym, Carroll Mine.

[4] His first novel, Leaving Las Vegas, was published in 1990 by Watermark Press and made into a film of the same name in 1995.

[8] O'Brien died from suicide (self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head) at his Beverly Hills apartment on April 10, 1994,[9] two weeks after signing away the rights to adapt his novel, Leaving Las Vegas.

His father and book critics said that the novel was his suicide note, while his sister, Erin O'Brien, thought the book was "the beautiful poetic way to check out: Taking that long slug of liquor and gurgling into his death with this beautiful woman.