He is also the author of the Kindle Single Epic Fail: Bad Art, Viral Fame, and the History of the Worst Thing Ever (Byliner/The Millions),[1] as well as an academic study of the novels of John Banville.
He studied English at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), completed a PhD on the novels of John Banville, and graduated in 2011.
Described by The New York Times Book Review as "a gonzo-journalistic exploration of the Silicon Valley techno-utopians' pursuit of escaping mortality",[5] it is an investigation of transhumanism.
O'Connell has written noteworthy essays for The New York Times Magazine on the subjects of pessimism and parenthood,[9] and the TV show Game of Thrones,[10] and for The Guardian on turning 40, and the benefits of isolation.
Titled To Be a Machine (Version 1.0), the adaptation by theatre company Dead Centre saw O'Connell's character played by Jack Gleeson.