Thrilling Tales of Modern Men: Stories

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An addictive, unpredictable, darkly hilarious collection of stories from Danny McBride—the beloved creator and star of The Righteous Gemstones and Eastbound & Down .

“Inventive, taut, and very funny. There are hints of George Saunders in McBride’s ability to turn the indignities of modern life into a gently devastating black comedy.”— The New Yorker

“Just as demented, hilarious, human, and as inspired as all of his work, but, somehow, even better.”—Judd Apatow

There are many sides to Danny McBride: He’s starred as the iconic character Kenny Powers in the cult classic HBO show Eastbound & Down, a series he also wrote and created—just as he did with Vice Principals and The Righteous Gemstones. He’s produced horror films ( Halloween) and starred in sci-fi ( Alien: Covenant). And ever since he was young, he’s been writing short fiction.

An amateur magician gets in way over his head with a deadly stunt in a local mall. A washed-up sitcom actor takes revenge on the coyote who killed his dog. Two young runaways decide to part ways, but not before embarking on one last big adventure.

Hilarious, razor-sharp, unexpectedly emotional, and full of wild twists and turns, the stories in Thrilling Tales of Modern Men are like nothing else. And yet they have one thing in common—each probes the fragile masculinity that has become an inescapable part of modern American culture. In this audacious and unforgettable debut collection, McBride redefines the tale of the modern man.