Danny McBride has charted a career by writing and starring in TV shows that played with tropes of masculinity such as Righteous Gemstones, Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals. Now, he’s turning his attention to the world of prose, with the upcoming release of Thrilling Tales of Modern Men, a short story collection that further expands on these themes.
The book arrives June 23 from Random House, with the publisher saying it explores “the darker afflictions of today’s man, with McBride’s trademark humor and acerbic earnestness.”
“Between seasons of writing the Righteous Gemstones, I wrote short fiction to shift gears and tell more stories, even if just for myself” says McBride. “This collection takes place in the spaces men build for themselves when the world moves on without asking their permission. These stories aren’t here to fix men. They’re here to watch them spiral out of control, eat shit, get back up, and occasionally do something accidentally decent.”
McBride will also narrate an audiobook version of Thrilling Tales.
The writer, actor and producer released the final season of Righteous Gemstones last year, and spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the characters he played for HBO in Gemstones, Eastbound and Vice Principals. “There is a sense with these guys I’ve played, that they hold on to these old, traditional ideas of masculinity and believe they’re owed something. I like to challenge those concepts,” said McBride.
North American publishing rights for his new book were acquired by Ben Greenberg at Random House, and Anthony Mattero and Mollie Glick at CAA.
