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Thrilling Tales of Modern Men: Stories
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Expected 23 Jun 26Win a free print copy of this book!
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25 copies available
U.S. only
From the beloved creator and star of
The Righteous Gemstones
and
Eastbound & Down
comes a wild collection of short stories featuring Danny McBride’s signature dark humor.
There are many sides to Danny he 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 ( Covenant). But ever since he was young, he’s been writing short fiction, and it’s always been private. Until now.
There’s a washed-up sitcom actor who takes revenge on the coyote who killed his dog. There are two young runaways who decide to part ways, but not before one last big adventure. There is The Modern Age Town of Southern America National Park, which boasts the most realistic reenactments of suburbia since the disaster happened. There is an amateur magician who gets in way over his head with a deadly stunt in a local mall.
These stories take viciously unexpected tragic and comedic turns. While each one is addictively unpredictable, when taken together, these darkly funny, strangely emotional, and occasionally brutal tales provide an indelible look at the fragile masculinity of modern American culture.
There are many sides to Danny he 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 ( Covenant). But ever since he was young, he’s been writing short fiction, and it’s always been private. Until now.
There’s a washed-up sitcom actor who takes revenge on the coyote who killed his dog. There are two young runaways who decide to part ways, but not before one last big adventure. There is The Modern Age Town of Southern America National Park, which boasts the most realistic reenactments of suburbia since the disaster happened. There is an amateur magician who gets in way over his head with a deadly stunt in a local mall.
These stories take viciously unexpected tragic and comedic turns. While each one is addictively unpredictable, when taken together, these darkly funny, strangely emotional, and occasionally brutal tales provide an indelible look at the fragile masculinity of modern American culture.
- GenresShort StoriesFiction
368 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication June 23, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
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March 4, 2026#blessed to receive an arc of these highly anticipated short stories from one of the funniest and hottest men who i would leave any relationship for just to have a chance with him (the other exceptions are bob odenkirk, johnny knoxville, and glenn howerton)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Book Review: Thrilling Tales of Modern Men by Danny McBride
Thrilling Tales of Modern Men distills Danny McBride’s comic worldview to its purest, least flattering form. His men are certain they are exceptional and spend each story trying to produce proof. The goals are modest on paper: prove talent, get revenge, preserve normal life, stage one last adventure. The outcomes are not. Every attempt at self-mythology collapses under its own weight, and the repetition feels intentional, a gallery of masculine delusion caught mid-performance.
The setups are unmistakably McBride, but it is the pattern beneath them that lingers. His men construct elaborate proofs of their own importance and cling to them past the point of collapse. They narrate their lives as if legend is inevitable, mistake stubbornness for strength, and treat humiliation as a temporary clerical error. Across the collection, status symbols splinter, bravado curdles into panic, and the performance of competence continues long after the competence itself is gone. The premises are simple. The humiliation is not.
The humor lands because it never asks you to side with these men. They remain convinced of their competence long after the evidence has vanished, and that stubborn delusion is the joke. McBride keeps just enough distance for ridicule to bite, then lets a flicker of panic show through: fear of aging, of ordinariness, of being revealed as small. He does not redeem them. He lets the bluster echo in empty space.
As short fiction, this is classic McBride in concentrate. Setup, escalation, collapse, aftermath, repeated with brisk cruelty and clean timing. As a longtime fan, I found the stories vivid, easy to stage in the mind, and impossible to confuse with anyone else’s voice. McBride’s character prose is sharper and more attentive than his reputation might suggest, rendering interior monologue and self-justification with almost painful precision even as he dismantles it. If you already enjoy his brand of ego-skewering comedy, this delivers exactly what you came for, stripped down and sharpened. A confident 4.5-star read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Thrilling Tales of Modern Men distills Danny McBride’s comic worldview to its purest, least flattering form. His men are certain they are exceptional and spend each story trying to produce proof. The goals are modest on paper: prove talent, get revenge, preserve normal life, stage one last adventure. The outcomes are not. Every attempt at self-mythology collapses under its own weight, and the repetition feels intentional, a gallery of masculine delusion caught mid-performance.
The setups are unmistakably McBride, but it is the pattern beneath them that lingers. His men construct elaborate proofs of their own importance and cling to them past the point of collapse. They narrate their lives as if legend is inevitable, mistake stubbornness for strength, and treat humiliation as a temporary clerical error. Across the collection, status symbols splinter, bravado curdles into panic, and the performance of competence continues long after the competence itself is gone. The premises are simple. The humiliation is not.
The humor lands because it never asks you to side with these men. They remain convinced of their competence long after the evidence has vanished, and that stubborn delusion is the joke. McBride keeps just enough distance for ridicule to bite, then lets a flicker of panic show through: fear of aging, of ordinariness, of being revealed as small. He does not redeem them. He lets the bluster echo in empty space.
As short fiction, this is classic McBride in concentrate. Setup, escalation, collapse, aftermath, repeated with brisk cruelty and clean timing. As a longtime fan, I found the stories vivid, easy to stage in the mind, and impossible to confuse with anyone else’s voice. McBride’s character prose is sharper and more attentive than his reputation might suggest, rendering interior monologue and self-justification with almost painful precision even as he dismantles it. If you already enjoy his brand of ego-skewering comedy, this delivers exactly what you came for, stripped down and sharpened. A confident 4.5-star read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
If this book was written by anyone but Danny McBride, I wouldn’t have even considered reading the blurb. BUT I’ve loved his characters, and I wanted to see how he was as a writer. Now, if the publisher produces an audiobook read by Danny I think THAT would be a hit— since the voice in my head was his voice anyways.
I liked this book for the same reason I didn’t like reading this book: the characters are annoying and irritating — like a recently divorced dad who is incapable of having a normal social interaction. The characters are awkward and practicable unbearable… but in a funny way.
If you’re viewing the story from the outside you just want to roll your eyes. BUT it did make me laugh and I wanted to quote a lot of the lines to my husband who was sitting next to me.
The stories made me uncomfortable in a way that’s comparable to Tim Robinson’s comedy. Where I don’t like the feelings I’m having while I’m watching, but I want to watch more, and I want to convince other people to watch it with me.
The RoboCare story was the most endearing to me because it would’ve been my grandfather to a tee if he was would’ve been in that situation. Cussing, telling them to get rid of it, and yelling “Privacy mode!”
Would I recommend this? …Depends on the day. It’s like when we all watched Tiger King in 2020. “What the hell am I watching?!” But also telling everyone else they need to watch it so you can trauma bond and talk about it together. It’s weird, but it will make you laugh.
I received this book as an ARC, thank you to Random House publishing. PLEASE have Danny McBride make this an audiobook!
I liked this book for the same reason I didn’t like reading this book: the characters are annoying and irritating — like a recently divorced dad who is incapable of having a normal social interaction. The characters are awkward and practicable unbearable… but in a funny way.
If you’re viewing the story from the outside you just want to roll your eyes. BUT it did make me laugh and I wanted to quote a lot of the lines to my husband who was sitting next to me.
The stories made me uncomfortable in a way that’s comparable to Tim Robinson’s comedy. Where I don’t like the feelings I’m having while I’m watching, but I want to watch more, and I want to convince other people to watch it with me.
The RoboCare story was the most endearing to me because it would’ve been my grandfather to a tee if he was would’ve been in that situation. Cussing, telling them to get rid of it, and yelling “Privacy mode!”
Would I recommend this? …Depends on the day. It’s like when we all watched Tiger King in 2020. “What the hell am I watching?!” But also telling everyone else they need to watch it so you can trauma bond and talk about it together. It’s weird, but it will make you laugh.
I received this book as an ARC, thank you to Random House publishing. PLEASE have Danny McBride make this an audiobook!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
GAHHHHH!
Can I please give this a million stars???? I am beyond myself that I was even granted access to read this collection, and I must have done something right somewhere recently in order to be so lucky! YOU KNOW I had to drop everything to start the Thrilling Tales of Modern Men, crafted by one of my favorite writers of all time. The genius behind Righteous Gemstones doesn't write crappy stories, and that statement is proven right throughout these pages.
I am so thankful to Danny McBride, Random House, and NetGalley for advanced digital access before this baby hits shelves on June 23, 2026. EEE!
McBride gives us horror, unsettling sequences, laughable narration, and brutally fantastical scenarios in which men are humiliated, ridiculed, and idolized, all in this humorous satire!
From the man in the suspended cube floating above a mall, to GI Joe History teacher who came across an ancient sword that talks to him, to even more somber tales of a sitcom cast reunited and two brother-like pals journeying across the wasteland, there's really some joy in it all.
I wish Rough House Pictures would film these stories for an anthology tv series, or movie, or something, because heck, I was cackling! Job well done. 1648593/5 stars in my book.
Can I please give this a million stars???? I am beyond myself that I was even granted access to read this collection, and I must have done something right somewhere recently in order to be so lucky! YOU KNOW I had to drop everything to start the Thrilling Tales of Modern Men, crafted by one of my favorite writers of all time. The genius behind Righteous Gemstones doesn't write crappy stories, and that statement is proven right throughout these pages.
I am so thankful to Danny McBride, Random House, and NetGalley for advanced digital access before this baby hits shelves on June 23, 2026. EEE!
McBride gives us horror, unsettling sequences, laughable narration, and brutally fantastical scenarios in which men are humiliated, ridiculed, and idolized, all in this humorous satire!
From the man in the suspended cube floating above a mall, to GI Joe History teacher who came across an ancient sword that talks to him, to even more somber tales of a sitcom cast reunited and two brother-like pals journeying across the wasteland, there's really some joy in it all.
I wish Rough House Pictures would film these stories for an anthology tv series, or movie, or something, because heck, I was cackling! Job well done. 1648593/5 stars in my book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Who knew Danny McBride had this many crazy characters still locked in his head?
Normally when you see a celebrity's name on the front of the book, you automatically wonder who ACTUALLY did the writing. With Danny McBride, he has enough TV writing credits I was willing to believe it was actually his work. Once I started reading it was blatantly obvious it was his work. So many of the characters sounded like Jesse Gemstone I had no doubt who was behind it. If you're a fan of how the Gemstones constantly dig themselves into deeper and deeper holes, you're going to love the men in this book. Well. Not LOVE. But you're going to enjoy watching them grasping for handholds as they sink in quicksand that they made for themselves.
Overall there was only one story (the hair one) that I didn't particularly enjoy, but that's a pretty solid hit rate even for an established author.
Normally when you see a celebrity's name on the front of the book, you automatically wonder who ACTUALLY did the writing. With Danny McBride, he has enough TV writing credits I was willing to believe it was actually his work. Once I started reading it was blatantly obvious it was his work. So many of the characters sounded like Jesse Gemstone I had no doubt who was behind it. If you're a fan of how the Gemstones constantly dig themselves into deeper and deeper holes, you're going to love the men in this book. Well. Not LOVE. But you're going to enjoy watching them grasping for handholds as they sink in quicksand that they made for themselves.
Overall there was only one story (the hair one) that I didn't particularly enjoy, but that's a pretty solid hit rate even for an established author.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
If you’re a Danny McBride fan like me, this book is such a blast. The stories are dark, ridiculous, and completely unpredictable—in the best way. It honestly feels like the same chaotic energy from his shows, just in short story form, and I loved every second of it.
McBride is just one of those creators who seems to be good at everything—writing, acting, producing, comedy, even horror. His voice is so distinct and these stories prove it works just as well on the page as it does on screen.
Seriously… is there anything Danny McBride can’t do? Easy 5 stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with a digital ARC prior to publication in exchange for an honest review.
McBride is just one of those creators who seems to be good at everything—writing, acting, producing, comedy, even horror. His voice is so distinct and these stories prove it works just as well on the page as it does on screen.
Seriously… is there anything Danny McBride can’t do? Easy 5 stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with a digital ARC prior to publication in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars.
If you're familiar with Danny McBride's characters on Eastbound & Down and The Righteous Gemstones, you'll be familiar with 75% of the stories and characters here. Brash, loud, unflinchingly honest, full of themselves, and yes, funny, the stories truly reflect that persona perfectly and in an unpredictable way.
There are also moments of quiet, reflective imagery, and surprisingly thoughtful masculinity which totally surprised me, and hinted at unseen depths.
I really liked most of these stories, which I didn't think I would, and am left with a new appreciation of the talent of Danny McBride.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.
If you're familiar with Danny McBride's characters on Eastbound & Down and The Righteous Gemstones, you'll be familiar with 75% of the stories and characters here. Brash, loud, unflinchingly honest, full of themselves, and yes, funny, the stories truly reflect that persona perfectly and in an unpredictable way.
There are also moments of quiet, reflective imagery, and surprisingly thoughtful masculinity which totally surprised me, and hinted at unseen depths.
I really liked most of these stories, which I didn't think I would, and am left with a new appreciation of the talent of Danny McBride.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.
March 21, 2026
Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for the ARC.
I was trying to figure out how to describe this book when I came across this quote from him about it: “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.” That’s exactly it— and it totally matches what I’d expect.
Thrilling Tales of Modern Men is weird (a mall magician, a washed-up actor on a revenge mission, etc). It’s all about ego, self-delusion, and the gap between who these men think they are and who they actually are. Sometimes they redeem themselves. Sometimes they don’t.
Some stories are stronger than others, and the stronger ones really land. Overall: sharp, strange, absurd, and really great.
I was trying to figure out how to describe this book when I came across this quote from him about it: “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.” That’s exactly it— and it totally matches what I’d expect.
Thrilling Tales of Modern Men is weird (a mall magician, a washed-up actor on a revenge mission, etc). It’s all about ego, self-delusion, and the gap between who these men think they are and who they actually are. Sometimes they redeem themselves. Sometimes they don’t.
Some stories are stronger than others, and the stronger ones really land. Overall: sharp, strange, absurd, and really great.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
If you’re a fan of Danny McBride and his flawed, overly confident to a fault characters I guarantee you’ll immediately love this book of short stories. I was able to hear McBride’s voice as I read the dialogue, the writing the same tone and timing McBride is known for combines with the over the top/magical realism/sci fi plotlines. I devoured this one and laughed out loud multiple times. Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I had no idea what to expect when I started it, but I want to first thank NetGalley and Random House for the ARC! I’m a huge Danny McBride fan and for his first book, this was a HIT! While I was reading, I could hear his humor and wittiness. The stories were so fun and so him. Overall a great read!!
Want to read
March 13, 2026so was no one gonna tell me that my man Danny has written a short story collection??????
i just know this is going to be absolutely bonkers & somehow make me emotional (just like essentially everything he's come up with, i still can't believe that i cried in vice principals or eastbound & down)
i just know this is going to be absolutely bonkers & somehow make me emotional (just like essentially everything he's come up with, i still can't believe that i cried in vice principals or eastbound & down)
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews