Actor and comedian Brett Gelman is venturing into the world of fiction.
Dey Street Books will publish Gelman’s The Terrifying Realm of the Possible: Nearly True Stories in 2024. The HarperCollins imprint describes the story collection as “a daring, hilariously neurotic literary debut.”
Gelman, known for his absurdist comedy, is familiar to many television viewers for his roles on the series Stranger Things and Fleabag. He has also appeared in films including Lemon, which he co-wrote, and Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile.
His story collection focuses on five characters: a child, a teenager, an adult, a senior citizen, and a dead person.
“Our characters face the big issues; the ones we all face,” Dey Street says. “As they traverse the prickly terrain of morality, family, sex, fame, religion, and death they search for answers to life's unanswerable questions. In the futility of that search comes the absurdity, along with the comedy. The composite portrait is an existential (mis)adventure of Rothian proportions.”
Gelman announced the news of his book on Instagram, writing, “I cannot wait for all of you to read it. It has caused me so much stress and anxiety for the last few years and I’m so excited for it to do the same for you.…This book is a living and breathing comedic panic attack the likes of which you’ve never seen.”
The Terrifying Realm of the Possible is slated for publication on March 19, 2024.
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
