Danny McBride’s “Thrilling Tales of Modern Men”: A New Short-Story Collection

Actor-writer Danny McBride announced the forthcoming short-story collection “Thrilling Tales of Modern Men.” The book follows his work creating, starring in, and co-producing three HBO series and continues his focus on satirical narratives that examine contemporary male identity.

New York Times

McBride’s television credits include “Eastbound & Down,” “Vice Principals,” and “The Righteous Gemstones.” Their protagonists are “arrogant, insecure, unapologetic, vulgar and money- and status-obsessed,” yet they confront petty grievances while occupying positions of relative success. The shows blend humor with an “anthropologically detailed study of a certain type of modern American manhood.” The short stories continue this line, featuring characters who “lash out” or show “quieter emotional depth,” still “laced with obscenity and occasional violent outburst.”

New York Times

Three HBO series provide the television backdrop for McBride’s antihero archetype, and the forthcoming book contains an unspecified number of short stories aligned with those themes.

New York Times

McBride frames the collection as a response to a “crisis of masculinity,” linking it to 1980s media that promoted “machismo, action, ‘kill ’em all, let God sort ’em out.’” The stories aim to explore the gap between that legacy and present-day values, highlighting a “slow waking” in which men reassess personal priorities.

New York Times

In a recent interview, McBride said his work seeks to expose the gap between aggressive masculine ideals marketed in his youth and adult realities. He noted that many men are beginning to identify what matters to them and what their values are, and he sees humor and profanity as tools for engaging audiences while probing social questions.

New York Times

> “Maybe because everyone says that there’s something wrong with men now?” — Danny McBride, interview

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> “I think it took me a little while to realize that’s not real life.” — Danny McBride, interview

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> “Maybe there is this slow waking of, like, everything I’ve been told isn’t necessarily how it’s supposed to be, and then it’s that awkwardness of finding out whatisimportant to you or what your values are.” — Danny McBride, interview

New York Times

The collection is slated for release later in 2026.

New York Times