The Terrifying Realm of the Possible: Nearly True Stories

A daring, hilariously neurotic literary debut from the acclaimed actor and comedian Brett Gelman (Stranger Things, Fleabag).

Enter the wonderfully weird, always uncomfortable, side-splittingly funny world of The Terrifying Realm of the Possible, where your worst fears of who you are or might become are always just around the corner. In these masterful short stories from the singular mind of the actor and comedian Brett Gelman, you’ll meet five individuals, each navigating a uniquely strange stage of life: 

- ABRAHAM AMSTERDAM (the child)

- MENDEL FREUDENBERGER (the teenager)

- JACKIE COHEN (the adult)

- IRIS BELOW (the senior)

- Z (the dead)

Our characters face the big issues; the ones we all face. 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's remarkable first book is a bold, unforgettable debut that challenges our assumptions about what it means to be human.

“A wild, hilarious journey into the mind and neurosis of every creative person who has ever dared to tell their parents they’re probably not going to be a doctor. Brett’s Terrifying Realm is so accurate that at times I swore I was reading my own autobiography. My past, present, and future all in the various characters—each section alternately made me laugh and gave me terrifying chills that this is what my future could be. A must-read for anyone creative. I loved it.” - Eli Roth, director, actor, writer, producer

A dazzling collection with easily digestible characters and laugh-out-loud storytelling...hysterical...a zany and entertaining work - Pittsburg Post-Gazette