Threat

NATHANIEL STEIN has written humor and nonfiction for The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and The Daily Beast, among other publications. He lives in Los Angeles where he works as a television writer. This is his first novel.

“A comic masterpiece.” —Andy Borowitz, New York Times-bestselling author of Profiles in Ignorance“I savored every word of Nathaniel Stein’s hilarious, expertly crafted, giddily uncompromising debut novel. The Threat is full of pathos—loneliness, alienation, existential horror. But Stein is such a deft comedic stylist that all I experienced while reading it was joy. It's a fantastic book and I hope he writes a million more.” —Simon Rich, Thurber Prize-winning author of New Teeth"Nathaniel Stein has written a comic novel unlike anything that we have on hand recently: a small-scale exquisitist portrait of an improbable existence that has elements of both Kafka and Bruce Jay Friedman, and manages to be both appealingly absurd and strangely touching. A genuinely original book." —Adam Gopnik, New York Times-bestselling author of Paris to the Moon"The Threat is a brilliant tour through one guy’s self-obsession as he desperately tries to stay alive while also deciding why and if he really wants to—a darkly hilarious mystery about a man who finally comes to life when someone threatens to kill him. A genuinely funny novel—the kind we need more of!" —Steve Hely, Thurber Prize-winning author of How I Became a Famous Novelist“The Threat [is] absurd, hilarious, and quite touching. It’s my favorite book of the summer.” —Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic and former Editor-in-Chief of Wired"New Yorker contributing humor writer Stein debuts with a darkly funny tale of a man’s unraveling after he receives an unprovoked death threat… Stein’s diverting story of self-aggrandizement is worth a look. —Publishers Weekly"This debut is an enjoyable, easy recommendation to readers looking for a humorous escape.… An excellent addition to displays of quick, engaging reads. Fans of Less by Andrew Sean Greer will enjoy Stein's tongue-in-cheek writing style.” —Library Journal“Stein's clever first novel will charm readers; its simple premise snowballs into a side-splitting, thought-provoking meditation on how one man's seemingly inconsequential life finally overflows with grandiose meaning when faced with the prospect of death.” —Kathleen Gerard,Shelf Awareness