Sydney Rende has accomplished something genuinely unsettling with I Could Be Famous—and I mean that as the highest possible praise. This collection operates in that rare literary space where grotesque comedy and genuine pathos coexist without canceling each other out, creating stories that make you laugh uncomfortably while forcing you to confront deeply uncomfortable truths about contemporary culture and human desperation.

What immediately becomes clear reading these stories is that Rende possesses an almost surgical understanding of how our current moment warps individual psychology. Each narrative explores different manifestations of the same fundamental hunger—the need to be seen, to matter, to exist beyond the confines of ordinary obscurity. But rather than approaching these themes with either easy cynicism or false sympathy, Rende finds ways to make her characters simultaneously ridiculous and heartbreaking, often within the same paragraph.

The technical craft here is remarkable. Rende has mastered that particular short story alchemy where seemingly disparate elements—dark humor, social satire, psychological realism—combine to create something that feels both cohesive and constantly surprising. Each story announces itself with a premise that sounds like it emerged from fever dream collaboration between David Lynch and social media algorithms, yet the execution grounds even the most outlandish scenarios in recognizable human motivation.

The recurring character threads create a sense of interconnected universe without feeling forced or overly clever. These connections reward careful readers while never becoming necessary for individual story comprehension, demonstrating sophisticated understanding of how collections can function as more than simple assemblages of separate pieces. The shared world feels both expansive and claustrophobic, much like our actual digital landscape.

What strikes me most powerfully about Rende’s approach is her refusal to position herself as superior to her characters’ delusions and desperate choices. There’s genuine empathy underlying the satirical elements, a recognition that the behaviors she’s examining stem from real needs and genuine pain rather than simple stupidity or moral failing. This compassionate perspective transforms what could have been mere cultural criticism into something more psychologically complex and emotionally resonant.

The prose style deserves particular attention for how it balances accessibility with literary sophistication. Rende writes with the kind of deceptive simplicity that makes complex ideas feel immediately comprehensible while never talking down to readers or sacrificing nuance for clarity. The voice feels contemporary without being trendy, grounded in current cultural moments without becoming dated by its specificity.

Each story operates according to its own internal logic while contributing to the collection’s broader examination of fame, authenticity, and connection in digital age. Some pieces lean more heavily into surreal territory while others feel almost documentary in their psychological realism, but the tonal variations enhance rather than fragment the overall reading experience. The range demonstrates impressive versatility while maintaining consistent thematic focus.

The humor throughout these stories works because it emerges organically from character and situation rather than feeling imposed from outside. Rende understands that the funniest moments often occur when people are being completely serious about fundamentally absurd circumstances. The comedy never undermines the emotional stakes but instead illuminates them from unexpected angles.

What impressed me most was how Rende manages to critique contemporary culture without falling into either nostalgic romanticism about pre-digital existence or apocalyptic despair about our current trajectory. Her characters exist fully within our current cultural moment while retaining enough humanity to transcend simple social commentary. They feel like real people rather than symbolic representations, even when their situations venture into clearly fantastical territory.

The collection maintains remarkable consistency in quality and vision across its various pieces, avoiding the unevenness that often plagues short story gatherings. Each story feels essential rather than filler, contributing unique perspectives on the central themes while standing alone as complete narrative experiences. This consistency suggests not just technical skill but genuine artistic vision guiding the selection and arrangement.

For readers who like:
-Dark comedy
-Contemporary satire
-Psychological realism

Final Verdict
I Could Be Famous establishes Sydney Rende as a significant new voice in contemporary short fiction, delivering a collection that succeeds as both entertainment and cultural commentary without sacrificing either function for the other. These stories will particularly appeal to readers seeking fiction that engages seriously with our current cultural moment while maintaining the kind of literary sophistication that elevates social observation into genuine art. This collection proves that short fiction remains capable of capturing and illuminating the particular anxieties and absurdities of our historical moment with both humor and heartbreak.

Grateful to NetGalley, Bloomsbury USA, and Sydney Rende for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

★★★★★ Weird, brilliant, and totally unforgettable

This collection knocked me sideways—in the best way. I Could Be Famous is full of sharp, funny, deeply strange stories that somehow manage to be both absurd and emotionally honest. Sydney Rende has such a distinct voice; every story feels like it’s winking at you while also quietly breaking your heart.

There’s a cannibal actor, a hot tub showroom, reality TV chaos, and so many moments that made me laugh out loud and then immediately feel weird about it. But underneath all the satire and surreal setups, there’s this aching sense of longing—for connection, for recognition, for something real.

I kept thinking, “Wait, I’ve felt this before,” even when the characters were doing things I’d never dream of. That’s the magic of this book—it’s bizarre, but it hits home.

Highly recommend if you like fiction that’s smart, offbeat, and full of bite

I’m not usually a big fan of short story collections, but the comparisons to Otessa Moshfegh and the premise intrigued me enough to read. And I’m very glad I did- this was a very bizarre but charming collection of writing, all centered around the desire for fame in our chronically online world. I also loved how some of the stories were connected via the cannibal actor character. All of the stories were consistent in quality, and every time I finished one I wished it was a whole novel so I could read more. All in all a very solid collection.