I Could Be Famous: Stories -- Sydney Rende, Hardcover

"A terrific debut: fresh, original, and surprising." --George Saunders

For fans of Homesick for Another World and HBO's Girls, a magnetic debut story collection following ten ambitious women and one male superstar as they pursue their desires--however deluded--for more.

A listless woman befriends an influencer at a rooftop party, only to discover her lifestyle is not as glamorous as it seems. A college freshman gives the world's longest blow job to a boy whose name she's forgotten. A fan-favorite reality TV star joins a dating app after an explosive breakup, ready to move on, but finds she's only in control when cameras are rolling. While working in a hot tub showroom, a struggling actress goes method so she can nail an audition for the role of High School Junkie Girlfriend. Threaded throughout these explorations of neuroses and aspirations is one Arlo Banks, a hotshot actor, who faces his own downfall when he's accused of cannibalism.

From the dazzling to the mundane, Rende's brilliant, unnerving, cynical stories hold a mirror to our obsession with how we're perceived and our ache to be adored. Above all else, I Could Be Famous is a love letter to big ambitions and bigger dissatisfactions, belief in ourselves, and the fascination we hold with the idea that we could--somehow, someday--be famous.

Author: Sydney Rende
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 01/13/2026
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 8.25h x 5.51w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781639735860

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 10/13/2025

About the Author
Sydney Rende received her MFA in Fiction from Syracuse University. Her stories have been published in Joyland, Carve magazine, and elsewhere. She has also written about fashion and travel for Who What Wear and T: The New York Times Style Magazine. She lives in Southern California.