Things That Are Funny on a Submarine But Not Really -- Yannick Murphy, Hardcover

Informed by an intense pressure of language, wit, and energy, Things That Are Funny on a Submarine But Not Really enraptures with the colorful world of David, nicknamed "Dead Man," and his shipmates. Stationed in Guam, they sail the depths of the oceans, swapping jokes and stories while strengthening bonds continually tested by the rigors of submarine life. But when one shipmate is revealed as a Chinese spy, and another takes his own life, Dead Man is burdened by a repressed guilt and left with a lingering trauma.

Searching for a change, Dead Man leaves the Navy to start fresh as a college student, but his past refuses to let go. The ghosts of former shipmates--both dead and alive--continue to haunt him, and unwilling to stay mired in his turbulent memories, Dead Man navigates the complex terrain of identity and searches for meaning after reentering a way of life that feels increasingly foreign.

Written with Yannick Murphy's distinctive and darkly humorous style, Things That Are Funny on a Submarine But Not Really is a headlong, entertaining dive into what it means to find one's way in a rapidly changing world.


Author: Yannick Murphy
Publisher: Arcade Publishing
Published: 11/04/2025
Pages: 384
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.17lbs
ISBN: 9781648211355

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 09/15/2025

About the Author
Yannick Murphy is the author of the novels This Is the Water, The Call, Signed, Mata Hari, Here They Come, and The Sea of Trees. Her story collections include By the Time You Read This, Stories in Another Language, and In a Bear's Eye. She is the recipient of various awards, including a Pushcart Prize, a Laurence L. & Thomas Winship/PEN New England Award, a Whiting Writer's Award, a National Endowment for the Arts award, and a Chesterfield Screenwriting award.