2022 · And Other Stories
Bad Eminence
A translator, her possibly-stolen life, a possibly-fake Houellebecq, and cocktail recipes from a presumably alcoholic director. A French-inflected satire with a cameo from Juno Temple's hair.
Buy →Novelist · Screenwriter · Director · Reformed bass player
Books + films + music
Hey! It's a website for James Greer: novelist, screenwriter, director, musician, etcetera. Don't even start.
Books
Three novels · a story collection
· two books about music
Fiction
2010 · Akashic Books
The Failure
Two friends plan to rob a check-cashing store to bankroll a ridiculous internet app. Dennis Cooper called Greer “one of the nimblest and most multilayered American fiction writers.”
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2006 · Little House on the Bowery / Akashic
Artificial Light
The debut novel — winner of the California Book Award Silver Medal for First Fiction. “Beats the bejeezus out of the last dozen Thomas Pynchons,” per Richard Meltzer.
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2013 · Curbside Splendor · Stories
Everything Flows
Nineteen "trips," short and surreal to long and surreal, with art by Robert Pollard. “Halfway between the mind of God and a vivid dream” — Publishers Weekly.
Find a copy →Criticism + Journalism (Selected)
LARB — review of John Barth's Every Third Thought.
Bookforum — review of Kate Zambreno's Green Girl.
Bookforum — review of Joshua Cohen's Four New Messages.
The Fanzine — review of David Foster Wallace's The Pale King.
The Fanzine — review of Gideon Lewis-Kraus's A Sense of Direction.
The Believer — Contributor Page.
Additional pieces in the SPIN back-catalogue, from Greer's years as Senior Editor/Senior Writer there.
On Music
2005 · Black Cat / Grove Press
Guided by Voices: A Brief History
Twenty-one years of hunting accidents in the forests of rock and roll — written by some guy who played bass.
Buy →
1992 · Little, Brown
R.E.M.: Behind the Mask
The earliest book, from the Spin-magazine years, back when the writing paid (slightly) better and I drank (much) harder.
Find a copy →Films
Written for the screen ·
and, lately, directed
2027 · Writer / Director
Mirror Moves
The story of the unwitting wife of a serial killer. Coming soon!
Site →
2026 · Writer
Twisted
A horror-thriller starring Djimon Hounsou and Lauren LaVera.
IMDb →
2026 · Writer
The Cure
A thriller-horror starring David Dastmalchian and Ashley Greene.
IMDb →
2018 · Writer
Unsane
A psychological thriller directed by Steven Soderbergh, starring Claire Foy.
IMDb →Also wrote
- 2010 The Spy Next Door Family action-comedy starring Jackie Chan! Fun!
- 2001 Max Keeble's Big Move A Disney movie! Wow!
Music
Guided by Voices
DTCV
Selected Press
Bookforum — "Welcome to the Pun House," an interview by Scott Indrisek.
3:AM Magazine — "More Parody Than Satire," an interview by Andrew Gallix.
The Irish Times — review calling it "this year's cult classic."
Times Literary Supplement — review of Bad Eminence.
SPIN — "SPIN DNA: James Greer," an interview about Bad Eminence.
Vice — interview tied to Everything Flows release.
Denver Post — interview with Greer for the Denver Post.
LAist — interview tied to Artificial Light release.
Los Angeles Times — "Steven Soderbergh's 12-hour John Barth adaptation, via James Greer."
News
COMING 2027
Greer's first two novels reissued by Rare Bird.
COMING 2027
Bad Eminence, in French.
COMING SOON
Mirror Moves, his directorial debut.
About
James Greer is a novelist and screenwriter. He is the author of the novels Bad Eminence, The Failure, and Artificial Light (winner of the California Book Award Silver Medal for First Fiction), the story collection Everything Flows, and two books about music — including Guided by Voices: A Brief History, drawn from his years playing bass in that band.
For the screen he co-wrote Steven Soderbergh’s Unsane and a bunch of other features. Mirror Moves, his debut as writer-director, is his most recent project.
I think we can all agree that's quite enough.
Elsewhere
North of Onhava
Very occasional news + notes.
Also: the quarterly SPIN “Tones on Tail” column. Subscribe to SPIN →