Utter Goodness

by Audrey Lee

Thirteen short stories spanning the country—from East Coast to West, from New York City to backwater counties—await you in Utter Goodness. Beasts, birds, murder, muscles, Soviets, and swans sing in chorus: Audrey Lee’s characters face religion, love, and judgement in every state of the nation and in every state of grace.

Genres: Fiction

120 pages, Paperback

First published January 6, 2026

Reviews

[J Armstrong]

I came to read this after hearing Audrey Lee on Book Club from Hell, and found myself thinking of Richard O'Brien's musical Shock Treatment even before a Denton appeared. Both seem to have a tentative nostalgia for an American-era at the very moment it is degenerating into something worse.

Unlike Shock Treatment, the character writing here is very strong. Each character feels distinct and whole, without a word wasted, while the author's distant, observational style makes the world feel intimate, as if you’re sitting with her in a Kei truck or across from her in a Burger City booth.

Highly recommend.

[Nellie Konopka]

Had a weird day yesterday and pretty much just tore through this while prepping for the blizzard- it was good company.

[infinitehotsoup]

"thoroughly enjoyed"/5

The PK literary family grows apace...

[Dickie]

Audrey Lee's eye for character and love for the American landscape is on full display. She has an East Coast sensibility ,but the way that sensibility is expressed and transmuted through the different stories is something special.Utter Goodness introduces a world just a shade to the left on the dial of our own. Perfect gift for lovers of short story. The characters and imagery will be with you long after you've finished reading.

[Frank]

Utterly excellent. Do yourself a favor and resist the urge to read through this collection in its entirety in a single sitting. It will be difficult to do, because the stories are just that good. But they’re even better when you savor them one at a time. (Better even than a cottage cheese and olive sandwich on toasted rye…)

[Jay]

had been reading this on and off when i was at the laundry mat (hence why i can't remember what day i started this), but dove into this the last few days and wow - audrey killed it here. she does such an excellent job of coming up with stories for people you may never interact with and places you may never visit yourself, but makes you feel like you're there witnessing everything going on and wanting you give somewhat of a damn on what's going with their lives, even if you can't relate to their situation

[moonandmouth]

you, a pleb: *reading the latest industry plant literary it/e-girl novel about urbanites dming each other*

me, an aristocrat: *reading the latest organic poaster-ess's short story collection about 90s heartlanders who've never held a smartphone*

[ClubKamui]

9/10

Philadelphian women’s minds are unparalleled.