Bedridden: A Novella

by Dustin Grinnell

164 pages, Paperback

Published May 12, 2026

About the author

Dustin Grinnell is a writer based in Boston. Journalism and creative nonfiction, short stories and novels, poetry and scripts—all these and more have earned him publication with a wide range of presses, magazines, and literary journals.

His true passion, however, lies in exploring the intersection of ethics and science in a subgenre of speculative fiction he’s dubbed “sci-fi with heart.” Most of his fiction writing—including his most recent novel, The Empathy Academy, and his short story collection, The Healing Book—falls into this subgenre, blending the imaginative worlds of science fiction with deep, emotional storytelling that emphasizes the human impact of science and technology. Inspired by modern media, he also reviews sci-fi movies that bring real emotions to the genre in articles and in his video series, Sci-Fi with Heart, analyzing what makes them hit on a deeper level.

Born in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Dustin grew up with a fascination for the science-fiction works of authors like Michael Crichton, and he never missed an addition to R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series or an episode of The X Files. With a BA in psychobiology, an MS in physiology, and an MFA in fiction, he hones his writing in marketing while building his literary portfolio.

Beyond writing, Dustin loves to explore the world. He’s traveled a lot throughout his life, including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, running the Paris marathon, hitchhiking across New Zealand, and riding his motorcycle across the United States. He’s written about many of these adventures in personal essays, most of which can be found in his essay collection, Lost & Found: Reflections on Travel, Career, Love and Family.

More recently, he’s applied his love of exploring the world to his podcast, Curiously, in which he explores big ideas with a variety of guests in insightful and engaging conversations. When not traveling the world, he can be found in the seaside town of Winthrop, MA, where he lives with his cat, Poe, named after author and poet Edgar Allan Poe.

Reviews

[Elin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doctor Calvin Bloom is at a crossroads; he’s finished medical school but is undecided as to how to practice medicine. Instead, he hopes that a cross-country trip will give him the time and clarity needed to make the best decision. Unfortunately, he begins to experience strange symptoms that worsen the further he gets from home. Doctors are baffled and Calvin becomes obsessed with his condition. A therapist eventually helps him come to the conclusion that his suffering may be the result of extreme stress, a psychosomatic illness that forces him to return home to Boston where he begins writing about his experience in the hopes of helping others. Ultimately, he is inspired to pursue psychiatry, however, he is unsatisfied with the accepted treatments and longs for a different kind of cure. He finds his inspiration from a fellow doctor and is moved to open his own counselling center that explores alternative cures such as “forest bathing” and the power of human connection.

I loved Bedridden by Dustin Grinnell and was fascinated by Dr. Bloom’s story and his moral dilemma. His first patient Kendall is both brilliant and dangerous and continually pushes Calvin beyond his comfort zone. He himself found clarity and renewed inspiration through his suffering, but was it just a fluke or could the experiment be repeated? His oath to “do no harm” is clear, yet what if he could find a new way to help his patients? He finally agrees to create Project Breakthrough after Kendall forces his hand, but are they playing with fire?

Audiences will both love Dr. Bloom’s mission to help patients and be horrified by his actions. This contemplative story explores the gray area between patient care and harm and its moral ramifications.

This novella is a must-read and kept me on the edge of my seat.

[Patrick Fassnacht · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a surprising read. Surprisingly good!
Couldn't quite put my finger on what to expect about this one. Seemed interesting. Seemed like a good premise and interesting perspective being advertised. Still though, diving into the preface.. I remained quizzical about where we were going to head. One of those "I think this is going to be a different ride".. kind of feelings.. and began pretty instantly to begin picking up some intriguing steam.. page by page.. by page..

Just a short way into Bedridden, Grinnell had me hooked.
The tenor and surrounding ambiance was embracing. Filling out the people and their happenings. The happenings, resulting feelings and the questions surrounding the events all worked. Really well. Adding depth and intrigue. Leading us along quickly but intentionally.

Already loving the vibe and the unique approach to the main character's illness and subsequent attempts to help people, things got even deeper before taking off for the blistering finish.

Such a wild, surprisingly-fresh and intense read. All packed into this short story.
Never like diminishing any work by comparing it to others, but man!, this one.. was Tuesdays-With-Morrie-ish... through the telling of a medical docu-drama-turned-Flatliners.. with a dash of Misery tossed into it..
Bad comparisons, I'm sure!, but couldn't help it :)

Always love when a book can be multiple things so deftly.. without losing or lacking part because of it. and even more when challenging the reader to think and feel and then be jolted and surprised.

Read this one.
You will have missed something special otherwise.

[Caitlynn Akin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bedridden by Dustin Grinnel was an enjoyable read that follows psychiatrist Calvin Bloom as his own unexplained illness inspires him to create an experimental program that purposely makes patients sick in hopes of helping them change just as he did on his own journey. The thought-provoking premise and its message that suffering can sometimes lead to self-discovery helped to engage readers. The ethical questions surrounding the program were especially fascinating, showcasing how good intentions can gradually give way to dangerous rationalizations to the point of obsession. Occasionally, the writing felt a bit simplistic with the way events unfolded in a step-by-step manner instead of developing with more natural flow but that was quickly lost as the dark twists captivated me further into the store. Overall, it was an accessible, engaging novella with an unusual concept that will leave readers pondering ethical questions for some time to come.

[N. Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEDRIDDEN is a fantastic novella that was a little slow to get started, but quickly drew me into its work. Psychiatrist Calvin Bloom, our protagonist, has a brush with a debilitating illness that inspires him to start his own clinic to help people in the way he feels his illness helped him. However, things start to go awry, and what comes next is part ethical thought experiment, part mystery thriller that kept me reading chapter after chapter. I think it works well as a novella, as once the plot gets going, it moves quickly, and there is no time for the plot to take tangents or drag. I thought it was an excellent read.

[Cali Emperador · Rating 4 out of 5]

BEDRIDDEN was a really fun thriller read. I loved how well it pulled off its tone shift from slightly unconventional to downright horrifying. The story raises really interesting points about what it means to be truly sick.

I really would have liked to see it take its premise a bit further. I thought the twist at the end could have been stronger if the main character were forced to put the pieces together himself rather than being directly told. Overall a good read though, would recommend!

[denise ferazzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This psychological thriller kept me turning pages! I finished it in one sitting as I couldn’t wait to see how the characters worked through the tangled web they weave out of equal parts desire to heal and raw ambition. The characters are complex and satisfyingly flawed. The questions of the novella are weighty and real, but the story - most importantly - moves!

[Donna Emperador · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEDRIDDEN is a quick read that starts out like medical fiction but develops a dark side as the novella progresses. I liked how the author gradually adds details which let the reader work the plot out for themselves. This is a great read for Stephen King fans that prefer shorter works.