Ryan Seacrest is Famous is the first collection of short stories from writer Dave Housley. His stories revolve around the ridiculousness of pop culture. All the stories are lighthearted, but hint at the absurdity of reality TV and our culture’s obsession with fame.

In the eponymous story, a man loses his mind trying to figure out why Ryan Seacrest is famous. In “Jack Kerouac and the Amazing MegaFlex,” the famous beat poet has given up writing in favor of shilling for an As Seen On TV exercise machine. In “Namaste, Bitches,” (fantasic title, by the way) a woman lies her way into a bigger lie: “reality” TV. But it isn’t just about celebrity with Housley. For example, “Bare” tells the story of how a man’s life can change, just by shaving his testicles. And “The Frog Prince II: An Open Letter to the Princess” picks up where the original fairy tale left off, but without a “happily ever after.”

Housley’s stories all start with great premises; unfortunately, they fail in the execution. His writing style is rather flat and dull. Bland. I expected these stories to be funny, but I didn’t laugh – the best response I was able to give was, “That was a cute story.” I didn’t feel any connection to any of the characters. In fact, all the narrators had the same voice, regardless of being male or female.

A disappointing collection that sounds fantastic by the back flap, but sadly proves you can’t judge a book by its cover – even its back cover.