HUGE A novel

In comedy, killing is a good thing. From the beloved family-friendly entertainer comes this an unexpectedly dark and twisted thriller.

It's 1994, and three stand-up comedians have embarked on a tour of  smaller communites across a remote stretch of rural Canadian countryside. Dale is a 40-something comic from Chicago who's on the back half of a mediocre career and thinking about quitting the business. Rynn is a 20-something fast-rising comedy star from Dublin with a big break into TV on her horizon. And who is this third guy, the hulking young man added to the bill at the last minute by a booker with dubious motives? He goes by Hubie Huge, and his enormous physical presence is unfortunately not matched by his skills as opening act. But his brutal lack of ability as a comedian turns out to be the least of his companion's problems. Huge starts to show signs of a terrifying capacity for brutality offstage too--and for Dale and Rynn, the tour becomes less about getting laughs and more about getting off the road alive.

It's going to take some getting used to, but Brent Butt is no longer just a funny guy. His debut novel is so accomplished it's frightening.

BRENT BUTT was born in in Tisdale, Saskatchewan, and now lives in Vancouver.

Butt briefly attended Ontario's Sheridan College before returning to his home in Saskatchewan. While working as a drywaller, Butt and a friend started a publishing company, Windwolf Graphics. His comic, Existing Earth, was nominated for an Eagle Award, but only two issues appeared before the money ran out.

In February 1988, Butt performed stand-up comedy for the first time at an amateur night at a Saskatoon comedy club. He is now considered one of the funniest people in Canada, with a career in stand-up comedy that stretches into five decades, including numerous appearances at major festivals in multiple countries and being voted Best Male Stand-Up in Canada by his peers in the profession. He also created and starred in two successful sitcoms--Corner Gas ("Funniest Show on TV" as voted by TV Guide Readers, and currently showing in 60 countries) and Hiccups (multiple Leo and Writers Guild Awards). When you add in two theatrical comedy films (No Clue and Corner Gas: The Movie) and four seasons of an animated Corner Gas spinoff on TV, it may seem surprising that Brent's latest venture--literature--has taken a rather dark turn.