Peak Performance

In this wickedly sharp collection of eight interconnected stories, Miles Hartwell skewers our modern obsession with self-optimization and the relentless pursuit of becoming our "best selves." At the heart of the collection is Marcus Finley, an ordinary office worker who stumbles down the rabbit hole of peak performance culture after witnessing a colleague's insufferable success with the "Five AM Club." What begins as a simple attempt to wake up earlier spirals into an absurdist exploration of the wellness industrial complex and its promises of transformation. Through Marcus and a cast of equally flawed characters, Hartwell examines the gap between who we are and who we're constantly told we should be—fitter, more productive, more mindful, more optimized. Each story in this collection takes aim at a different facet of self-improvement culture: extreme morning routines, biohacking obsessions, productivity gurus, meditation apps, and the tyranny of constant self-monitoring. But beneath the satire lies something more poignant: a recognition of the very real anxieties driving us toward these solutions. Why do we feel so inadequate? What are we actually searching for when we download the latest habit-tracking app at 2 AM? Hartwell's prose is precise and darkly funny, capturing the desperation and absurdity of trying to engineer a better version of yourself while your actual life slowly browns at the edges like a neglected houseplant. His characters are achingly recognizable—people who know, on some level, that they're chasing something impossible, yet can't quite stop themselves. Perfect for readers who love the satirical bite of George Saunders or the keen social observations of Sally Rooney, "Peak Performance" offers both comic relief and uncomfortable recognition. It's a book for anyone who has ever felt the itch of envy while scrolling through someone else's morning routine, or wondered if they're somehow fundamentally failing at being human.