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Quercus imprint riverrun has acquired Astroturf, a short novel by UCL lecturer Matthew Sperling exploring steroid abuse and modern masculinity.
Its plot follows a 30-year-old web developer, Ned, who discovers a hitherto hidden vitality when he starts using illegal steroids.
Described as Ripley-esque in its depiction of a morally dubious but compelling main character, the novel - exploring themes of identity, class, belonging and masculinity - according to Quercus, it will appeal to readers of David Szalay and Jonathan Franzen.
Senior commissioning editor Niamh Mulvey at riverrun, who acquired UK and Commonwealth rights through Lisa Baker at Aitken Alexander, pitched it as "a refreshingly un-didactic story about how great things can happen when you do bad things", adding: "Astroturf is set to be the funniest, cleverest novella of 2018."
Baker added: "Matthew combines a confident and acute observation of the everyday with taut, deadpan humour; I’m delighted by riverrun’s enthusiasm for this surprisingly tender look at modern masculinity."
riverrun will publish Astroturf in summer 2018.