Simon Rich

A fifth collection, Hits and Misses, was published in July 2018. NPR said that "with this book, Rich has come into his own as one of the most talented writers of comedic fiction working today."

Rich lives in Los Angeles with his wife, author Kathleen Hale. Rich is the parent of a young daughter (born 2017?).

Rich's fourth story collection, Spoiled Brats, was published in 2014. The Guardian described it as "simply the funniest book of the year," adding "there are sometimes three laugh-out-loud moments within the same paragraph." The Evening Standard also praised the book, calling Rich "a Thurber, even a Wodehouse, for today. Who could ask for more? You can give his books to people and just watch them laugh."

In 2013, Sony Pictures acquired the film rights to Rich's four-part novella Sell Out, which was originally published by the New Yorker that same year. The film, An American Pickle, is set to premiere in 2020. Seth Rogen stars in the dual lead roles and is attached as producer. Rich is slated to write the script based on the illustrated book Unicorn Executions, to be produced by Universal Studios.

Rich's third book and first novel, Elliot Allagash, was released in May 2010. In June that year, Jason Reitman optioned the movie rights to the novel. In 2012, Rich published his second novel, What in God's Name, which The New York Times Book Review compared to Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. In 2019, the novel was made into a TV series Miracle Workers.

After graduating from Harvard, Rich wrote for Saturday Night Live for four years where the staff was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Music or Comedy Series in 2008, 2009, and 2010 and won the Writers Guild of America Award for Comedy/Variety Series in 2009 and 2010. Rich then departed to work as a staff writer for Pixar. In 2013 and 2014, Rich was named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 List.

As an undergraduate at Harvard University in 2007, Rich received a two-book contract from Random House. Rich's first book, a collection of short humor pieces entitled Ant Farm: And Other Desperate Situations was published in 2007 and was nominated for the Thurber Prize for American Humor. His second collection, Free Range Chickens, was published in 2008. Rich released his third collection of stories, The Last Girlfriend on Earth in 2013. Reception was favorable, with The Washington Post praising the book as "hilarious," declaring, "it just might be the best one-night stand you'll ever have."

Simon Rich (born June 5, 1984) is an American humorist, novelist, and screenwriter. He has published two novels and three collections of humor pieces, several of which appeared in The New Yorker. His novels and short stories have been translated into over a dozen languages. Rich was one of the youngest writers ever hired on Saturday Night Live, and served as a staff writer for Pixar. On January 14, 2015, Man Seeking Woman, a television comedy series created by Rich (and based upon his novel The Last Girlfriend on Earth) premiered on the cable channel FXX.