It's safe to say that Albert Brooks is having a banner year.
The 64-year-old comedian is currently garnering praise on the film festival circuit for his role in Nicolas Winding Refn's ambitious new thriller "Drive," in which he plays against type as a brutal mobster opposite Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan and "Mad Men" star Christina Hendricks.
But Brooks is no longer simply conquering Hollywood. His first novel, "2030: The Real Story Of What Happens to America," was released this spring by St. Martin's Press, and unlike the work of many other stars-turned-authors, quickly won raves from major publications while shooting up The New York Times' bestseller list. "2030" presents a warts-and-all, fictional version of America in that not-too-distant year. As HuffPost reported in May, one of the book's major themes is its depiction of generational tensions between young Americans and "the olds," who begin to further monopolize resources and benefit as life expectancy ("90 was the new 50," Brooks writes in one segment) increases.
“It’s beyond anything I hoped for," Brooks told HuffPost blogger Marshall Fine. "If you look at the best-seller list for American fiction, they’re all sequels to detective stories or stories about hunting serial killers. That’s what’s called American fiction these days. So to have a book that is none of those make it to the best-seller list is a thrill.”
But fans concerned that Brooks might have lost his comedic touch needn't worry too much, as "2030" isn't all gloom and doom. Those hoping for a more immediate dose of Brooks' dry humor might opt to check his Twitter account, where the actor shares his witty observations on politics, popular culture and aging, among other topics. Take a look at our picks for his best Tweets below: