Book cover of Surely You Can't Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane!

Book description

Surely You Can't Be Serious is an in-depth and hysterical look at the making of 1980's comedy classic Airplane! by the legendary writers and directors of the hit film.

Airplane! premiered on July 2nd, 1980. With a budget of $3.5 million it went on to make nearly $200 million in…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

2 authors picked Surely You Can't Be Serious as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I'm a comedy nerd and I've read every oral retelling and book on the history of comedy I can get my hands on. Not only did this one make me laugh harder than any I've read, but their their path to success was as loopy as the airplane on the movie poster. You can feel the friendship of the creators and it's hard to not feel like you're friends with them as well by the end.

I love biographies and also 'behind the scenes' glimpses of my favorite shows and movies.

Airplane! is one of my top ten all-time favorite movies, and I didn't know much about the making of the movie or the trio that created it, so this was right up my alley.

I liked that the book was written as a collection of small memory snippets, as the creators and actors recalled their days of filming the movie. I also enjoyed learning about the creator's very early days in showbiz.

It all felt very honest and real, refreshingly rough around the edges…

If you love Surely You Can't Be Serious...

Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Want books like Surely You Can't Be Serious?

Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Surely You Can't Be Serious.

Browse books like Surely You Can't Be Serious

Book cover of The Cinema of George Lucas
Book cover of Ghost World
Book cover of Sculpting in Time: Reflections on the Cinema

Share your top 3 reads of 2026!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

181

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like Surely You Can't Be Serious, you might also like...

Book cover of Sexy Selfie Nation: Standing Up for Yourself in Today's Toxic, Sexist Culture

Sexy Selfie Nation by Leora Tanenbaum,

The problem is not with the actions young women take but with the toxic, sexist conditions they are responding to.

Tanenbaum found, based on six years of interviews with young people ages 14-30, that young women are navigating a culture littered with gendered dress codes, revenge porn, and sexually explicit…

Book cover of In This Together: Connecting with Your Community to Combat the Climate Crisis

In This Together by Marianne E. Krasny,

In This Together explores how we can harness our social networks to make a real impact fighting the climate crisis. Against notions of the lone environmental crusader, Marianne E. Krasny shows us the power of "network climate action"—the idea that our own ordinary acts can influence and inspire those close…

5 book lists we think you will like!