Side Effects is an anthology of 17 comical short essays written by Woody Allen[1] between 1975 and 1980, all but one of which were previously published in, variously, The New Republic, The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Kenyon Review.

It includes Allen's 1978 O. Henry Award-winning story "The Kugelmass Episode".

[2] Throughout the book, frequent references are made to composer Igor Stravinsky.

In addition, numerous gags are made with an implication that people bear an innate knowledge of Dutch.

Characters' love interests are compared to a grotesque, golem-like Aunt Rifka in two separate stories.