Bret Easton Ellis

Bret Easton Ellis (born March 7, 1964) is an American author. He is considered to be one of the Generation X 1980s authors. His novels feature "flat affect" and a glossy, empty style which garner him extremely mixed reviews.

He was born in Los Angeles and raised in Sherman Oaks in the San Fernando Valley, the son of a wealthy property developer. His parents divorced around 1982(?). He was educated at Buckley High School, where he did not distinguish himself, and then took a music based course at Bennington College in Vermont. He was a part-time musician in some minor 1980s bands, such as The Parents, before his first book was published while he was still a student. Less Than Zero, a tale of disaffected rich teenage Los Angelenos, was well received by the critics and sold respectably (50,000 copies in its first year). He moved to New York in 1987 to release his second novel.

His most controversial work, the graphic yuppie serial killer satire American Psycho, was intended to be published by Simon & Schuster but they withdrew after external protests (NOW, and many others, considered the novel dangerously misogynistic and worse) and pressure from Gulf & Western. The novel was later published by Vintage.

He keeps the details of his personal life cryptic, media stories debating his sexuality or drug use are usually ignored.

Novels

  • Less Than Zero (1985)
  • The Rules of Attraction (1987)
  • American Psycho (1991)
  • The Informers (linked short stories, 1994)
  • Glamorama (1999)

Less Than Zero was made into a film in 1987, directed by Marek Kanievska and starring Andrew McCarthy, Robert Downey Jr and Jami Gertz. American Psycho was filmed in 2000, directed by Mary Harron and starring Christian Bale. The Rules of Attraction was filmed in 2002, directed by Roger Avary and starring James Van Der Beek and Shannyn Sossamon. A film based on Glamorama is in pre-production, it is tentatively slated for release in 2004.


In the News

Nanopunk Rocks
Linda Nagata's 1990s sci-fi novels, including the classic Tech Heaven, deserve a second look. In Table of Malcontents.

Subliminal Smells Bias Perception About A Person's Likeability
Anyone who has bonded with a puppy madly sniffing with affection gets an idea of how scents, most not apparent to humans, are critical to a dog's appreciation of her two-legged friends. Now new research suggests that humans also pick up infinitesimal scents that affect whether or not we like somebody. The smells elicited psychological and physiological changes suggesting that humans get much more information from barely perceptible scents than previously realized.

Quality Counts 2007: From Cradle to Career: Connecting American Educat
Collection of articles and data from January 2007 "track[ing] state efforts to create seamless education systems from early childhood to the world of work."Features articles on topics such as "Gauging Student Learning"and "Linking Learning to Earning,"and the "Chance for Success Index,"which provides state-by-state data on 13 individual indicators (such as family income and preschool enrollment). From Education Week magazine with support from the Pew Center on the States.

No Wisdom In Routinely Pulling Wisdom Teeth, Study Says
No reliable studies exist to support removal of trouble-free impacted wisdom teeth, according to a systematic review of evidence. Despite this surprising lack of data, extraction of third molars has long been considered appropriate care in most developed countries.

Debating American Modernism: Stieglitz, Duchamp, and the New York Avan
Companion to an exhibit of works by "artists associated with American photographer Alfred Stieglitz (1864-1946) and French artist Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968) [who] spurred the development of modern art in the United States between 1915 and 1929."Features an introductory essay, an illustrated chronology (1902-1929), a student guide (discussing items such as Duchamp's "Fountain,"a urinal), classroom activities, and bibliography and links. From the American Federation of Arts.

Decline In Blood Platelet Count Associated With Increased Risk Of HIV-
HIV patients with declining platelet counts appear to be at increased risk for HIV--associated dementia, according to a new article. Identifying biological markers for the development of HIV--associated dementia is critical both for diagnosing the disorder and for understanding its underlying mechanisms.

Military Builds Robotic Insects
Defense scientists in several countries are developing tiny flying robots that can hit the enemy with itsy-bitsy explosives. Critics worry that terrorists will adopt the nasty tech. By David Hambling.

Progress Made In HIV Vaccine Development
Researchers have successfully tested two candidate vaccines that may eventually be used together to confer immunity against HIV infection. Their findings are published in the Dec. 15 issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online.

Straight Dope on the IPod's Birth
The magical music player wasn't plucked from a stone by Steve Jobs. Here's the story of how a team of designers and engineers produced Apple's groundbreaking gadget. Commentary by Leander Kahney.

Warmer Air May Cause Increased Antarctic Sea Ice Cover
Predicted increases in precipitation due to warmer air temperatures from greenhouse gas emissions may actually increase sea ice volume in the Antarctic's Southern Ocean. This may indicate that climate change processes may have varying impacts on different areas of the globe.


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