Bret Easton Ellis

The Profile

Bret Easton Ellis (born March 7, 1964, Los Angeles) is an American author known for transgressive, satirical portraits of late‑20th‑century culture. He debuted with Less Than Zero (1985) and achieved notoriety with American Psycho (1991), often using minimalist, deadpan prose to explore alienation, consumerism, and violence.

American novelist active since 1985; major books include Less Than Zero, The Rules of Attraction, American Psycho, Glamorama, Lunar Park, Imperial Bedrooms, and The Shards. Born in Los Angeles; several novels have been adapted into films.

Reviews highlight Ellis’s minimalist, detached portraits of wealth, apathy, and excess. Less Than Zero is read as a visceral snapshot of LA alienation. American Psycho is praised for its brutal, satirical x‑ray of late-’80s yuppiedom. The Rules of Attraction draws mixed reactions for repetition despite choral experimentation. Lunar Park shifts into meta-horror, turning the provocateur into the haunted.