Michel Houellebecq (b.1958,) originally Michel Thomas, is a French author known for his novels, poems, and essays. He is also an occasional actor, filmmaker, and singer.
Born on the island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean, Houellebecq studied for a degree in agricultural engineering before turning to fiction writing. His début novel, Extension du domaine de la lutte (1994; Whatever, 1998,) won critical praise for its darkly humorous evocations of the computer age and was followed by the worldwide bestseller Les Particules Élémentaires (1998; U.K.: Atomised, 2000; U.S.: The Elementary Particles,) which explores the nightmarish lives of two half-brothers.
In 2000, Houellebecq released his first album, Présence humain (2000,) in which he “sang” a number of his poems. His novel Plateforme (2001; Platform, 2003) was criticized for condoning sex tourism and islamophobia.
Houellebecq’s later novels include La Carte et le territoire (2010; The Map and the Territory) and Sérotonine (2019: “Serotonin.”)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Michel Houellebecq
The absence of the will to live is, alas, not sufficient to make one want to die.
—Michel Houellebecq
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