Michel Houellebecq

France's master of nihilism Michel Houellebecq is back in the news with the publication of his fourth full-length novel "The Possibility of an Island." Such is his international pulling-power that the book appeared in translation in the US, Britain, Italy, Germany and Spain on the same day it went on sale in France. I don't think there is any other living French author who would receive such attention. His earlier works -- Platform, The Elementary Particles and Whatever (Extension du domaine de la lutte) -- have been translated into a total of 36 languages -- which shows there must be something about his tone of despairing hedonism that strikes a chord. In "Island" Houellebecq returns to many of the themes explored in his earlier books -- with his hero Daniel a morally-exhausted 40-something stand-up comic obsessed with sex, aging and the emptiness of human experience in 21st century Europe. In a nod to his lifelong obession with science fiction, Houellebecq has Daniel join a cult called the Elohimites who promote human cloning -- and the book alternates between the present day and a world 2000 years in the future inhabited by his neo-human replicas Daniels 23, 24 and 25. The Elohmites are clearly based on the real-life Raelians, a cloning-obsessed sect that hit the headlines a couple of years ago by claiming to have cloned the first human baby. The Raelians have issued a ringing endorsement of "Island," saying they are delighted to be taken seriously at long last! Houellebecq spent time with Raelians for research purposes, and said the cult was "well-adapted to modern times, to our leisure-based civilisation. It imposes no code of morality and it promises immortality... For a science fiction fan like me, its ideas are interesting." His 490-page book has had mixed reviews. Some say it is a bit of a rehash of his earlier works -- with lots of graphic sex as per usual -- but others believe it is in line for the Prix Goncourt -- France's top literary award --in November.