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How to read Bret Easton Ellis books in order
Your guide to reading Bret Easton Ellis, from Less Than Zero to The Shards.
- Helen Daly
Published: Wednesday, 29 July 2026 at 10:00 am
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Bret Easton Ellis has spent four decades chronicling the wealthy, disaffected and often twisted corners of American life, from Generation X teenagers of 1980s Los Angeles to the murderous yuppie at the heart of American Psycho.
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He's won legions of fans for his notoriously slippy narratives and tricks on what is true. His characters often wander between books, Ellis himself has appeared as a character on a few occasions, but one thing is for certain - they're always page turners.
With sequels, autofiction and a loosely shared universe linking his fiction, knowing where to start can be tricky. Whether you want to read Ellis in the order the books arrived or piece together the in-universe chronology, here is the ultimate guide to reading the works of Bret Easton Ellis in order.
How to read Bret Easton Ellis books in release order
- Less Than Zero (1985) – Ellis's debut, following disaffected college student Clay as he returns to a hedonistic Los Angeles for Christmas break.
- The Rules of Attraction (1987) – A love triangle set at the fictional Camden College, introducing Sean Bateman, brother of a certain Patrick.
- American Psycho (1991) – Ellis's most infamous novel, narrated by Wall Street banker and serial killer Patrick Bateman.
- The Informers (1994) – A collection of linked short stories set in early-1980s Los Angeles.
- Glamorama (1998) – A satire of celebrity culture that spirals into a terrorist thriller.
- Lunar Park (2005) – A mock-memoir in which a character named Bret is haunted in suburbia.
- Water from the Sun and Discovering Japan (2006) – Two shorter novellas published together, drawn from Ellis's earlier fiction.
- Imperial Bedrooms (2010) – A direct sequel to Less Than Zero, catching up with an older, colder Clay.
- White (2019) - Ellis's collection of essays, musing on topics such as his own life, politics and pop culture.
- The Shards (2023) – Ellis's return to fiction after 13 years, an autofiction thriller set in 1981 Los Angeles.
Bret Easton Ellis in chronological story order
Ellis's books do not form a single tidy timeline, but they do share a universe and, occasionally, a chronology. Reading in story order rearranges a few key titles. The Shards, though published most recently, is set in 1981 and dramatises the period just before Ellis wrote his debut, so it could act as an origin story for his whole world. Imperial Bedrooms, meanwhile, must follow Less Than Zero as its direct sequel.
A brief spoiler warning: reading Imperial Bedrooms before Less Than Zero would undercut the twists of Clay's character, so keep that pairing in order.
White has been removed from this list as it's non-fiction, and we're focused solely on fiction works for this order.
- The Shards (2023) – Set in autumn 1981, this autofiction thriller casts a teenage 'Bret' at the elite Buckley School as a serial killer known as the Trawler stalks Los Angeles. Bret is writing Less Than Zero throughout.
- The Informers (1994) – Its linked stories unfold across early-1980s Los Angeles, overlapping with the same milieu of privileged excess.
- Less Than Zero (1985) – Clay's Christmas homecoming plays out in the mid-1980s LA drug-and-party scene.
- The Rules of Attraction (1987) – Set at Camden College, where Clay reappears as a minor character and Sean Bateman takes centre stage.
- American Psycho (1991) – Patrick Bateman's late-1980s Manhattan, referencing characters from The Rules of Attraction.
- Glamorama (1998) – A 1990s descent through fashion, fame and terrorism.
- Lunar Park (2005) – A present-day mock-memoir haunted by Ellis's earlier creations.
- Imperial Bedrooms (2010) – Returns to Clay and company roughly 25 years after Less Than Zero.
How Bret Easton Ellis's novels connect
Ellis's fiction is widely treated as a loosely shared universe, with characters and settings recurring across books. The clearest links run through the fictional Camden College, which connects Less Than Zero and The Rules of Attraction, and through the Bateman brothers.
In Less Than Zero, Clay is the narrator, with Blair and Julian orbiting him. In The Rules of Attraction, Clay reappears in a smaller role while Sean Bateman leads; Sean's brother Patrick narrates a single chapter before becoming the protagonist of American Psycho. American Psycho in turn references characters from The Rules of Attraction. Finally, Imperial Bedrooms functions as an explicit sequel to Less Than Zero, bringing back Clay, Blair and Julian.
Do you have to read Bret Easton Ellis in order?
Not strictly. Every Ellis novel stands on its own, and the cross-references are more Easter eggs than essential plot points. American Psycho, Glamorama, Lunar Park and The Shards can all be read as standalone entry points. In fact, readers can understand the evolution of his style and themes that are important to him over his life by reading in publication order. It's fun to read in publication order to enjoy references to Bret's other works along the way, too, so that would be our advice.
The one pairing that genuinely rewards reading in sequence is Less Than Zero followed by Imperial Bedrooms, since the sequel depends on knowing where Clay began. Beyond that, first-time readers often start with either Less Than Zero, as the shortest and most accessible, or American Psycho as the most famous (but arguably most challenging), before working outward.
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Bret Easton Ellis screen adaptations
Several Ellis novels have reached the screen. Less Than Zero was loosely adapted into a 1987 film starring Andrew McCarthy, Robert Downey Jr, Jami Gertz and James Spader, though Ellis has said it bears little resemblance to his book. The Rules of Attraction was adapted by Roger Avary in 2002, and The Informers became a film in 2008. The best known adaptation remains American Psycho (2000), which starred Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman.
A new American Psycho film is in development at Lionsgate, with Luca Guadagnino directing and Scott Z Burns writing. The studio has stressed it is a fresh adaptation of the 1991 novel rather than a remake of the Bale film. As of 2026 no lead casting or release date has been confirmed, with Ellis himself noting that several stars have turned down the role of Bateman.
The Shards has now been adapted into a television series from producer Ryan Murphy for FX. It premieres in the US on FX and FX on Hulu on 5 August 2026, with an international launch on Disney+ the following day, 6 August 2026.
Igby Rigney leads as the teenage Bret Easton Ellis, with a cast that includes Kaia Gerber as Susan Reynolds, Wes Bentley as Terry Schaffer, Homer Gere as Robert Mallory, Graham Campbell as Thom Wright and Hayes Warner as Debbie Schaffer, plus Evan Rachel Wood and Jordan Roth in recurring roles. The series follows the novel's story of a serial killer stalking privileged teenagers at a Los Angeles prep school in 1981.
Watch trailer
Where can I buy Bret Easton Ellis books?
All nine of Ellis's fiction titles remain in print and are widely available in paperback, ebook and audiobook from the usual booksellers, with his backlist published by Picador and Vintage. His most recent novel, The Shards, and his best-known works such as American Psycho and Less Than Zero are the easiest to find. The novellas collected in Water from the Sun and Discovering Japan are the trickiest to track down as a standalone volume, though the material draws on his earlier fiction.
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Authors
Helen DalyDeputy Digital Editor
Helen Daly is the deputy digital editor for Radio Times, overseeing new initiatives and commercial projects for the brand. She was previously Deputy TV Editor at a national publication. She has a BA in English Literature and an MA in Media & Journalism from Newcastle University.
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