Michel Houellebecq has published 13 novels, 2 novellas, 2 non-fiction books and 1 poetry collection, beginning with Whatever (1994). The best-known is Soumission (2015). The latest is Annihilation (2022).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Michel Houellebecq
Start here
Soumission
Michel Houellebecq's most-read book.
Shortest way in
Whatever
One of the most-read, at about 169 pages.
Newest
Annihilation
Published January 2022.
Standalone novels in order
H. P. Lovecraft: Against the World, Against Life (1991)
Staying Alive (1991)
Whatever (1994)
Atomised (Aug 1998)
Interventions (Nov 1998)
Platform (2001)
The Possibility of an Island (Aug 2005)
H. P. Lovecraft (2006)
Public Enemies (2008), with Bernard-Henri Lévy
The Map and the Territory (Sep 2010)
Soumission (Jan 2015)
Serotonin (Jan 2019)
Annihilation (Jan 2022)
Novellas in order
H.p. Lovecraft-Contre Le Monde, Contre La Vie (1999)
Lanzarote (2000)
Non-fiction in order
The Art of Struggle (Mar 1996)
In the Presence of Schopenhauer (2017)
Poetry in order
Unreconciled (2017)
Film and TV adaptations
- To Stay Alive: A Method (2016)Film · from Staying Alive
- Whatever (1999)Film · from Whatever
- Atomised (2006)Film · from Atomised
- La Possibilité d'une île (2008)Film · from The Possibility of an Island
- Unterwerfung (2018)TV · from Soumission
About Michel Houellebecq
Michel Houellebecq is a French author of novels, poems, and essays, as well as an occasional actor, filmmaker, and singer. His first book was a monograph on the horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. Houellebecq published his first novel Whatever in 1994 and his second, Atomised, in 1998, to international fame as well as controversy. He has published several books of poetry, including The Art of Struggle in 1996.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Michel Houellebecq FAQ
- How many books has Michel Houellebecq written?
- Michel Houellebecq has published 13 novels, 2 novellas, 2 non-fiction books and 1 poetry collection that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Michel Houellebecq's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Soumission.
- What is Michel Houellebecq's latest book?
- Annihilation (2022).
- What is Michel Houellebecq's most famous book?
- Soumission (2015) is Michel Houellebecq's most widely read book.
- Which Michel Houellebecq books have been adapted?
- 5 books have been adapted for film or TV, including Staying Alive (as To Stay Alive: A Method, film, 2016), Whatever (film, 1999), Atomised (film, 2006) and The Possibility of an Island (as La Possibilité d'une île, film, 2008).
Authors like Michel Houellebecq
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.