Chuck Palahniuk is a prolific author who explores, in outrageous and comic fashion, America's apparent love of violence. No writer divides critics more sharply. While some view him as a literary nihilist- a man hell-bent on killing the novel as a reputable art form- others view him as a brilliant social satirist and the most important literary innovator of his generation.

Palahniuk achieved broad recognition with the publication of Fight Club (1996), a novel about a secret organization of men who engage in bloody fistfights for enjoyment, catharsis and personal salvation. The cult bestseller was made into a 1999 film starring Edward Norton and Brad Pitt. His novel Diary (2003), is a twisted fable about "tortured artists" and the meaning of art.

Palahniuk's other novels include Lullaby (2002), Choke (2001), Survivor (1999), and Invisible Monsters (1999). Palahniuk's book is Stranger Than Fiction (2004), his first collection of nonfiction. The book features 23 pieces in which he explores such topics as a demolition derby, rock star Marilyn Manson, Olympic wrestling, life aboard a submarine, and his father's murder.