Bret Easton Ellis creating horror soap for Showtime

I've never been a huge fan of author Bret Easton Ellis' work, but there's no denying that his cocaine and greed-fueled tomes Less Than Zero and American Psycho are key to understanding the "greed is good" 80s. Ellis is back to help us define another decade - this time with the help of Showtime. The network has teamed up with Ellis to create a "horror-tinged" soap. Called The Canyons, the show focuses on a group of 20- and 30-somethings in Los Angeles dealing with career and relationship issues. The twist is that their "fears and anxieties manifest themselves as monsters and apparitions, which may or may not be real." Sounds like a half a dozen Buffy episodes.

The series developed out of Ellis' own fear and loathing in Los Angeles - a "dark period" which he spent in a hotel thinking that "the world was coming to an end," which for the record, he still "thinks it is." I can identify with this - not the world coming to an end part. I mean, America may be going the way of the Roman Empire, but the world is pretty resilient. I identify with the anxiety in Los Angeles part. Having just moved here, I can say that this town is pretty much fueled by fear of aging, of failure, of obscurity, etc. Whether or not the rest of America wants to watch yet another series about neurotic, privileged Angelenos remains to be seen.