Veller was born in
Kamianets-Podilskyi,
Ukrainian SSR,
Soviet Union (modern day
Ukraine) in 1948. In 1972 he graduated with a degree in linguistics from
Leningrad University. He worked as a children's summer camp counselor, a hunter in
Taimyr, a shepherd in the
Altai Mountains, a logger, a journalist, a teacher, and more - around 30 occupations and professions in all. Veller's first book, a collection of short stories titled
I Want To Be A Yard-Sweeper, was published in
Estonia in 1983, followed by
Heart Breaker (1988),
Technology of a Short Story (1989), and
Rendezvous with a Celebrity (1990).
A Novel of Upbringing and
Adventures of Major Zvyagin (1991) became bestsellers, along with "The Legends of Nevsky Prospect" (1993). His book
Everything about Life is a book about how the world works, why a no one ever has what they need, and why happiness is not achievable but should be sought (his later book
Cassandra updates this philosophy). His mini-novel
The Knife of Seryozha Dovlatov created a literary scandal. Hist latest bestseller,
Courier from Pisa (2000), has had 11 editions. In
Everything about Life Veller repeated
Ernest Hemingway's words: "There are people who want to know everything and those who are sick of what they already know. The latter say nothing to prevent things from turning for the worse, while the former interfere in all, hoping to make things better" (paraphrased). Veller proclaims himself to be with the former kind. Veller nurtures his
world-view to the point that he publishes volumes with philosophical inclination. He invented
energoevolutionism. According to this theory the primordial energy released in the
Big Bang is attached to material structures of ever increasing complexity, which in their turn decompose and release energy. These cycles continue at ever increasing speed. The human existence is entangled in this process and also increases the speed of revolution. Humankind thus is at the cutting edge of the evolution of the
universe. The end of history is to arrive when post-humanity will assist the release of all energy in the matter, thereby causing a new cycle by the next BIg Bang event. Within the concept of energoevolution Veller addresses also
aesthetics,
sociology and
psychology. Veller's philosophical essays achieved some attention in Russia and abroad, but also met with severe criticism from professional
philosophers. Veller has lectured on modern Russian prose in the universities of
Milan,
Jerusalem and
Copenhagen. In his free time, Veller lives in
Moscow but continues to work in
Tallinn. His hobbies include target shooting. ==English translations==