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Quick answer: If you like Hunter S. Thompson, read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hell's Angels and the campaign trail book, then The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, The Armies of the Night and Dispatches. All are wild, first-person New Journalism that blends reporting with raw voice.
Hunter S. Thompson invented gonzo journalism, a style in which the writer becomes part of the story, and wrote Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hell's Angels and many essays. His work is funny, furious and sharply political. The books below offer similar subjective reporting, counterculture and bold voices.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas | Hunter S. Thompson | Adult | the gonzo classic |
| Hell's Angels | Hunter S. Thompson | Adult | outlaw bikers |
| Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 | Hunter S. Thompson | Adult | political reporting |
| The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test | Tom Wolfe | Adult | psychedelic New Journalism |
| The Armies of the Night | Norman Mailer | Adult | protest as novel |
| Dispatches | Michael Herr | Adult | Vietnam reporting |
| The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe | Adult | early space age |
| Slouching Towards Bethlehem | Joan Didion | Adult | essays on California |
| On the Road | Jack Kerouac | Adult | Beat road novel |
| Naked Lunch | William S. Burroughs | Adult | experimental satire |
| Trainspotting | Irvine Welsh | Adult | Edinburgh addiction |
| Less than Zero | Bret Easton Ellis | Adult | Los Angeles excess |
| Catch-22 | Joseph Heller | Adult | war satire |
| Another Roadside Attraction | Tom Robbins | Adult | counterculture comedy |
| Cat's Cradle | Kurt Vonnegut | Adult | satirical science fiction |
1. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
A journalist and his lawyer drive to Vegas in a drug-fuelled haze. Wild, funny and unforgettable.
Best for: the gonzo classic.
2. Hell's Angels by Hunter S. Thompson
Thompson spends a year with the Hell's Angels. Raw and revealing.
Best for: outlaw bikers.
3. Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 by Hunter S. Thompson
Thompson covers the 1972 US presidential campaign. Sharp, funny and angry.
Best for: political reporting.
4. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe
Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters travel the US in a bus. Vivid and energetic.
Best for: psychedelic New Journalism.
5. The Armies of the Night by Norman Mailer
Mailer reports on the 1967 March on the Pentagon in third person. Witty and observant.
Best for: protest as novel.
6. Dispatches by Michael Herr
Herr recounts his time as a war correspondent. Poetic and haunting.
Best for: Vietnam reporting.
7. The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
Wolfe tells the story of the first American astronauts with energy and style. A classic of narrative non-fiction.
Best for: early space age.
8. Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion
Essays about a society coming apart in the 1960s. Sharp and iconic.
Best for: essays on California.
9. On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Friends cross America in a flurry of jazz and talk. Wild and influential.
Best for: Beat road novel.
10. Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs
Burroughs's surreal novel of addiction and control. Fragmented and shocking.
Best for: experimental satire.
11. Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh
A group of heroin users in Edinburgh. Raw, funny and written in dialect.
Best for: Edinburgh addiction.
12. Less than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis
A college student returns to Los Angeles and sees friends sink into drugs and apathy. Short and cold.
Best for: Los Angeles excess.
13. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Captain Yossarian tries to survive a war and a maddening bureaucracy. A classic of absurd comedy.
Best for: war satire.
14. Another Roadside Attraction by Tom Robbins
A roadside zoo hides the body of a famous figure. Wild and playful.
Best for: counterculture comedy.
15. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
A writer researches the atomic bomb and meets odd people. Short and weird.
Best for: satirical science fiction.
How to Choose
For more Thompson begin with Hell's Angels or the campaign trail book. For New Journalism choose Tom Wolfe, Norman Mailer or Joan Didion. For war reporting read Dispatches. For counterculture fiction try On the Road, Naked Lunch or Trainspotting. For satire pick Catch-22 or Cat's Cradle. Thompson's work contains drug use and strong language, so check your comfort level. Thompson's voice is distinctive and often exaggerated, so it helps to read with the understanding that gonzo journalism mixes truth with invention and humour. Gonzo journalism is best sampled in pieces. Start with a long chapter of Fear and Loathing, then read an essay by Didion or Wolfe to compare voices. Books of collected journalism by Thompson and his peers are good for dipping into. Documentaries and interviews with Thompson also add context for the larger-than-life persona he cultivated.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is gonzo journalism?
A style where the reporter is part of the story and writes subjectively and wildly.
Where should I start with Thompson?
With Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
Is Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas true?
It is based on real assignments, but it is exaggerated and partly fictional.
Is it funny?
Yes, though it is also dark.
Is there a film?
Yes, a 1998 film starring Johnny Depp.
Is it explicit?
It includes heavy drug use and strong language.
Did Thompson write other books?
Yes, including The Rum Diary and Kingdom of Fear.
What should I read next?
Try Hell's Angels or The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.
Was Thompson a serious journalist?
Yes, his reporting on politics and subcultures was rigorous in its own way, even when his style was wild.
What are good collections of his essays?
The Great Shark Hunt and Kingdom of Fear gather his shorter pieces.