The book “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” by Hunter S. Thompson follows Raoul Duke and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo, as they journey to Las Vegas for a reporting assignment.
Armed with a suitcase full of drugs, their trip spirals into chaos, blending wild hallucinations with sharp commentary on the fading American Dream. The story showcases outrageous misadventures, including a drug-fueled casino visit and a bizarre police convention.
It paints a vivid and unpredictable picture of 1970s counterculture.
This novel was adapted into a film of the same name in 1998, directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro.
Imogen Binnie wrote “Nevada,” a story that follows Maria Griffiths, a trans woman living in New York. After her relationship falls apart, she steals her girlfriend’s car and heads west to Nevada.
Along the way, she meets James, a young man in small-town Nevada who is grappling with his identity. Their meeting sparks a series of conversations and events that touch on self-discovery and the struggles of understanding oneself.
The novel “The Ox-Bow Incident” by Walter Van Tilburg Clark is set in the 1880s and focuses on a group of men in a small Nevada town who form a posse to pursue suspected cattle rustlers.
Tensions rise as the group tracks down three men, leading to a powerful exploration of justice and mob mentality. The story captures the harshness of frontier life and the dangers of acting on assumptions.
Charles Bock wrote “Beautiful Children,” a novel that explores the lives of disconnected characters in Las Vegas. It centers on a boy named Newell who vanishes one night, leaving his parents searching while other stories intersect with his disappearance.
The book portrays the darker sides of the city, from struggling artists to runaways on the streets, and gives a vivid glimpse into lives shaped by loss and desperation.
“Desert of the Heart” by Jane Rule is about two women, Evelyn and Ann, who meet in 1950s Reno when Evelyn arrives to finalize her divorce. Ann works at a casino and has a free-spirited outlook on life, while Evelyn is a reserved college professor.
Their relationship begins unexpectedly and grows into something transformative as they navigate their differences and the constraints of the time. The story captures both the stark Nevada landscape and the emotional terrain of their connection.
The novel “Lords of St. Thomas” by Jackson Ellis tells the story of a boy named Henry and his family during the final days of a town called St. Thomas in Nevada. The government is forcing the residents to leave as the area is about to be flooded to make way for Lake Mead.
At the heart of the story is the relationship between Henry and his grandfather, who refuses to leave their home despite the looming flood. It’s a deeply personal tale set against the backdrop of a disappearing town.
“Desperation” by Stephen King is set in a small, desolate Nevada mining town. The story begins when travelers, driving through the desert, are captured by a mysterious and brutal cop named Collie Entragian.
As they are held in the town, they discover it hides an ancient evil tied to the surrounding mines, and they must fight to survive against forces far beyond human understanding.
The novel “The Delivery Man” by Joe McGinniss Jr. tells the story of Chase, a young artist who returns to Las Vegas after college and gets caught up in a dark world of wealth, drugs, and sex.
Struggling between loyalty to his old friends and his desire for a better life, Chase finds himself faced with choices that could destroy him. The book captures the gritty, chaotic side of Las Vegas beyond the bright lights of the Strip.