A Newly Discovered Love Of Nonfiction

I, myself, am a lover of the classics: Hemingway, Joyce Carol Oates, Charles Dickens, etc. BUT I was introduced to something new--new to me anyway. Being close to finishing Capote's In Cold Blood, I had revelation; Nonfiction can be good. Really good. Now, this seems to be just a little different than most nonfiction stories. It builds up the characters, makes you relate to them like any fiction novel requires. Then it shocks you, when you step away from the pages, that these events took place in reality. I do not know about anyone else, but that seems way more scary then baby dolls being possessed by serial killers or sticks standing up by themselves in the middle of the woods as a result of some witch named Blaire.

So, I took it upon myself to see if I could find any other books like this mash-up of creative writing and almost journalism, (Which is what I think my double major should be...) and I found just a few.

1) Zodiac by Robert Graysmith

Being disgusting fascination with serial killers, this seems like something that I could get into. The Zodiac Killer claimed 37 victims, by means that are better left unsaid, during the 60s and 70s in Northern California. Sounds like a pretty nasty dude, right? He has yet to be convicted... Scary stuff...

2) Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi with Curt Gentry

The novel covers the murders of the followers of Charles Manson that occurred in 1969; with Bugliosi being the prosecuting attorney in the trial, I feel like this is the best way to educate yourself on the subject. I hope it's as good as I want it to be...

3) The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule

Bundy. Bundy. Bundy. This is about Ted's life before and after his homicidal acts. He had at lest 36 victims; they could not prove that he, intact, killed the others... He was sentenced to death in 1989. I HAVE to read this; which means HalfPriceBooks will be receiving a call soon. Very soon. 

All these novels are descriptions of true events. Real terror. Real people lost their lives. Real people had to investigate the real crimes that these real people committed. Now that's something. I love horror and suspenseful books; books with bloodshed and revenge and creatures that go bump in the night. But they're just not the same. Nothing is scarier than the truth.