H. L. Mencken published 1 novel, 2 short story collections, 26 non-fiction books, 1 play and 22 other books, beginning with Prejudices (1919).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with H. L. Mencken
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Prejudices
H. L. Mencken's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
The American Language (1919)
Short story collections in order
Prejudices (1919)
The Impossible H.l. Mencken (1991)
Non-fiction in order
Men Versus the Man (1910)
A Book of Prefaces (1917)
Pistols for Two (1917)
Prejudices, First Series (1919)
In Defense of Women (1922)
Treatise on the Gods (1930)
Treatise on Right and Wrong (1934)
Newspaper Days, 1899-1906 (1941)
Heathen Days, 1890-1936 (1943)
Days of H.L. Mencken (1947)
A Mencken Chrestomathy (1949)
A Carnival of Buncombe (1956)
On Politics (1960)
The American Scene (1965)
H.l. Mencken's Smart Set Criticism (1968)
A Choice of Days (1980)
The Editor, the Bluenose, and the Prostitute (1988)
The Diary of H.l. Mencken (1989)
My Life as Author and Editor (1993)
Thirty-five Years of Newspaper Work (1994)
A Second Mencken Chrestomathy (1995)
In Defense of Marion (1996)
H.l. Mencken on American Literature (2002)
America (2004)
A Religious Orgy in Tennessee (2006)
Plays in order
George Bernard Shaw (1905)
Other books in order
Europe After 8:15 (1914)
A Book of Burlesques (1916)
The Artist (1917)
Damn! (1918)
Selected Prejudices (1926)
James Branch Cabell (1927)
A New Dictionary of Quotations on Historical Principles from Ancient and Modern Sources (1942)
Christmas Story (1946)
The Vintage Mencken (1955)
Minority Report (1956)
The Bathtub Hoax, and Other Blasts & Bravos from the Chicago Tribune (1958)
Letters of H.L. Mencken (1961)
Happy Days, 1880-1892. -- (1963)
The Philosophy of Friedrich Nietzche (1967)
The Young Mencken (1973)
The Mating Game and How to Play It (1974)
The New Mencken Letters (1977)
Letters from Baltimore (1982)
Mencken and Sara (1987)
The H.l. Mencken Baby Book (1990)
Do You Remember? (1996)
Puritanism As a Literary Force (2005)
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About H. L. Mencken
Henry Louis Mencken was an American journalist, essayist, satirist, cultural critic, and scholar of American English. He commented widely on literature, music, prominent politicians, and contemporary movements. His satirical reporting on the Scopes trial, which he dubbed the "Monkey Trial", also earned him attention. The term Menckenian has entered multiple dictionaries to describe anything of or pertaining to Mencken, including his combative rhetorical and prose styles.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
H. L. Mencken FAQ
- How many books has H. L. Mencken written?
- H. L. Mencken published 1 novel, 2 short story collections, 26 non-fiction books, 1 play and 22 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read H. L. Mencken's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Prejudices.
- What is H. L. Mencken's last book?
- A Carnival of Buncombe (1956).
- What is H. L. Mencken's most famous book?
- Prejudices (1919) is H. L. Mencken's most widely read book.
- Can I read H. L. Mencken's books for free?
- Yes. 17 books by H. L. Mencken are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like H. L. Mencken
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.