Hunter S. Thompson books in order
American journalist and author
- Lived
- 1937–2005
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 18
- Series
- 1
- Also writes as
- Raoul Duke, Dr. Gonzo
Hunter S. Thompson published 4 novels, 1 short story collection, 12 non-fiction books and 1 other book, beginning with Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (1967). The series is The Gonzo Papers tetralogy (4 books, starting with The Great Shark Hunt). The best-known is Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1971).
Updated September 2026
The Gonzo Papers tetralogy books in order (4)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Great Shark Hunt (1979) · 2 Generation of Swine (1988) · 3 Songs of the Doomed (1990) · 4 Better Than Sex (1994)
- 1.
The Great Shark Hunt (1979)
- 2.
Generation of Swine (1988)
- 3.
Songs of the Doomed (Oct 1990)
- 4.
Better Than Sex (Aug 1994)
Where to start with Hunter S. Thompson
Start here
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Hunter S. Thompson's most-read book, rated by 88 Open Library readers.
Shortest way in
The Rum Diary
One of the most-read, at about 204 pages.
Standalone novels in order
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1971)
The Rum Diary (1998)
Fear and Loathing in America (2000)
Kingdom of Fear (2003)
Short story collections in order
Screwjack (2000)
Non-fiction in order
Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (1967)
Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 (1973)
The Curse of Lono (1983)
Hey Rube (2004)
Gonzo (2006)
Fear and Loathing at Rolling Stone (2008)
The Gonzo Papers Anthology (2009)
Hunter S. Thompson: The Last Interview (2018)
Other books in order
Hunter S. Thompson Collection (2010)
Film and TV adaptations
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)Film · from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
- The Rum Diary (2011)Film · from The Rum Diary
About Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter Stockton Thompson was an American journalist and author, regarded as a pioneer of New Journalism along with Gay Talese, Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, Joan Didion, and Tom Wolfe. He rose to prominence with the book Hell's Angels (1967), for which he lived a year among the Hells Angels motorcycle club to write a first-hand account of their lives and experiences. In 1970, he wrote an unconventional article titled "The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved" for Scanlan's Monthly, which further raised his profile as a countercultural figure. It also set him on the path to establish the subgenre of New Journalism that he called "Gonzo", a style in which the writer becomes central to, and a participant in, the narrative.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Hunter S. Thompson FAQ
- How many books has Hunter S. Thompson written?
- Hunter S. Thompson published 4 novels, 1 short story collection, 12 non-fiction books and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Hunter S. Thompson's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start The Gonzo Papers tetralogy with The Great Shark Hunt. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Hunter S. Thompson's last book?
- Gonzo (2006).
- What is Hunter S. Thompson's most famous book?
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1971) is Hunter S. Thompson's most widely read book.
- Are Hunter S. Thompson's books connected?
- 4 books belong to 1 series (The Gonzo Papers tetralogy); the other 14 books stand alone.
- Does Hunter S. Thompson write under a pen name?
- Yes: Hunter S. Thompson has also published as Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo.
- Which Hunter S. Thompson books have been adapted?
- 2 books have been adapted for film or TV, including Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (film, 1998) and The Rum Diary (film, 2011).
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.