Books Written by Three of History’s Most Twisted Serial Killers
The need to tell your story and be heard, to be acknowledged, is powerful for anyone. For psychopathic, narcissistic serial killers, it’s undeniable.
True crime as a genre has existed in one form or another since the dawn of commercial publication. Newspapers were quick to realize headlines about crime drove up demand and, before long, penny dreadfuls, true crime tabloids and short books about killers (sometimes sold at their executions) began flooding the market.
Since then, the genre has become a multi-million dollar a year industry, spawning books, documentary movies, streaming limited series, graphic novels, podcasts, coloring and word game books, and a whole subculture of customized toys and games.
Today, true crime authors have become celebrities themselves with many of them making appearances at conventions and conducting speaking tours. People like Ann Rule, Harold Schechter, Wensley Clarkson, and Joe McGinnis have become all-star authors, developing and guiding the genre.
The one author few readers consider is the killer himself.
While some states have Son of Sam laws which prevent killers (and their families) from profiting from their crimes through the sale of books or story rights, that hasn’t deterred all criminals…
