Growing from a small railroad town to an international destination and the world’s gambling capital, Las Vegas has many stories to narrate.
Different books have been set in Sin City, showing the many faces and times the city experienced. Reading through these books will show you the growth the city experienced before it became a neon buzz point on the planet and famous for gambling. In our guide, we take you through some of the legendary books set in Sin City that have shaped the literature scene of the city.
1. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream (1972 by Hunter S Thompson)
The novel by Hunter S. Thompson utilizes a gonzo journalism style, drawing from personal experiences to narrate the story of Raoul Duke and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo, as they embark on a journey to Sin City in pursuit of the elusive American Dream. Despite their criticisms of the countercultural movement of the 1960s, they rely on drugs to guide them through their adventure.
The book, which features a blend of fact and fiction, has become widely popular and is credited with popularizing the gonzo journalism style. Thompson vividly portrays the culture and drug use in Sin City during the 1960s. The novel, illustrated by Ralph Steadman, was initially published in 1972 after being featured as a two-part series in Rolling Stone the previous year. In 1998, the book was adapted into a film of the same name, directed by Terry Gilliam.
2. Literary Las Vegas: The Best Writing About America’s Most Fabulous City (1965 by Tom Wolfe and other writers)
The Literary Las Vegas is a beautiful piece about Sin City created by various writers. The book covers different faces of the city, the sad, joyful, broken, determined, and even lost, from the eyes of different authors. It was published on January 1, 1995, by Trafalgar Square.
The book includes a famous essay written by Tom Wolfe’s work, The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby. Readers learn more about a different historical aspect of the city, which is yet to be discovered by most people who come to Vegas.
3. Learning from Las Vegas: The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form (1972 by Robert Venturi, Steven Izenour, and Denise Scott Brown)
The book is among the most instrumental books which focused more on the Vegas society during the growth era of the city. It sparked significant controversy in both professional and societal circles, urging architects to consider the needs, values, and preferences of the “common man” in their designs.
The authors of the book argued that many buildings in Las Vegas were grandiose and self-aggrandizing concrete structures, lacking in modesty. The book’s impact has been substantial, with translations into over 18 languages and championing the development of postmodern architectural designs.
4. Leaving Las Vegas (1990 by John O’Brien)
Very few authors have the luck that John O’Brien had when he wrote Leaving Las Vegas. It was his first novel and turned out to be a mega success. The romance novel narrates a story of two different souls, a man who has lost hope in life and a woman who is determined to fight till the end. Ben is an alcoholic who comes to Las Vegas to kill himself through alcoholism, while Sera is a prostitute working hard in Sin City trying to make her life better. The two meet in Vegas, creating a unique connection despite their unforgiving lives and differences.
The book’s success showed the power of raw talent in literature. A film based on the novel ended up being a mega success and attracting multiple awards.
5. The Delivery Man (2008 by Joe McGinniss Jr)
The Delivery Man shares the success story as that of Leaving Las Vegas. It was the first novel by Joe McGinniss Jr and became a literary masterpiece. The novel narrates the story of childhood friends who grew up on the Las Vegas Strip and how that affected their lives. The three close friends, Chase, Michele, and Bailey, are trapped on the web, focusing on their crazy lifestyle, frequent influence from the past generation, and illegal professions. The story is narrated from the perspective of Chase, the main character.
McGinniss based his novel on the many interviews he conducted with young people living in Las Vegas.
6. The Desert Rose (1983 by Larry McMurtry)
Larry McMurtry is a celebrated author and Pulitzer Prize–winner who writes novels themed in the American setting. The Desert Rose is the story of Harmony, a gorgeous showgirl in Sin City who hopes to make it big in the industry.
Soon Harmony’s star and limelight fade as more attention is given to her young daughter Pepper. Nevertheless, Harmony remains optimistic that things will ultimately work out for her. McMurtry portrays Harmony as the unexpected rose that will blossom in the wasteland.
7. Beautiful Children (2008 by Charles Bock)
Charles Rock is another author in our guide who enjoyed the success and fame of Las Vegas with his first novel, the Beautiful Children. In 2009 the novel was granted the Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction Award and featured in the 100 Notable Books of 2008 in the New York Times list. Rock focused on some of the social problems faced by Las Vegas residents by narrating the different lives of children living in Sin City. It primarily looks at teenage runaways who are homeless on the streets.