Books that inspired real-life crimes

'The Turner Diaries'

'The Turner Diaries', 'Catcher in the Rye', 'The Vampire Chronicles', 'The Basketball Diaries', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Stranger in a Strange Land', 'The Secret Agent', 'American Psycho', 'Foundation', 'The Collector', 'Jack Sheppard'

William Luther Pierce's 1978 novel 'The Turner Diaries' is essentially a neo-Nazi's vision of a dystopian future, including a revolution and a race war. It is believed that the book influenced the rise of white supremacist violence in the US.

'The Turner Diaries', 'Catcher in the Rye', 'The Vampire Chronicles', 'The Basketball Diaries', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Stranger in a Strange Land', 'The Secret Agent', 'American Psycho', 'Foundation', 'The Collector', 'Jack Sheppard'

Timothy McVeigh (pictured) and Terry Nichols used a truck bomb to kill 168 people and injure more than 680. In 2021, Amazon pulled the controversial racist book from its store.

'Catcher in the Rye'

'The Turner Diaries', 'Catcher in the Rye', 'The Vampire Chronicles', 'The Basketball Diaries', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Stranger in a Strange Land', 'The Secret Agent', 'American Psycho', 'Foundation', 'The Collector', 'Jack Sheppard'

J.D. Salinger's 1951 novel influenced one of the world's most famous crimes: the assassination of former Beatle John Lennon in New York City on December 8, 1980.

'The Turner Diaries', 'Catcher in the Rye', 'The Vampire Chronicles', 'The Basketball Diaries', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Stranger in a Strange Land', 'The Secret Agent', 'American Psycho', 'Foundation', 'The Collector', 'Jack Sheppard'

Mark David Chapman was the man responsible for the crime. He claimed to have been inspired by the book. Chapman was even reading it when he was caught by police at the murder scene.

'The Vampire Chronicles'

'The Turner Diaries', 'Catcher in the Rye', 'The Vampire Chronicles', 'The Basketball Diaries', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Stranger in a Strange Land', 'The Secret Agent', 'American Psycho', 'Foundation', 'The Collector', 'Jack Sheppard'

In 2003, Allan Menzies from Scotland claimed to have been inspired by the books, which led him to murder his fried. In fact, he said that the character Akasha (pictured) told him to do it. Menzies died in prison in 2004.

'The Basketball Diaries'

'The Turner Diaries', 'Catcher in the Rye', 'The Vampire Chronicles', 'The Basketball Diaries', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Stranger in a Strange Land', 'The Secret Agent', 'American Psycho', 'Foundation', 'The Collector', 'Jack Sheppard'

Author and musician Jim Carroll published his memoir in 1978. 'The Basketball Diaries' was famously adapted as a film in 1995, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg, among others.

'The Turner Diaries', 'Catcher in the Rye', 'The Vampire Chronicles', 'The Basketball Diaries', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Stranger in a Strange Land', 'The Secret Agent', 'American Psycho', 'Foundation', 'The Collector', 'Jack Sheppard'

The story features a dream sequence in which Carroll opens fire on his English class. Sadly, this inspired a 14-year-old boy to gun down a school prayer group, killing three students in 1997.

'A Clockwork Orange'

'The Turner Diaries', 'Catcher in the Rye', 'The Vampire Chronicles', 'The Basketball Diaries', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Stranger in a Strange Land', 'The Secret Agent', 'American Psycho', 'Foundation', 'The Collector', 'Jack Sheppard'

You're probably more familiar with the 1971 movie adaptation by Stanley Kubrick, but the extreme level of violence in both the book and the film is well known.

'Stranger in a Strange Land'

'The Turner Diaries', 'Catcher in the Rye', 'The Vampire Chronicles', 'The Basketball Diaries', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Stranger in a Strange Land', 'The Secret Agent', 'American Psycho', 'Foundation', 'The Collector', 'Jack Sheppard'

It is speculated that the infamous Charles Manson was inspired by Robert Heinlein's 1961 novel. The book is about a man who was born on Mars to human parents but raised by aliens. He comes to Earth to preach his ideology: free love.

'The Secret Agent'

'The Turner Diaries', 'Catcher in the Rye', 'The Vampire Chronicles', 'The Basketball Diaries', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Stranger in a Strange Land', 'The Secret Agent', 'American Psycho', 'Foundation', 'The Collector', 'Jack Sheppard'

Joseph Conrad's 1907 novel served as inspiration for a famous American criminal who operated in the '70s and '80s: Ted Kaczynski, aka "The Unabomber."

'Rage'

'The Turner Diaries', 'Catcher in the Rye', 'The Vampire Chronicles', 'The Basketball Diaries', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Stranger in a Strange Land', 'The Secret Agent', 'American Psycho', 'Foundation', 'The Collector', 'Jack Sheppard'

Of all the books by Stephen King (this one published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman), it was a short book from 1977 that caused the author the most problems.

'The Turner Diaries', 'Catcher in the Rye', 'The Vampire Chronicles', 'The Basketball Diaries', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Stranger in a Strange Land', 'The Secret Agent', 'American Psycho', 'Foundation', 'The Collector', 'Jack Sheppard'

The book was pulled from print after it was found in the locker of a 14-year-old student who committed a similar crime in 1997.

'American Psycho'

'The Turner Diaries', 'Catcher in the Rye', 'The Vampire Chronicles', 'The Basketball Diaries', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Stranger in a Strange Land', 'The Secret Agent', 'American Psycho', 'Foundation', 'The Collector', 'Jack Sheppard'

Real-life killer Rurik Jutting claimed to be the real American psycho. Not only was it allegedly his favorite book, he also idolized the serial killer in the story: Patrick Bateman.

'Foundation'

'The Turner Diaries', 'Catcher in the Rye', 'The Vampire Chronicles', 'The Basketball Diaries', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Stranger in a Strange Land', 'The Secret Agent', 'American Psycho', 'Foundation', 'The Collector', 'Jack Sheppard'

Isaac Asimov's science fiction book series from the '40s and '50s tells the story of a hero who forms a secret society to rebuild the world after it collapses. Then, when he dies, the secret society turns into a religion.

'The Turner Diaries', 'Catcher in the Rye', 'The Vampire Chronicles', 'The Basketball Diaries', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Stranger in a Strange Land', 'The Secret Agent', 'American Psycho', 'Foundation', 'The Collector', 'Jack Sheppard'

The cult was responsible for the Tokyo subway sarin attack on March 20, 1995. The attack injured more than 5,000 people and killed 12. Asahara and other members of the cult were sentenced to death and executed by the Japanese government in 2018.

'The Collector'

'The Turner Diaries', 'Catcher in the Rye', 'The Vampire Chronicles', 'The Basketball Diaries', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Stranger in a Strange Land', 'The Secret Agent', 'American Psycho', 'Foundation', 'The Collector', 'Jack Sheppard'

The book inspired serial killer Robert Berdella, better known as "The Kansas City Butcher" and "The Collector."

'Jack Sheppard'

'The Turner Diaries', 'Catcher in the Rye', 'The Vampire Chronicles', 'The Basketball Diaries', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Stranger in a Strange Land', 'The Secret Agent', 'American Psycho', 'Foundation', 'The Collector', 'Jack Sheppard'

William Harrison Ainsworth's novel, published in 1839, not only became a best seller, but it also served as inspiration for a number of copycat criminals.

'The Turner Diaries', 'Catcher in the Rye', 'The Vampire Chronicles', 'The Basketball Diaries', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Stranger in a Strange Land', 'The Secret Agent', 'American Psycho', 'Foundation', 'The Collector', 'Jack Sheppard'

The romanticized true story of Jack "the Lad" Sheppard, an 18th-century thief who was a skilled prison escapee, was a hit in Victorian-era London. Numerous crimes were linked to the book at the time.

Sources: (Grunge) (Storypick)

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