Brilliant messages from the late physician and writer
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.
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.
While Manson claimed to never have read the book, his cult shared the same belief system and even some rituals (e.g. water-sharing ceremonies) and terminology (e.g. "grokking") found in the book.
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)
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."
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.
Kaczynski set off 16 bombs and killed a total of three people. He started in 1978, but was not caught and brought to justice until 1996.
You might be familiar with some of the books in Anne Rice's novel series (many were turned into movies), such as 'Interview with the Vampire' and 'The Queen of the Damned.'
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 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.
In 2003, a gang influenced by the story committed a series of crimes in Barcelona, Spain. These included attacking homeless people on the streets.
But it gets worse. 'The Basketball Diaries' is quoted as a possible influence in the infamous Columbine School Massacre, which occurred on April 20, 1999, where a total of 15 people died (including the perpetrators).
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.
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.
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.
In 1984, Japanese guru Shoko Asahara established a doomsday cult known as Aum Shinrikyo (which translates to "supreme truth"). He too formed a religion-like group and tried to 'save' them from the apocalypse.
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.
Berdella claimed to have watched the movie adaptation of the story when he was a teen. Indeed, the modus operandi of his crimes was very similar to that of the character in Fowles' book. Berdella held his victims captive and photographed their torture before killing them.
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.
The book was about a mentally-ill student who commits a school shooting. Back in the late '70s, this type of crime was not prevalent, but in the '80s and '90s several copycats emerged.
John Fowles' 1963 book 'The Collector' is about a young man who stalks and kidnaps a female art student and keeps her in the cellar of his farmhouse. The character is a butterfly collector and decides to add this woman to his collection.
The book inspired serial killer Robert Berdella, better known as "The Kansas City Butcher" and "The Collector."
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.
Possibly the most infamous crime influenced by 'The Turner Diaries' is the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995.
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.
You're probably more familiar with the film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' 1991 book, starring Christian Bale.
Like Bateman, Jutting also worked in finance and he too was a violent killer. He murdered two women in Hong Kong.
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.
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.
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.
It can be scary when life imitates art. But this happens many times, and for both good and evil. This is indeed the case for many copycat criminals who have used books as inspiration for their crimes. So, let's look at which pieces of literature have inspired killers, robbers, and terrorists, among others.
Browse through the following gallery to learn more about these books and the criminals they influenced.
Books that inspired real-life crimes
From serial killers to terrorists
LIFESTYLE True crime
It can be scary when life imitates art. But this happens many times, and for both good and evil. This is indeed the case for many copycat criminals who have used books as inspiration for their crimes. So, let's look at which pieces of literature have inspired killers, robbers, and terrorists, among others.
Browse through the following gallery to learn more about these books and the criminals they influenced.