True Detective Season 1 is considered to be one of the greatest television shows of all time. While the next two seasons failed to deliver on the high expectations of fans set by Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, season 4 looked poised to possibly take a swing at the title, particularly since early episodes had many call outs to the original and now cult classic season 1.
However, season one of the namesake isn’t the only previous art that True Detective; Night Country payed homage to, with nods to many other books and films. Ultimately True Detective Night Country seemed to fall short of expectations, but still set the stage for an intriguing story with its blend of harsh Alaskan living with indigenous mythology and true crime investigation.
So here are 5 books with a similar vibe to True Detective: Night Country!
An Antarctic Mystery: Jules Verne
An unofficial sequel to Edgar Allen Poe’s only novel (The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket), An Antarctic Mystery by Jules Verne is the story of a ship captain who is obsessed with Poe’s novel, and believes it not to be a work of fiction, but a real life account.
This obsession and a chance encounter with an American from the same town as the fictional Gordon Pym, inspires the ship captain to the south pole and the Island of Tsalal (sound familiar?), where they discovery a mysterious magnetic field and an Ice Sphinx.
An Antarctic Mystery is classic Verne at his best, with unique characters, expert prose, and a sense of adventure running throughout the novel. At about 200 pages this classic is a fun and easy read, and readers will enjoy picking out the elements that inspired True Detective Season 4.
Get your copy of An Antarctic Mystery by Jules Verne here
To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Evey
If life in the Alaskan wilderness is an interesting setting for a story, then what better than a story in America’s most northern state, also written by an Alaskan?
Eowyn Evey was a pulitzer finalist for her novel the Snow Child. Although To the Bright Edge of the World doesn’t necessarily have the murderous crime element to it like True Detective does, it will scratch the itch of anyone who loves a novel where the wilderness itself is the baddie.
Set in the late 19th century, our characters, one of whom is pregnant, don’t have modern machinery or communications to rely on, as they battle the harsh Alaskan climate, written by a master of her craft, who knows the landscape and lifestyle like few other modern writers.
Get your copy of To the Bridge Edge of the World by Eowyn Evey here
The Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman’s Search for Justice in Indian Country by Sierra Crane Murdoch
The only nonfiction book on our list today, Yellow Bird is a work of remarkable journalism, much akin to David Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon. In Yellow Bird, Murdoch embarks on a journey of obsession trying to solve a mysterious murder on an Native American reservation.
While many of us think of altercations between “Westerners” and indigenous peoples as issues of the past, Yellow Bird demonstrates how the colonialism and suppression of indigenous ideals is still a modern problem, as this book details the disappearance of political activist Lissa Yellow Bird in 2009.
While Yellow Bird may not have the intense Alaskan climate as its back drop, it will definitely appeal to anyone who loves to follow along as a larger than life mystery unfolds.
Hold the Dark by William Giraldi
The shortest book on our list is Hold the Dark by William Giraldi coming in at under 200 pages, you could probably rip through this winter thriller in a single day, and then you could cozy up in front of the TV as this novel was adapted to film in 2018 on Netflix. Going by the same name, the Netflix production stars Alexander Skarsgard and Jeffrey Wright.
Again, featuring Alaska as the backdrop for this stunning novel, Hold the Dark tells the story of 3 missing children, supposedly taken by wolves. But wolves stealing children seems a bit far fetched, and as more bodies begin to appear, it becomes apparent that things are not what they seem.
Get your copy of Hold the Dark by William Giraldi here
Almanac of the Dead by Leslie Marmon Silko
The longest book on our list, coming in at over 700 pages, Leslie Marmon Silko’s Almanac of the Dead. While Silko is probably most famous for her groundbreaking 1977 release Ceremony, 1991’s Almanac of the Dead is a better fit for those looking for books that match the True Detective: Night Country vibe.
Although it takes place in the American southwest, there is plenty of indigenous heritage to satisfy even agent Navarro, as Almanac focuses on the conflict between white Americans and Native Americans. In true literary fashion, this non-linear narrative follows a large array of characters, places and topics
Just like in True Detective: Night Country where we saw Alaska’s native population railing against the mine and its workers, Almanac of the Dead covers similar themes, as it looks at how individual tribes rally against modern day cultures, political groups, and corporations.
Get your copy of Almanac of the Dead by Leslie Marmon Silko here