End of the Road: Joan Didion, Hunter S. Thompson, and True Crime in the Auto-Apocalyptic West.

The article focuses on the true crime bestsellers in the midcentury West. It highlights the vast landscapes and frontier mentalities that make these narratives appealing. It discusses the auto-apocalyptic setting of the West, particularly Los Angeles, which attracts extremists and cultists. It emphasizes that American writer Joan Didion and American journalist Hunter S. Thompson explore true crime themes in response to notorious cases like American criminal Charles Manson's.