Winner of the 1980 , this "nonfiction novel" is a massive, meticulously researched deep dive into the life and death of Gary Gilmore . It isn't just a true crime story; it is a sprawling, uncomfortable portrait of the American West, the legal system, and the nature of a man who fought to be executed. The Story: Nine Months of Chaos

: After being sentenced to death, Gilmore became a national sensation by refusing all appeals and insisting that the state of Utah carry out his sentence.

If you have ever stared at a 1,000-page book and thought, “There is no way I am finishing this,” you clearly haven’t picked up The Executioner’s Song .