Looking for authors like Quentin Tarantino who can emulate the style, wit, and shock value of his films and books? Our guide has you covered.
Knoxville-born director Quentin Tarantino is a critically acclaimed writer, actor, and producer. His films are known for intensity, violence, profanity, and pop culture references that keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Tarantino started in the film industry with 1992’s Reservoir Dogs, followed by 1994’s Pulp Fiction. The director has won countless film awards, including seven Oscars, seven BAFTAs, and eight Golden Globes.
If you’re a fan of Tarantino’s style, you’ll want to add the authors in our guide to your reading list. But first, let’s examine Tarantino’s own literary contributions and how they’ve evolved in 2025.
For more recommendations, you might also enjoy exploring best adventure books, best David Sedaris books, or authors like Bill Bryson.
Quentin Tarantino’s Literary Evolution
Tarantino secured a two-book deal with publisher HarperCollins in 2020, marking his serious entry into literature. He published Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in 2021, expanding the story of his film by the same name. The book received critical acclaim for its deep character development and insider Hollywood knowledge.
His second book, Cinema Speculation, became Tarantino’s nonfiction debut, combining personal history, film criticism, and theory. This 2022 release hit the New York Times bestseller list and offered readers unprecedented insight into how the director’s experiences shaped his worldview.
What’s New in 2025: Following the success of his first two books, Tarantino has hinted at potential future literary projects, including a possible crime novel that would showcase his signature non-linear storytelling in pure written form. His growing reputation as an author has also led to increased interest in writers who share his distinctive voice and themes.
8 Must-Read Authors Like Quentin Tarantino
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1. Frank Miller, 1957 -
Playwright, artist, and author Frank Miller is renowned for his gritty comic books and graphic novels, including Daredevil, Sin City, and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Miller combines the best of American and Japanese comics, creating a unique visual-literary hybrid that matches Tarantino’s genre-blending approach.
Miller has received every major comic book award and was inducted into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 2015. Like Tarantino, he doesn’t shy away from violence or moral ambiguity. His work deliberately embraces the fantastical rather than forcing false realism onto inherently dramatic stories.
Why Tarantino fans will love Miller: Both artists excel at stylized violence, morally complex characters, and stories that blur the line between homage and innovation. Miller’s work has directly influenced several Tarantino films, particularly the visual style of Kill Bill.
“We live in the shadow of crime with the unspoken understanding that we are victims of fear, of violence, of social impotence. A man has risen to show us that the power is, and always has been, in our hands.” — Frank Miller, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
2. Bret Easton Ellis
Bret Easton Ellis is an American author and director known for 1985’s Less than Zero, 1991’s American Psycho, 2005’s Lunar Park, and 2010’s Imperial Bedrooms. While Ellis churns out bestsellers, his work has attracted controversy for its unflinching portrayal of violence, particularly in American Psycho.
Ellis was just 21 when he published Less Than Zero, achieving instant fame. His 2010 revelation that American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman was based on his own anger and lifestyle rather than his father added another layer of controversy to his already provocative reputation.
The Tarantino Connection: Both writers fearlessly explore the dark underbelly of American culture, using extreme violence as a lens to examine society’s moral decay. They share a talent for creating memorable, quotable dialogue and aren’t afraid to make audiences uncomfortable.
“My pain is constant and sharp and I do not hope for a better world for anyone, in fact I want my pain to be inflicted on others.” — Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho
3. Ian Fleming, 1908 - 1964
The legendary James Bond creator Ian Fleming established many conventions that Tarantino would later subvert and celebrate. Fleming’s first Bond novel, Casino Royale, was published in 1952 and required three printing cycles to meet demand. The series became one of the best-selling fiction collections ever written, with over 100 million copies sold worldwide.
Fleming’s influence on modern action and crime fiction cannot be overstated. His combination of sophisticated violence, international intrigue, and pop culture elements created a template that countless writers and filmmakers—including Tarantino—would later build upon.
The Legacy Factor: While Fleming’s style is more traditional than Tarantino’s, both understand how to blend high stakes action with memorable characters and razor-sharp dialogue. Tarantino’s films often reference and rework classic spy and crime tropes that Fleming helped establish.
“Today we are fighting Communism. If I’d been alive fifty years ago, the brand of Conservatism we have today would have been damn near called Communism.” — Ian Fleming, Casino Royale
4. David Wong (Jason Pargin), 1975 -
Jason Pargin, known by his former pen name David Wong, is a humor writer and former executive editor of Cracked.com. His novels include 2007’s John Dies at the End, 2015’s Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits, and 2022’s If This Book Exists, You’re in the Wrong Universe.
Pargin developed his voice reading Mad Magazine as a child. He retired the David Wong pen name in 2020, explaining he wanted to simplify his personal life. His work combines horror, comedy, and pop culture references in ways that feel distinctly contemporary.
Why This Matters: Like Tarantino, Pargin masterfully blends genres and uses pop culture as both reference point and storytelling device. Both create works that are simultaneously deeply serious and genuinely funny, often in the same scene.
“And watch out for Molly. See if she does anything unusual. There’s something I don’t trust about the way she exploded and then came back from the dead like that.” — David Wong, John Dies at the End
5. Cormac McCarthy
Cormac McCarthy is known for his work in Western and apocalyptic settings. Like Tarantino, McCarthy’s writing style is gritty and violent. Several of his works have been adapted into films, including 1992’s All the Pretty Horses, 2005’s No Country for Old Men, and 2007’s The Road, which won both the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
McCarthy also works with the Santa Fe Institute, exploring the origin of language and the human unconscious. In 2012, he was inducted into the American Philosophical Society.
The Parallel Appeal: Both artists use violence not for shock value alone, but to explore fundamental questions about human nature and morality. Their protagonists often operate in moral gray areas where traditional concepts of good and evil become meaningless.
“He stood at the window of the empty cafe and watched the activities in the square and he said that it was good that God kept the truths of life from the young as they were starting out or else they’d have no heart to start at all.” — Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses
6. Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake), 1933 - 2008
Richard Stark was the pen name Donald E. Westlake used for his books starring Parker, a professional criminal. Westlake wrote under several aliases, but the Parker series—24 books in total—represents some of his finest work.
Parker had few redeeming qualities, and fans loved following his characters as they did whatever necessary to complete their jobs. Parker’s first name is never revealed, and Westlake hints throughout the series that “Parker” might not even be his real surname.
The Crime Fiction Connection: Both Westlake and Tarantino understand that the most compelling criminals are those who follow their own strict codes. Their protagonists may be violent and morally questionable, but they operate according to clear, internal logic that readers can follow and even respect.
“I’m going to drink his blood, I’m going to chew up his heart and spit it into the gutter for the dogs to raise a leg at.” — Richard Stark, The Hunter
7. Joe Abercrombie
British fantasy author Joe Abercrombie gained recognition with The First Law trilogy: The Blade Itself (2006), Before They Are Hanged (2007), and Last Argument of Kings (2008). The series follows three powers fighting for dominance: the North, The Union, and the Gurkish Empire.
Abercrombie’s writing offers multiple character perspectives throughout his novels. He earned a spot as a 2008 finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Author and has written several short fiction stories set in the First Law world.
The Subversion Game: Like Tarantino with film genres, Abercrombie takes fantasy tropes and subverts them, creating morally complex characters in a world where traditional heroes and villains don’t exist. Both authors excel at disappointing reader expectations in satisfying ways.
“Proof is boring. Proof is tiresome. Proof is an irrelevance. People would far rather be handed an easy lie than search for a difficult truth.” — Joe Abercrombie, Last Argument of Kings
8. Joseph Heller, 1923 - 1999
Brooklyn native Joseph Heller is best known for his 1961 novel Catch-22, a satirical story following Army Air Corps Captain John Yossarian’s attempts to avoid combat duty. While regarded today as one of the best works of American literature, it was initially criticized and sold only 30,000 copies in its first year in the United States.
The book found immediate success in the UK, hitting the bestseller list within a week of release. Catch-22 was adapted into a 1970 film starring Alan Arkin.
The Satirical Edge: Both Heller and Tarantino use dark humor to examine serious subjects. They share a talent for finding absurdity in violence and bureaucracy, creating works that are simultaneously entertaining and deeply critical of American institutions.
“Man was matter, that was Snowden’s secret. Drop him out a window, and he’ll fall. Set fire to him and he’ll burn. The spirit gone, man is garbage.” — Joseph Heller, Catch-22
Finding Your Next Read Like Tarantino
These authors share Tarantino’s commitment to unflinching storytelling, memorable dialogue, and moral complexity. Whether you’re drawn to Ellis’s psychological intensity, McCarthy’s philosophical violence, or Abercrombie’s fantasy subversion, each offers a unique take on the dark themes that make Tarantino’s work so compelling.
Start with any author whose quote resonates most strongly with you—that’s usually the best indicator of whose full-length work you’ll enjoy. Remember, like Tarantino’s films, these books aren’t for everyone, but for readers who appreciate complex, challenging narratives, they represent some of the finest writing in their respective genres.
