Psycho-/Sociopath books

[Aphantos]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned yet The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and its sequels by Stieg Larsson.
It features one of the most interesting functional paranoid / anti-social heroines I've read about, and in the first book a serial killer that I will not spoil the identity of.

I'm Swedish, so I've already watched the movies, damn they were good. I hope the American version is at least nearly as good (Tough challenge).

[chokipokilo]

Does anyone know any books that specifically follow the process of someone gradually becoming insane. I read "From the Corner of His Eye" (Koontz) and really enjoyed that aspect of the book (though not much else).

In a similar vein, what about books where one character is deliberately driving another insane?

I really like to see the process.

[newfiesailor]

"The Mermaids Singing" by the TV show, "Wire in the Blood" author, Val McDermid. Her early novels really do a fine job of profiling serial killers and she doesn't shy away from the nasty stuff. This is the one where the serial killer has a fascination with medieval torture implements.

I second Lawrence Sanders "The Third Deadly Sin". A brilliant twist on the serial killer, profiling genre; way before The Silence of the Lambs fascination kicked it into high gear.

American Psycho is definitely a descent into madness. Alternately shocking and hilarious, it's an original. I loved it for it's brazen nastiness and no holds barred, foul mouthed language.

But I think Thomas Harris's Red Dragon is the finest example of a story told from a serial killer's point of view. Shows his multiple and layered personality, with a really twisted connection to a fictional character. My favourite crime novel. The movie "Manhunter" wasn't bad either with the always creepy Tom Noonan playing Francis Dolarhyde and William Petersen (CSI's Grissom) chasing him down. Better than the remake with Edward Norton.

[Carlyle Clark]

The Black Dahlia Elmore Leonard
The Final Programme Michael Moorcock
Most of JG Ballard's lead characters
Blood Meridien Cormac McCarthy

TV and film are particularly good for this sort of thing:
Dexter (the TV series) Dexter
The Sopranos (TV) Tony Soprano and others
The Wire (TV) various characters
Deadwood (TV) Ian McShane et al
Taxi Driver (film) Travis Bickle
No Country for Old Men

The DEXTER TV series is based on a series of books by Jeff Lindsay starting with DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER--seems a great place to start.

[msaerfen]

What about Perfume by Patrick Suskind? Not your regular serial killer but a serial killer nevertheless. Great book, great story,fascinating concept. Very different from any other book mentioned here but well worth reading.