Happy Birthday, Hunter S. Thompson (Which of his books is your favorite?)

Today – July 18 – should be a national holiday.

After all, it’s Hunter S. Thompson’s birthday.

Thompson, the “Father of Gonzo Journalism,” was born on this day in Louisville, Ky. His exploits are legendary and seem superhuman in retrospect. He was a heavy drinker, convicted felon, political candidate, Air Force veteran, known vandal, firearms buff, motorcycle enthusiast, pyromaniac, former sports editor and best-selling author.

He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at his home in Woody Creek, Colo. on Feb. 20, 2005. He was 76.

Thompson is credited with a number of books, including a couple that appeared after his death. Here’s a complete list of his books, in order of publication.

- Hells Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga (1966)
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream (1971)
- Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail ’72 (1973)
- Gonzo Papers, Vol. 1: The Great Shark Hunt: Strange Tales from a Strange Time (1979)
- The Curse of Lono (1983)
- Gonzo Papers, Vol. 2: Generation of Swine: Tales of Shame and Degradation in the ‘80s (1988)
- Gonzo Papers, Vol. 3: Songs of the Doomed: More Notes on the Death of the American Dream (1990)
- Gonzo Papers, Vol. 4: Better Than Sex: Confessions of a Political Junkie (1994)
- The Fear and Loathing Letters, Vol. 1: The Proud Highway: The Sage of a Desperate Southern Gentleman, 1955-1967 (1997)
- Mistah Leary – He Dead (1997)
- The Rum Diary: A Novel (1998)
- The Fear and Loathing Letters, Vol. 2: Fear and Loathing in America: The Brutal Odyssey of an Outlaw Journalist, 1968-1976 (2000)
- Screw-jack and Other Stories (2000)
- Kingdom of Fear: Loathsome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child in the Final Days of the American Century (2003)
- Hey Rube: Blood Sports, the Bush Doctrine and the Downward Spiral of Dumbness: Modern History from the Sports Desk (2004)
- Fire in the Nuts (2004)
- Happy Birthday, Jack Nicholson (2005)
- GONZO: Photographs by Hunter S. Thompson (2006)
- The Mutineer: Rants, Ravings and Missives from the Mountaintop, 1977-2005 (2008)

If you’ve read all of these books, then you’re in rare company. Many of them are hard to find and expensive. For example, less than 200 copies of “Fire in the Nuts” were printed, and other editions of his books have been known to carry big price tags.

In addition to the books mentioned above, Thompson wrote hundreds of magazine articles, short stories, album liner notes and unpublished manuscripts.

Many of you may be familiar with Thompson from his portrayal in the movies. Comedian Bill Murray played Thompson in 1980’s “Where the Buffalo Roam,” and Johnny Depp played Thompson in 1998’s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” Thompson’s also been the subject of several documentaries, most notably 2008’s “Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.”

In the end, how many of Thompson’s books have you had a chance to read? Which did you like or dislike? Which of his books is your favorite and why? Which would you recommend and why? Let us know in the comments section below.