Wise Blood (1952) marks O’Connor’s debut novel. It narrates the journey of young Hazel Motes, who, like Francis Tarwater, is embroiled in a battle against his inherent faith.

O’Connor’s most acclaimed short story collection, A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories (1955), stands as a cornerstone of Southern Gothic literature, depicting the darker aspects of life in the rural South.

Published posthumously, The Habit of Being: Letters of Flannery O’Connor (1988) provides an introspective look at an author who otherwise kept much of her personal life private.

O’Connor’s essay collection, Mystery and Manners (1969), delves into topics such as writing, religion, teaching literature, and the grotesque elements in Southern fiction.

In Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith (2003), Jon Krakauer recounts the harrowing tale of Dan and Ron Lafferty, Mormon brothers who, in 1984, murdered their sister-in-law and her infant daughter, claiming divine revelation as their justification. The book examines a form of contemporary religious fundamentalism in the United States.

In Lost Revolutions: The South in the 1950s (2000), Peter Daniel documents the sweeping changes that reshaped the South in the aftermath of World War II, describing a culture born out of poverty, religious fundamentalism, and racial tensions.

A Curtain of Green and Other Stories (1941) is Eudora Welty’s first story collection. Another Southern author, Welty’s work blends elements of horror and humor.

Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence (2003), by Mark Juergensmeyer, investigates the mindset of those who commit and endorse violence in the name of religion.