Arthur Miller's 1953 play, The Crucible, uses the turmoil of a Salem witch trial to examine the impact of McCarthyism on American society.

The suspense novel Fail-Safe by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler achieved remarkable success upon its release. The book explores a hypothetical scenario where an accident leads six American nuclear bombers to attack the Soviet Union without the possibility of recall.

Julian, a 1965 novel by Vidal, catapulted him to fame. This work, the first of his historical fiction series, follows the adventures of a fourth-century Roman Emperor who sought to eliminate Christianity.

Vidal's Washington D.C. (1967) is a historical novel set during the New Deal and McCarthyism periods.

The Best Man: A Play of Politics, Vidal's 1960 play (updated in 1977), examines a political campaign and its impact on those involved.

In Live from Golgotha, Vidal's 1992 satire, he envisions contemporary "coverage" of Jesus Christ's crucifixion, offering a critique of the television industry.

Rita Kleinfelder's 1993 book, When We Were Young: A Baby Boomer Yearbook, provides intriguing insights into the political, social, and cultural aspects of mid-20th-century American life.

Jeff Kisseloff's The Box: An Oral History of Television (1995) narrates the history of television in an engaging, conversational style.

Kurt Vonnegut's 1973 novel, Breakfast of Champions, delivers a satirical perspective on American politics, government, and sexual norms, similar to Visit to a Small Planet.