1. Stephen King

It pretty much goes without saying that when discussing contemporary New England authors, Stephen King stands as one of the most notable and prolific figures in American literature. Visit the official Stephen King website to explore his vast bibliography. With only a few exceptions, nearly all of his terrifying books set in New England unfold in Maine, with brief excursions into Connecticut (in Hearts in Atlantis, both the collection and short story) and Massachusetts (in Bag of Bones, where Jo has family in Lynn and Malden). Born and raised in the region, King's deep connection to his home state shines through every page, even when unleashing cosmic dread and nightmares come true. If you enjoy eerie tales set in atmospheric coastal towns, his work paves the way for other masters of horror like H. P. Lovecraft's eerie macabre fiction.

2. John Irving

John Irving, one of the most celebrated contemporary writers from New England, gives plenty of love to his native New Hampshire, blending true-to-life regional details among fictionalized towns. You'll find distinct New England flavor in most of his acclaimed novels, captured through localized speech, eccentric characters, and vivid campus settings. Irving has a charming tendency to highlight many of his favorite places around the world alongside his New England roots, including Amsterdam.

Key Themes in New Hampshire & New England Fiction:

3. Wally Lamb

Wally Lamb is another essential voice among authors from New England. Originally from Connecticut with close connections to Rhode Island, his fictional town of Three Rivers serves as a rich backdrop modeled after the mill towns where he lived. Readers looking for authors like Wally Lamb will appreciate his emotional depth and nuanced character studies. You can learn more about his bibliography on Wally Lamb's official site. He holds the distinction of being one of the few male novelists who writes convincingly from a female perspective; without his name on the cover of She's Come Undone, for instance, you would never guess it was written by a man. If you haven't yet read I Know This Much Is True and The Hour I First Believed, both stand out as masterclasses in character-driven storytelling, echoing the multi-layered drama seen in John Irving's classic novels.

4. Grace Metalious

Although best known for the scandalous bestseller Peyton Place and its sequel Return to Peyton Place, Grace Metalious wrote two other compelling novels set in New Hampshire: The Tight White Collar and No Adam in Eden. The Peyton Place books capture the hidden tensions of New Hampshire small towns—a mixture inspired by Alton, Gilmanton, and Laconia. Other novels take place in the real location of Manchester, which is a wonderfully charming and historic town.

5. Nathaniel Hawthorne

Salem's own Nathaniel Hawthorne had a profound affection for famous Massachusetts authors' history, using Salem in particular as the backdrop for many of his finest novels and short stories. The Scarlet Letter is quite notorious, but The House of the Seven Gables—which you can actually tour by visiting The House of the Seven Gables historic site in Salem—is especially famous. Hawthorne focused heavily on colonial Puritan themes, guilt, and morality, while his later works reflect increasingly apparent transcendentalist themes.

6. H. P. Lovecraft

Specializing in cosmic horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the overall strange and macabre, Rhode Island native H. P. Lovecraft harbored a particular love for Massachusetts. You can explore his complete lore on the H. P. Lovecraft Archive. His works are richly textured with thought-provoking themes, especially inhumanity within human nature. Many real places pop up in his works, including Pascoag, Cranston (as Pawtuxet), Newport, and Chepachet in Rhode Island; Boston, nearby Danvers, Bolton, Ipswich, and Salem, Massachusetts; and even Brattleboro, Vermont. Give "Pickman's Model" a read as well, especially if you plan to visit Salem. Based on an entirely true family, and hinting at a delicious family secret that has intrigued readers for generations, you'll find clues about the Pickmans in two of Salem's oldest and most haunted cemeteries. Lovecraft's atmospheric horror builds directly upon the dark historical themes pioneered earlier by Nathaniel Hawthorne's gothic stories.

7. John Updike

John Updike had rather controversial philosophies on a lot of things, but he was a exceptionally gifted writer who deeply appreciated New England settings. Born in Pennsylvania, he eventually settled in Massachusetts and is buried in Danvers, right next door to Peabody. His Rabbit series is excellent, but novels like The Witches of Eastwick and The Widows of Eastwick particularly highlight what life in small town New England is like.

Must-Visit Literary Landmarks in New England:

There are many other writers whose books feature New England, of course, authors of both classic and contemporary literature. The awesome thing is that the entire region is a bookworm's paradise, with the ability to visit all the places featured in your favorite novels. In the case of writers like Hawthorne and Lovecraft, there are even memorials and childhood homes. What are your favorite books about New England, or which famous writers from New England do you love reading most?