There’s so much to love about the third installment of Ti West’s X universe, or as we now might know it, the Maxxxine movie trilogy. It’s set in the grimy Los Angeles of the 1980s, including the backdrop of Satanic Panic and the Night Stalker serial killer. Our protagonist is the former adult film star turned Scream Queen horror film actress, Maxine Minx, played by the incredible and indefatigable Mia Goth—in fact, the whole Maxxxine movie cast is impeccable. Because we’re in Hollywood and following her aspiring stardom, we also have a ton of allusions both from classic cinema and cult classic horror… like I said, there’s a lot to love. Even her costumes and makeup, which are conveniently for sale.
There aren’t a lot of films to scratch that niche itch detailed above. You might be tempted to, as Maxine suggests, “Go home, because I just fucking nailed that.” Plus, if what Elizabeth Bender says of the film within the film The Puritan 2 is what you crave—that is, a “B-movie with A ideas,” that raises the bar even higher. And when we can’t find what we want on screen, we naturally have to turn to literature.
Here are nine books you might enjoy if you loved Maxxxine.
The whole background premise of Maxxxine, where people go missing and then turn up murdered with pentagrams branded on their corpses, is inspired by the true crime case of the time, that of the Night Stalker—later determined to be Richard Ramirez. If you’re not familiar with that story, you’ve got to grab this work of nonfiction. I already know (based on your love of Maxine) that you like when criminals get their comeuppance by means of a vigilante beatdown, so… be my guest.
This horror novel is not only set against the backdrop of the 1980s Satanic Panic, but it’s set at a small-town Virginia elementary school where ritualistically murdered rabbits show up on the playground. It’s a must read if you love a true crime-based thriller novel.
This collection of critical essays dives into the America of the 1980s, including the 1980s movies, music, and fashion, which is often characterized by “yuppie greed and self-absorption.” The book traces the sources of the phenomena that came to identify Maxine’s generation. If you’re interested in how cultural trends are formed, shaped, and carry on into future decades, this one is for you.
Similarly to Maxine herself, the protagonist of this novel also fled his family for a new life… but Luke Crosswhite’s family is a biker gang vying for family against its rivals. Luke just wants a normal life… which is, to him, the one he deserves.
Speaking of refusing to accept a life you do not deserve, let’s talk about Bette Davis’ autobiography. She might not seem super relevant to the action on screen, but she’s certainly part of the Hollywood mystique… and it’s definitely hard to forget the 80s power anthem “Bette Davis Eyes” playing over the end credits after Maxine finally gets her spotlight. Here’s the story of the life of starlet Bette Davis, as told in her own words, complete with an afterword she added just before her death.
If it’s the pornographic kind of drama that fascinates you, more along the lines of X’s Slasher aesthetic, you might want to check out this novel of eroticized degradation which questions the nature of “fantasy, desire, and power.”
This new release novel by horror master Stephen Graham Jones follows Tolly Driver, a good kid in 1989 oil town Lamesa, Texas. (Kind of alludes to Pearl and her story.) Tolly himself is the slasher killer, but you’ll find yourself fighting his corner as you read his first-person autobiography.
If the thing you love most about Maxine is the prodigal, evil parent, you might like this horror novel. Here, just after the birth of her first child, a daughter, Flora has to navigate the newborn stage alone because her husband is still deployed. She’s grateful when her estranged mother shows up to help… until it turns out that she’s dragged in some evil baggage behind her.
Mary Kay McBrayer is the author of America’s First Female Serial Killer: Jane Toppan and the Making of a Monster. You can find her short works at Oxford American, Narratively, Mental Floss, and FANGORIA, among other publications. She hosts the podcast about women in true crime, The Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told. Follow Mary Kay McBrayer on Instagram and Twitter, or check out her author site here.
