Twin Peaks is inarguably one of the greatest shows to ever exist. If you’re considering arguing with that statement, let me stop you right there and redirect you to where I said “inarguably” four words into the article.
That means you can’t argue with me, buddy. That’s literally the rule.
David Lynch and Mark Frost created something truly magical and unique, and I love it to death.
Three incredible seasons and one breathtaking movie. Or two movies, if you think of The Return as an 18-hour-long film instead of a season of television.
I won’t argue with you if you do, pal. This is an argument-free article. Take your disputes to another comment section without my byline.
No, the point of this article is a) to remind everybody that Twin Peaks rules, and b) to inform the unaware that, if you’re hungry for more glimpses into this universe, there are many, many official and unofficial published works awaiting your exploration.
Such as…
The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer
Written by David Lynch’s daughter, Jennifer, at the age of 22, The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer was published between seasons one and two of the show’s original run.
Anybody who’s watched the show will be familiar with Laura Palmer’s infamous diary and its often-mystifying entries. This novel serves as the diary, written in epistolary format beginning on Laura Palmer’s 12th birthday in 1984 and coming to a sudden undated end in late 1989.
Jennifer Lynch shines with the way she handles young Laura Palmer, her voice logically maturing as the diary entries age.
Naturally, this book is bleak as hell, and feels reminiscent of 1992’s Fire Walk With Me. Which isn’t too much of a surprise, considering the narrator is the victim of ongoing childhood sexual abuse from [redacted].
Highly recommended.
"Diane…": The Twin Peaks Tapes of Agent Cooper
Written by Scott Frost (brother of co-creator Mark Frost) and released as an exclusive audiobook, this consists of Kyle MacLachlan’s character Agent Cooper recording messages to his assistant Diane.
Many of these musings fans will recognize from the actual show, but thankfully there’s a plethora of new content here never heard anywhere else.
It’s fun! Who doesn’t want to hear Kyle MacLachlan talk for 45 minutes?
The Autobiography of F.B.I. Special Agent Dale Cooper: My Life, My Tapes
This is a transcript of Agent Cooper's infamous tapes. This time we’re learning about his life prior to his arrival in Twin Peaks.
It’s not very interesting, to be honest, and serves as a classic example of “too much of something good ruining the magic.”
I recommend it only to the diehard completionists, or to people with literally nothing else to read on their devices.
Welcome to Twin Peaks: An Access Guide to the Town
This one is not going to be very easy to find unless you’re willing to spend anywhere between $150 and $200. It’s out of print and long sought after.
What a shame, because this thing sounds like a delight, from what I’ve been able to read about it.
A very silly, tongue-in-cheek fourth-wall-breaking fake tourism guide to the town of Twin Peaks, Washington.
Some (but not all) of the things you can expect to find here: cherry pie recipes, diagrams of log-sawing patterns, the local diner’s jukebox lineup, history lessons, and profiles on local residents.
The Secret History of Twin Peaks
Here we go, baby. This is the cream of the crop when it comes to Twin Peaks lit, and it should come as no surprise, considering its written by the show’s co-creator.
Structured as a dossier compiled by someone known only as “The Archivist,” this book serves as a comprehensive history of everybody’s favorite little town, beginning with Lewis and Clark’s exploration of the area and concluding with the events of Twin Peaks season two.
The novel was released several months before The Return debuted on Showtime, and served as the perfect primer for fans new and old as we prepared for the revival.
If you read only one book discussed here, let it be this.
Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier
If The Secret History was meant to prepare us for The Return’s imminent arrival, then Mark Frost’s followup novel, The Final Dossier, seems to work best as a eulogy.
If you’re someone who hates unanswered questions or not knowing the fates of every single character in a beloved television show, then this is essential reading for you, although I’d beg you to consider what you actually love about Twin Peaks (or, really, any of Lynch’s work).
Personally, I find the existence of this book sorta redundant, and perhaps unnecessary, but who am I to rain on someone’s good time?
There is a lot of fun stuff here for fans. Geek over it with a loved one who shares the same television interests as you.
Okay, that about does it for official tie-ins to Twin Peaks, but if you thought that’s where this train ended, oh honey, please let me introduce you to the deranged and beautiful concept of fandom.
First we have Mark A. Altman’s Twin Peaks Behind-the-scenes: An Unofficial Visitors Guide to Twin Peaks (1991), a basic-ass recap of the first 16 episodes, notable only for its impressive quantity of typographical errors.
Welcome to Twin Peaks (1990) by Scott Knickelbine is another unauthorized recap book later pulled from the shelves, although at least this one offers something a bit interesting with excerpts from crew & cast interviews.
Patricia Shook’s A Twin Peaks Interpretation: A 90's Person's View of The Twin Peaks Television Series (1992) seems impossible to find anywhere, as it was self-published, but the only review currently on Goodreads describes it as the book’s narrator wandering around Twin Peaks for 66 pages while witnessing the events from the series.
From the review: “The ideas are incredibly scattered: entire pages pass of just plot description, and - hilariously - any references to sex are omitted. (Audrey's deflowering is covered as just 'spending some time' with her man.)”
Honestly, hell yeah. Sounds nuts!
Full of Secrets: Critical Approaches to Twin Peaks (1994) promises to contain “virtually everything you need to know about Twin Peaks.” This is a mostly-fine collection of critical essays by various writers.
If you enjoy people nerding out about your favorite show, then this is worth your time.
Next up we have the fun but overly long Reflections: An Oral History of Twin Peaks (2014) from Brad Dukes. It’s not very well edited, and you’ll find yourself feeling punished for committing to the read sometimes, but I’d still recommend checking it out if you’re into oral histories.
Don’t skip the fourth installment of the Pop Classics essay series, Wrapped in Plastic: Twin Peaks (2015) by Andy Burns. One of the better of the published critical essays you’ll read about the show.
Speaking of publications with “wrapped in plastic” included in its title, there’s also The Essential Wrapped In Plastic: Pathways to Twin Peaks (2016), an omnibus compiling essays from a 75-issue Twin Peaks zine.
Or perhaps you’re interested in reading an installment from the excellent 33 ⅓ series about Angelo Badalamenti's Soundtrack from Twin Peaks (2017). Clare Nina Norelli does a tremendous job digging into the television’s perfect score, and that’s only one part of her excellent book.
Do not skip over that one.
Oh, and also! From 2020, we have Laura's Ghost: Women Speak about Twin Peaks, an ambitious collection of essays and interviews featuring women who are fans of Twin Peaks, and also women who worked on the show.
And if you manage to work your way through everything I’ve already listed, there are also hundreds of stories on ao3 featuring Dale Cooper and Harry S. Truman banging each other.
Have fun!
