Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005) was an American author, journalist, and pioneer of the gonzo movement, an explorative means of reporting that merged objectivity with personal engagement and narration. He is best known for his books Hell's Angels- The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas- A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream, which was later adapted to film starring Johnny Depp. Thompson wrote regularly for The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and Playboy, among other publications, and in the years before his death, he was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone, and contributed in a weekly column for ESPN. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his home near Aspen, Colorado, in Februrary 2005.