It has been said that truth can be stranger than fiction. But, there are some nonfiction authors who take that idea to the extreme with their unbelievable true life stories.

In a quest to find the most incredible nonfiction stories, the writers at Off the Shelf sat down with author, Sara Gran, and compiled a list of some of the most engaging nonfiction books out there. They share their finds on this great article titled 8 Nonfiction Books That Are Stranger Than Fiction.

From the government’s attempt at warfare through hypnosis, music, baby lambs, and pure love in The Men Who Stare at Goats by Jon Ronson, to tales from the hidden corners of scientology in Lawrence Wright’s Going Clear, the stories encapsulated in these books are simply incredible.

And, of course, a list of unbelievable true stories would not be complete without a mention of Sybil, originally made famous by the 1963 book about a woman with multiple personalities, that was later made into a movie. In Sybil Exposed, by Debbie Nathan, the author introduces the possibility that the whole story of Sybil having multiple personalities may have been fabricated—and that Multiple Personality Disorder may not actually be real at all. 

Now, if that is not stranger than fiction, I don’t know what is!

For more great true life story nonfiction books, check out these recommendations from goodreads.com.