What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Men Who Stare at Goats
Grant Heslov · Film · 2009
If you loved The Men Who Stare at Goats, start with Patriot (Steven Conrad, 2015) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Men Who Stare at Goats across media.
You loved The Men Who Stare at Goats for the way it exposes the hilarious and terrifying absurdity hidden within rigid military bureaucracy.
Books on the same thread
Ghost Wars
Steve Coll · Book · 2004
Explores: Blowback, Covert Operations, Geopolitical Instability.
If The Men Who Stare at Goats piqued your interest in the bizarre reality of military intelligence, this investigative account reveals the actual, soberingly consequential history behind covert operations.
Redshirts
John Scalzi · Book · 2012
Explores: Self-Awareness, Existentialism, Breaking the Fourth Wall.
Like the soldiers in The Men Who Stare at Goats, the characters here face the existential dread of being mere cogs in a massive, nonsensical machine of institutional logic.
Catch-22
Joseph Heller · Book · 1961
Explores: Bureaucratic absurdity, Existential dread, The insanity of war.
This classic shares the same DNA as The Men Who Stare at Goats by highlighting how bureaucratic insanity and rigid systems can turn the experience of war into a farce.
The Forever War
Joe W. Haldeman, Marvano · Book · 1990
Explores: Space Warfare, Time Dilation, Alien Contact.
Where The Men Who Stare at Goats mocks the absurdity of military units, this story captures the grim reality of a soldier caught in an endless, poorly understood conflict.
Series on the same thread
Good Omens
Neil Gaiman · Series · 2019
Explores: The Antichrist, End of the World, Unlikely Friendship.
Fans of the paranormal satire in The Men Who Stare at Goats will appreciate how this story handles grand cosmic concepts with a grounded, irreverent, and deeply human sense of humor.
Generation Kill
David Simon · Series · 2008
Explores: fog of war, moral ambiguity, military bureaucracy.
While The Men Who Stare at Goats uses comedy to address the chaos of the Iraq War, this series provides a gritty, realistic lens on the same theater of operations.
M*A*S*H
Larry Gelbart · Series · 1972
Explores: Dark Humor, Existentialism, Friendship During Wartime.
You will recognize the same coping mechanisms found in The Men Who Stare at Goats, as these characters use dark humor and practical jokes to survive their absurd military surroundings.
Patriot
Steven Conrad · Series · 2015
Explores: espionage, existential crisis, moral ambiguity.
This show mirrors the tone of The Men Who Stare at Goats by placing a professional in an impossible, morally ambiguous situation where the mission is as ridiculous as it is dangerous.
Podcasts on the same thread
Stugotz and Company
iHeartPodcasts · Podcast · 2026
Explores: absurdism, unfiltered opinion, camaraderie.
If the off-the-wall, unpredictable nature of the characters in The Men Who Stare at Goats resonated with you, this podcast offers that same chaotic, unfiltered energy in a modern format.
The Joe Rogan Experience
Joe Rogan · Podcast · 2026
Explores: intellectual curiosity, unfiltered dialogue, lifestyle exploration.
Much like the unconventional figures encountered in The Men Who Stare at Goats, this show explores fringe ideas and curious personalities through long-form, unfiltered, and deeply conversational dialogue.
Common questions
Is The Men Who Stare at Goats based on a true military unit?
The Men Who Stare at Goats centers on the New Earth Army, a unit that claims to employ paranormal powers for military missions. The story follows a reporter who encounters a former member of this group while covering the war in Iraq.
What is the plot of The Men Who Stare at Goats?
The Men Who Stare at Goats follows a reporter in Iraq who meets Lyn Cassady. Cassady claims to be a former member of the U.S. Army's New Earth Army, a specialized unit that utilizes paranormal abilities to carry out its various missions.
Who is the main character in The Men Who Stare at Goats?
The Men Who Stare at Goats features a reporter who uncovers the story of a lifetime when he meets Lyn Cassady. Cassady claims to have served in the New Earth Army, a secret U.S. military unit that focuses on using paranormal powers for missions.
How does the reporter in The Men Who Stare at Goats find his story?
In The Men Who Stare at Goats, the reporter finds his story while in Iraq. He encounters Lyn Cassady, who reveals he was a member of the U.S. Army's New Earth Army, a unit allegedly tasked with using paranormal powers to complete military missions.