When people think of Oregon, they often conjure images of beautiful trees and scenery, avid hikers and bikers, breweries, and most recently, bacon-flavored seaweed.

But Oregon has another hidden gem to offer: brilliant works of fiction. Many authors and producers choose to set their stories here in the Beaver State. Oregon’s excessive greenery makes a spectacularly eerie setting for video games and movies, while the busy streets of Portland are home to many beloved book characters.

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Here are some of the best works of fiction set in Oregon:

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1. "Coraline"
   
   
   
   In 2009, a stop-motion film version of Neil Gaiman’s novel of the same name was released, written and directed by Henry Selick. The film is set in Ashland, Oregon, where Coraline and her family live in the Pink Palace Apartments and find otherworldly troubles awaiting them. The film’s model of Ashland is surprisingly detailed, and scenes from the film even include banners for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Coraline was staged in Oregon as well, in a warehouse in Hillsboro which held the movie’s nearly 150 different sets.
   
2. "The Goonies"
   
   
   This 1985 film, directed by Richard Donner, and produced by Steven Spielberg, features a rowdy group of pre-teens from the “Goon Docks” neighborhood in Astoria, Oregon. As they try to save their home from foreclosure and demolition, an old Spanish map leads them on a dangerous adventure to uncover the lost treasure of One-Eyed Willie. Much of the filming was done in Astoria—the Walsh family’s house still stands, and is a popular tourist attraction among the film’s huge fan following.
   
   
3. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"
   
   
   
   This 1962 novel by Ken Kesey is commonly thought to be a classic and was included in Time magazine’s list of the “100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005.” The book is set in an Oregon psychiatric hospital. The novel is a direct product of Kesey’s time working as an orderly at a mental health facility in California during a time when approaches to psychology and psychiatry were drastically changing in America. The novel received an Academy Award winning film adaptation in 1975.
   
   
4. "Stand by Me"
   
   
   "Stand By Me" is a 1986 adventure film by Rob Reiner, based on Stephen King’s novella "The Body." It tells the story of four young boys from the fictional town of Castle Rock, Oregon who trek across the countryside in search of the dead body of a missing child. The film somehow successfully balances comedy with a dark and emotional plot and a complex set of characters, making for a timeless tale of youth and adventure.
   
   

5. "Beezus and Ramona"
   
   
   This one came as a surprise—the Ramona series of books take place in Portland, Oregon. Beloved children’s author Beverly Cleary wrote the timeless Ramona series beginning in 1955, with "Beezus and Ramona." This tale of the sometimes exasperating relationship between an older and a younger sister is relatable to children even today. The series remains popular and is still in high demand. The final book in the series, "Ramona’s World," was published in 1999.
   
   
   
6. "If I Stay"
   
   
   Gayle Forman’s 2009 YA novel, which received a film adaptation in 2014, follows 17-year-old Mia Hall, a teenage girl living in Oregon. Mia finds herself in an out-of-body experience after a snowy and disastrous car accident on the road with her family. The book follows her choices after a moment which would change her entire life.
   
   

7. "Grimm"
   
   
   "Grimm" is a supernatural drama following a homicide investigator of the Portland Police Department. The show is described as “a cop drama—with a twist… a dark and fantastical project about a world in which characters inspired by Grimms’ Fairy Tales exist.” The show debuted in 2011 and will begin to air its fifth season in Oct. 2015.
   
   

8. "Bates Motel"
   
   "Bates Motel" is a drama thriller TV series which debuted in 2013 and has been recently renewed for a fourth and fifth season, which will air in 2016 and 2017. The series is referred to as a “contemporary prequel” to the 1960 film "Psycho." It depicts the film’s characters, mother and son Norma and Norman Bates, in their lives prior to the film’s events. The TV series is set in the fictional town of White Pine Bay, Oregon.
   
   

9. "Gravity Falls"
   
   
   
   This American animated TV series, which premiered in 2012, has become popular among children and young adults alike. Twin siblings Dipper and Mabel Pines are the show’s protagonists, spending their summer in the fictional town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. They, along with their friends and their great-uncle Stan, owner of the tourist trap The Mystery Shack, find themselves in unexpected situations involving the paranormal and supernatural. The show returned to the second half of its second season last month.
   
   
10. "Portlandia"
    
    
    This satirical sketch television show has been making a hilarious mockery of the people of Portland since 2011 and is currently in its fifth season. Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein take on the roles of various characters in their sketches, which are all filmed in and around Portland. The show balances scripted sketches with improvisation, making it a show Oregonians just can’t get enough of.
    
11. "Gone Home"
    
    
    "Gone Home" is an interactive adventure PC game developed by Portland-founded game company Fullbright—it is the company’s first game. The story is set in the year 1995 and focuses on character Kaitlin Greenbriar’s exploration of her home, a mansion in Arbor Hill, Oregon. She has just returned from a year spent abroad. Realizing no one is home, she investigates the house to find out where her family has gone. Players learn tidbits about the character and her family throughout their exploration of the mansion and the objects inside.
    
12. "Life is Strange"
    
    
    Dontnod Entertainment’s 2015 video game Life is Strange follows Maxine “Max” Caulfield, a high school student at Blackwell Academy in the fictional town of Arcadia Bay, Oregon. Max discovers her ability to rewind time, and it helps her to uncover the dark secrets of the town, which seem to be leading up to some sort of supernatural disaster. "Life is Strange" allows for many different outcomes due to the time rewind feature, and focuses greatly on how choices alter and affect the story long-term. The game, which has been released in episodes, will release its fifth and final episode later this year. "Life is Strange" is available for Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, Playstation 3, Xbox One, and Xbox 360.

Not feeling a strong connection with the fiction in your life lately? Give one of these a try! They're sure to make you feel right at home—what could be more comforting and familiar than the supernatural beings of the good ol' Oregon woods? Or the all-too-real quirks of the city of Portland?

With so many great options, where does one even start?