The following list includes literature set in or about Los Angeles and the surrounding region, which is collectively referred to as Los Angeles Literature. It’s by no means exhaustive, but it strives to be as comprehensive as possible. Over the decades, Los Angeles Literature has grown more diverse, increasingly reflecting the region’s diversity.

NOTE: When available, each book links to a review or literary criticism of that book.

• The Bus: Cosmic Ejaculations of the Daily Mind in Transit—Steve Abee
• The Iron River—Daniel Acosta
• The Revolt of the Cockroach People—Oscar Zeta Acosta
• Coffee, Shopping, Murder, Love—Carlos Allende
• Letters to Montgomery Cliff—Noёl Alumit
• Codeswitch: Fires from Mi Corazon—Iris de Anda (poetry)
• The Road to Tamazunchale—Ron Arias
• Wetback—Rob Arias
• What Girls Are Made of—Elena K. Arnold
• Orange Lady—Erika Ayon (poetry)
• Slow Days, Fast Company: The World, The Flesh, and L.A. —Eve Babitz
• The Golem of Los Angeles—Tony Barnstone (poetry)
• The White Boy Shuffle—Paul Beatty
• The Sellout—Paul Beatty
• The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake—Amy Bender
• Posada: Offerings of Witness and Refuge—Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo (poetry)
• Dodgers—Bill Beverly
• be/trouble—bridgette bianca (poetry)
• Weetzie Bat—Francesca Lia Block
• Wasteland—Francesca Lia Block
• Witch Baby—Francesca Lia Block
• Missing Angel Juan—Francesca Lia Block
• Necklace of Kisses—Francesca Lia Block
• Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys—Francesca Lia Block
• Baby Be-Bop—Francesca Lia Block
• I Was a Teenage Fairy—Francesca Lia Block
• Pink Smog—Francesca Lia Block
• Pretty Dead—Francesca Lia Block
• Love in the Time of Global Warming—Francesca Lia Block
• God Sends Sunday—Arna Bontemps
• Tortilla Curtain—T.C. Boyle
• Let’s All Kill Constance—Ray Bradbury
• Future Shock—Elizabeth Briggs
• Articulate Scars—Derek D. Brown (poetry)
• Voices from Leimert Park: a poetry anthology—Edited by Shonda Buchanan (poetry)
• Voices from Leimert Park Redux—Edited by Shonda Buchanan (poetry)
• Women—Charles Bukowski
• Post Office—Charles Bukowski
• Ham on Rye—Charles Bukowski
• Hollywood—Charles Bukowski
• Pulp—Charles Bukowski
• Notes of a Dirty Old Man—Charles Bukowski
• Smoke Night—Eve Bunting
• Eulogy to an Unknown Tree—Billy Burgos (poetry)
• Mind of My Own—Octavia E. Butler
• The Lockhart Women—Mary Camarillo
• The Postman Always Rings Twice—James M. Cain
• Mildred Pierce—James M. Cain
• Brothers and Sisters—Bebe Moore Campbell
• Death and the American Dream—Daniel Cano
• Magic Street—Orson Scott Card
• Beige—Cecil Castellucci
• A World Below—Rocío Carlos (poetry)
• Follow Her Home—Steph Cha
• Beware Beware—Steph Cha
• Dead Soon Enough—Steph Cha
• Your House Will Pay—Steph Cha
• The Big Sleep—Raymond Chandler
• Farewell, My Lovely—Raymond Chandler
• The High Window—Raymond Chandler
• The Little Sister—Raymond Chandler
• The Long Goodbye—Raymond Chandler
• Playback—Raymond Chandler
• Lady in the Lake—Raymond Chandler
• This Poem Might Save You (Me)—Jesenia Chávez (poetry)
• Homeseeking—Karissa Chen
• DTLA/37: Downtown Los Angeles in 37 Stories—Yennie Cheung, Kathryn E. McGee, Tim Ronca and Lev Tsimring
• Invisible Light—Teresa Mei Chuc
• ¡Pónk!—Marcus Clayton
• Good Sense and the Faithless—Michelle T. Clinton (poetry)
• Heavy Daughter Blues—Wanda Coleman (poetry)
• Mercurochrome—Wanda Coleman (poetry)
• Native in a Strange Land: Trials & Tremors—Wanda Coleman
• The World Falls Away—Wanda Coleman (poetry)
• The Black Echo—Michael Connelly
• The Black Ice—Michael Connelly
• Concrete Blonde—Michael Connelly
• The Last Coyote—Michael Connelly
• The Poet—Michael Connelly
• Trunk Music—Michael Connelly
• Rivers of Angels—Stephen Cooper
• The Monkey’s Raincoat—Robert Crais
• Stalking the Angel—Robert Crais
• Lullaby Town—Robert Crais
• Free Fall—Robert Crais
• Voodoo River—Robert Crais
• Something in Between—Melissa de la Cruz
• City of God—Gil Cuadros
• The Loud Silence of Francine Green—Karen Cushman
• The Language of Saxophones—Kamau Daáood (poetry)
• Fade Into You—Nikki Darling
• Raising Fences: A Black Man’s Love Story—Michael Datcher
• City of Quartz—Mike Davis
• Ecology of Fear: Los Angeles and the Imagination of Disaster—Mike Davis
• The Fire Eater—Jose Hernandez Diaz (poetry)
• The Parachutist—Jose Hernandez Diaz (poetry)
• Portrait of the Artist as a Brown Man—Jose Hernandez Diaz (poetry)
• Sister, Sister—Eric Jerome Dickey
• Friends and Lovers—Eric Jerome Dickey
• The Other Woman—Eric Jerome Dickey
• Liar’s Game—Erick Jerome Dickey
• Naughty or Nice—Eric Jerome Dickey
• Play It as It Lays—Joan Didion
• The White Album—Joan Didion
• Perfume and Pain—Anna Dorn
• It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel—Firoozeh Dumas
• Concrete Paradise—Brian Dunlap
• The Verdun Affair—Nick Dybek
• Less Than Zero—Bret Easton Ellis
• The Informers—Bret Easton Ellis
• Imperial Bedrooms—Bret Easton Ellis
• The Black Dahlia—James Ellroy
• The Big Nowhere—James Ellroy
• L.A. Confidential—James Ellroy
• White Jazz—James Ellroy
• This Storm—James Ellroy
• Popcorn—Ben Elton
• It All Comes Down to This—Karen English
• Amnesiascope—Steve Erickson
• Our Ecstatic Days—Steve Erickson
• These Dreams of You—Steve Erickson
• L.A. Weather—María Amparo Escandón
• Still Water Saints—Alex Espinoza
• The Five Acts of Diego Leon—Alex Espinoza
• Ask the Dust—John Fante
• The Road to Los Angeles—John Fante
• The Spinster Diaries—Gina Fattore
• Dodger Blue Will Fill Your Soul—Bryan Allen Fierro
• White Oleander—Janet Fitch
• Paint It Black—Janet Fitch
• Angry Days—Sesshu Foster (poetry)
• City Terrace Field Manual—Sesshu Foster (poetry)
• World Ball Notebook—Sesshu Foster (poetry)
• City of the Future—Sesshu Foster (poetry)
• Pizza Girl—Jean Kyoung Frazier
• All Involved—Ryan Gattis
• Sky Deep—Guy Garcia
• On Summer Solstice Road—Jerry Garcia (poetry)
• Nuclear Shadows of Palm Trees—Nikolai Garcia (poetry)
• No Crystal Stair: African-Americans in the City of Angeles—Lynell George
• After/Image: Los Angeles Outside the Frame—Lynell George
• A Handful of Earth, A Handful of Sky: The World of Octavia E. Butler—Lynell George
• Before the End, After the Beginning—Dagoberto Gilb
• Lost Hills—Lee Goldberg
• Chola Salvation—Estella Gonzalez
• The Aves—Ryane Nicole Granados
• Dancing With Butterflies—Reyna Grande
• Catching Fire: The Los Angeles Wildfires—Edited by S.A. Griffin and Richard Modiano
• Elements—Stephen D. Gutierrez
• Fresno y Los—Stephen D. Gutierrez
• The Mexican Man in His Backyard—Stephen D. Gutierrez
• Mean—Myriam Gurba
• Southern California: Writing From The Road 1992-2025—Adolfo Guzman-Lopez
• The Jasmine Trade—Denise Hamilton
• The Last Embrace—Denise Hamilton
• Damage Control—Denise Hamilton
• Last Lullaby—Denise Hamilton
• Los Angeles Noir—Denise Hamilton
• Los Angeles Noir 2—Denise Hamilton
• Speculative Los Angeles—Denise Hamilton
• A Call From L.A.—Arthur Hansl
• The Black Man of Happiness—Peter J. Harris
• Passing—Eloise Klein Healy (poetry)
• Mañana Means Heaven—Tim Z. Hernandez
• Love After the Riots—Juan Felipe Herrera (poetry)
• If He Hollers Let Him Go—Chester Himes
• Lonely Crusade—Chester Himes
• Snakeskin Shamisen—Naomi Hirahara
• Gasa-Gasa Girl—Naomi Hirahara
• 1001 Cranes—Naomi Hirahara
• Blood Hina—Naomi Hirahara
• Strawberry Yellow—Naomi Hirahara
• Murder on Bamboo Lane—Naomi Hirahara
• Grave on Grand Avenue—Naomi Hirahara
• Hiroshima Boy—Naomi Hirahara
• Hello, Sunshine—Lelia Howland
• If I Were the Ocean I’d Carry You Home—Pete Hsu
• A Wailing of A Town: An Oral History of Early San Pedro Punk—Craig Ibarra
• IQ—Joe Ide
• Wrecked—Joe Ide
• Smoke—Joe Ide
• The Dark Tree—Steven Isoardi
• Ball: Stories—Tara Ison
• Dreidels on the Brain—Ben Izzy
• Caught Up in the Rapture—Sheneska Jackson
• Arroyo—Chip Jacobs
• Later Days—Chip Jacobs
• Catalina: A Novel—Liska Jacobs
• Ramona—Helen Hunt Jackson
• Mercury Pictures Presents—Anthony Marra
• Every Night Is Ladies’ Night—Michael Jaime—Becerra
• This Time Tomorrow—Michael Jaime—Becerra
• In the Not Quite Dark—Dana Johnson
• Elsewhere, California—Dana Johnson
• Break Any Woman Down—Dana Johnson
• The Ritual Bath—Faye Kellerman
• Sacred and Profane —Faye Kellerman
• Milk and Honey—Faye Kellerman
• Day of Atonement—Faye Kellerman
• False Prophet—Faye Kellerman
• When The Bough Break—Jonathan Kellerman
• Blood Test—Jonathan Kellerman
•  Over the Edge—Jonathan Kellerman
•  Silent Partner—Jonathan Kellerman
• The Bomb—Jonathan Kellerman
• Private Eyes—Jonathan Kellerman
• Devil’s Waltz—Jonathan Kellerman
• The Neon Lights Are Veins—Nolan Knight
• Southside—Michael Krikorian
• Everything Leads to You—Nina LaCour
• Dead Boys—Richard Lange
• Solomon’s Vineyard—Jonathan Latimer
• Bad Citizen Corporation: A Greg Salem Mystery—SW Lauden
• The Great Mann—Kyra Davis Lurie
• Project Fatherhood —Jorja Leap
• Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America—Jill Leovy
• The Art of the Moving Picture—Vachel Lindsay
• The Holy Barbarians—Lawrence Lipton
• Lola—Melissa Scrivner Love
• Legend—Marie Lu
• Santa Monica—Cassidy Lucas
• The Last Party: A Novel—Cassidy Lucas
• Grand Passion: The Poetry of Los Angeles and Beyond—Edited by Suzanne Lummis (poetry)
• In Danger—Suzanne Lummis (poetry)
• Wide Awake—Edited by Suzanne Lummis (poetry)
• Agave Blues—Ruthie Marlenée
• Shaky Town—Lou Mathews
• Southern California: An Island on the Land—Carey McWilliams
• The Blvd—Jenise Miller (poetry)
• Native Country of the Heart—Cherríe Moraga
• The Captain of All These Men of Death—Alejandro Morales
• River of Angels—Alejandro Morales
• The Brick People—Alejandro Morales
• Devil in a Blue Dress—Walter Mosley
• A Red Death—Walter Mosley
• White Butterfly—Walter Mosley
• Urban Tumbleweed—Harryette Mullen (poetry)
• Locas—Yxta Maya Murray
• Lament in the Night—Shoson Nagahara
• Lies With Men—Michael Nava
• The Prince of Venice Beach—Blake Nelson
• The Sympathizer—Viet Thanh Nguyen
• The Tribes of Palos Verdes—Joy Nicholson
• Unrivaled—Alyson Noel
• Peeping Tom Tom Girl—Marisela Norte (poetry)
• Better—John O’Brien
• Anywhere But L.A.: Stories—Daniel A. Olivas
• The Book of Want—Daniel A. Olivas
• Latinos in Lotusland—Edited by Daniel A. Olivas
• Crossing The Border—Daniel A. Olivas (poetry)
• How to Date A Flying Mexican—Daniel A. Olivas
• Chicano Frankenstein—Daniel A. Olivas
• Excavation: A Memoir—Wendy C. Ortiz
• Hollywood Notebook—Wendy C. Ortiz
• Ball Don’t Lie—Matt de la Pena
• The Summer of Jordi Perez (and the Best Burger in Los Angeles)—Amy Spalding
• The People of Paper—Salvador Plascencia
• The Silent Second—Adam Walker Phillips
• The Perpetual Summer—Adam Walker Phillips
• The Underbelly—Gary Phillips
• Treacherous: Grifters, Ruffians and Killers—Gary Phillips
• One-Shot Harry—Gary Phillips
• Hoyt Street—Mary Helen Ponce
• Starters—Lissa Price
• Model Home—Eric Puchner
• X L.A. Poets—Edited by Linda Ravenswood
• Los Angeles Without A Map—Richard Rayner
• The Blue Suit: A Memoir of Crime—Richard Rayner
• A Bright Guilty Place—Richard Rayner
• City of Night—John Rechy
• The Black Kids—Christina Hammonds Reed
• The Necessary Hunger—Nina Revoyr
• Southland—Nina Revoyr
• The Age of Dreaming—Nina Revoyr
• Chopper! Chopper!: Poetry From Bordered Lives—Verónica Reyes (poetry)
• Always Running—Luis J. Rodríguez
• It Calls You Back—Luis J. Rodríguez
• Poems Across the Pavement—Luis J. Rodríguez (poetry)
• The Concrete River—Luis J. Rodríguez (poetry)
• Trochemoche—Luis J. Rodríguez (poetry)
• Music of the Mill—Luis J. Rodríguez
• From Our Land to Our Land: Essays, Journeys and Imaginings From a Native Xicanx Writer—Luis J. Rodríguez
• Griots Beneath the Baobab: Tales from Los Angeles—Edited by Randy Ross and Erin Aubry Kaplan
• On Gold Mountain—Lisa See
• Scribble Scrabbles—Sandy Shakes (poetry)
• In Plain View—Julie Shigekuni
• Babe in Paradise—Marisa Silver
• Anywhere But Here—Mona Simpson
• Pasadena—Sherri L. Smith
• I am Alive in Los Angeles—Mike Sonksen (poetry)
• Poetics of Location—Mike Sonksen (poetry)
• Take One Candle and Light a Room—Susan Straight
• Highwire Moon—Susan Straight
• I’ve Been in Sorrows Kitchen and Licked Out All The Pots—Susan Straight
• The Gettin’ Place—Susan Straight
• Crush—Phoef Sutton
• Colorado Boulevard: A Crush Mystery—Phoef Sutton
• Understand This—Jervey Tervalon
• The Tattooed Soldier—Hector Tobar
• The Barbarian Nurseries—Hector Tobar
• Runaway—Imani Tolliver (poetry)
• An Incomplete List of Names—Michael Torres (poetry)
• Another City: Writing From Los Angeles—Edited by David L. Ulin
• Writing Los Angeles—Edited by David L. Ulin
• Sidewalking: Coming to Terms with Los Angeles—David L. Ulin
• 30 Miles From J-Town—Amy Uyematsu (poety)
• The Yellow Door—Amy Uyematsu (poetry)
• Zirconium Ash—jimmy vega (poetry)
• The Dogs Came with Them—Helena Maria Viramontes
• Moths and Other Stories—Helena Maria Viramontes
• LAtitudes: An Angeleno’s Atlas—Edited by Patricia Wakida
• Holy Land: A Suburban Memoir—D.J. Waldie
• Where Are We Now: Notes From Los Angeles—D.J. Waldie
• Becoming Los Angeles: Myth, Memory, and A Sense of Place—D.J. Waldie
• The New Centurions—Joseph Wambaugh
• The Onion Field—Joseph Wambaugh
• Reason to Kill—Andy Weinberger
• The Day of the Locust—Nathanael West
• Panorama City—Antoine Wilson
• Serious Longing—Jessica Wilson (poetry)
• Inner City Blues—Paula Woods
• Tropic of Orange—Karen Tei Yamashita
• Everything Everything—Nicola Yoon
• The Amado Women—Désirée Zamorano