Jim Ruland
Jim Ruland is a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times and writes the weekly Substack Message from the Underworld. His new novel, Mightier Than the Sword, will be published by Rare Bird in October 2026.
connect:
Slashed from the Headlines
Jordan Harper’s grisly new neo-noir plumbs the depths of Hollywood depravity.
May 4, 2026
Grifter’s Paradise
Nolan Knight’s new novel, The Gorgon of Los Feliz, explores the underbelly of contemporary L.A.
Jul 28, 2025
The Aesthetic of Noir
Barry Gifford’s No Daylight in That Face takes a broad view of the form.
Jun 2, 2025
Pynchon at the Beach
Inherent Vice is the key to understanding Thomas Pynchon. Why do critics hate it?
Aug 29, 2022