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List of LGBT-themed speculative fiction

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Many science fiction and fantasy stories involve LGBT characters, or otherwise represent themes that are relevant to LGBT issues and the LGBT community. This is a list of notable stories, and/or stories from notable series or anthologies, and/or by notable authors; it is not intended to be all-inclusive.

Novels with LGBT characters and themes, alphabetical by author surname

Title Author Year LGBT content[1][2][3]
Empire of the Senseless Kathy Acker 1988 Bisexual main character[4]
The Dark Light Years Brian Aldiss 1964 Gender-shifting aliens, gay male characters[4]
All the Birds in the Sky Charlie Jane Anders 2016 Non-binary and asexual characters
Virgin Planet Poul Anderson 1959 All-female world, lesbian characters
The Gods Themselves Isaac Asimov 1972 Alien species with three sexes[4]
The Skolian Saga/Major Bhaajan Mysteries Catherine Asaro 1995–2020 Lesbian, gay, bisexual primary or secondary characters, positive portrayals
The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood 1985 Lesbian character
Shadowdance Robin Wayne Bailey 1991 Gay protagonist
Queer Free Alabama Birdstone (pseudonym) 1981 Homophobic dystopia
Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale Holly Black 2002 Gay major characters
Darkover Series Marion Zimmer Bradley 1962–1988 Gay and lesbian protagonists
The Heritage of Hastur Marion Zimmer Bradley 1975 Gay male protagonist and antagonist[4]
The Shattered Chain Marion Zimmer Bradley 1976 All-female society, lesbian themes[4]
Warrior Woman Marion Zimmer Bradley 1985 Lesbian main characters, positive portrayal of lesbian relationships[4]
Beauty Queens Libba Bray 2011 Transgender and lesbian major characters
A Civil Campaign Lois McMaster Bujold 1999 Transgender character
Ethan of Athos Lois McMaster Bujold 1986 Gay male protagonist
The Wanting Seed Anthony Burgess 1962 Homophobic dystopia
Dawn Octavia Butler 1987 Alien race that has three sexes, polyamorous marriages[4]
Fledgling Octavia Butler 2005 Bisexual characters
Patternmaster Octavia Butler 1976 Bisexual female protagonist
An Anglo-American Alliance Gregory Casparian 1906 A trans man marries his early love, and they live happily ever after.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay Michael Chabon 2000 Gay protagonist
Spartan Planet Bertram Chandler 1969 All-male world, gay characters
The Conqueror's Child Suzy McKee Charnas 1999 All-female world
The Furies Suzy McKee Charnas 1994 All-female world
Motherlines Suzy McKee Charnas 1978 All-female world
Walk to the End of the World Suzy McKee Charnas 1974 All-female world
The Mortal Instruments series Cassandra Clare 2007–2014 One of the protagonist's best friends is gay, and has a relationship with a bisexual warlock.
Imperial Earth Arthur C. Clarke 1976 Bisexual/gay male protagonist
Sardia: A Story of Love Cora Linn Morrison Daniels 1891 Bisexual female vampire is the protagonist.[4]
Babel-17 Samuel R. Delany 1966 Bisexual major characters, poly relationships
Dhalgren Samuel R. Delany 1975 Bisexual major character and other LGBT characters
The Einstein Intersection Samuel R. Delany 1967 Gay major character
Equinox Samuel R. Delany 1973 Gay major character
Stars In My Pocket Like Grains Of Sand Samuel R. Delany 1984 Gay major character
Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders Samuel R. Delany 2012 Gay major characters
Triton Samuel R. Delany 1976
The Door Into Fire Diane Duane 1979 Major bisexual characters
Solitaire Kelley Eskridge 2002 Lesbian protagonist
Infinity's Web Sheila Finch 1985 Lesbian protagonist[4]
Casket of Souls Lynn Flewelling 2012 Gay main characters
Luck in the Shadows Lynn Flewelling 1996 Gay main characters
Shadows Return Lynn Flewelling 2008 Gay main characters
Shards of Time Lynn Flewelling 2014 Gay main characters
Stalking Darkness Lynn Flewelling 1997 Gay main characters
Traitor's Moon Lynn Flewelling 1999 Gay main characters
The White Road Lynn Flewelling 2010 Gay main characters
Daughters of a Coral Dawn Katherine V. Forrest 1984 All-female world, lesbian protagonists
Bouncing Off the Moon David Gerrold 2001
The Man Who Folded Himself David Gerrold 1973
Halfway Human Carolyn Ives Gilman 1998
Herland Charlotte Perkins Gilman 1915 All-female utopic world
The Gilda Stories Jewelle Gomez 1991 Lesbian main character
The Kappa Child Hiromi Goto 2001
Ammonite Nicola Griffith 1992 All-female world with mainly lesbian characters
Slow River Nicola Griffith 1995 Lesbian main character
Nontraditional Love Rafael Grugman 2008 Alternative future where heterosexuality is outlawed
The Forever War Joe Haldeman 1974 Future society where homosexuality is the norm
Champion of the Scarlet Wolf, Book One and Book Two (Cadeleonian Series 3, 4) Ginn Hale 2014 Gay protagonists
Lord of the White Hell, Book One and Book Two (Cadeleonian Series 1, 2) Ginn Hale 2010 Gay protagonists
The Rifter 1: The Shattered Gates Ginn Hale 2012 Gay protagonists
The Rifter 2: The Holy Road Ginn Hale 2012 Gay protagonists
The Rifter 3: His Sacred Bones Ginn Hale 2013 Gay protagonists
Wicked Gentlemen Ginn Hale 2007 Gay protagonists
The Gumshoe, the Witch, and the Virtual Corpse Keith Hartman 1999
The Salt Roads Nalo Hopkinson 2003 Lesbian major characters
The Wild Swans Peg Kerr 1999
Murder of Angels Caitlin R. Kiernan 2004
Turnskin Nicole Kimberling[5] 2008 Gay protagonists
Maximum Light Nancy Kress 1997
Swordspoint Ellen Kushner 1987 Gay protagonists, bisexual characters
Magic's Pawn Mercedes Lackey 1989 Gay main characters
Magic's Price Mercedes Lackey 1990 Gay main characters
Magic's Promise Mercedes Lackey 1990 Gay main characters
Salt Fish Girl Larissa Lai 2002 Lesbian protagonists
Pantomime (Micah Grey Trilogy) Laura Lam 2013 intersex protagonist
Carmilla Sheridan Le Fanu 1872 Lesbian vampire story
The Left Hand of Darkness Ursula K. Le Guin 1969 Genderqueer main and major characters
The Telling Ursula K. Le Guin 2000 Lesbian protagonist
Dark Water's Embrace Stephen Leigh 1998
Ash Malinda Lo 2009
Ἀληθῆ διηγήματα Lucian 125–180 CE (c) All-male world, male hero is given the king's son in marriage
Itineraria Jean de Mandeville (pseudonym) 1357–1371 An Amazon island and an island of the "third sex"[1]
China Mountain Zhang Maureen F. McHugh 1992 Gay major character
Starfarers Vonda N. McIntyre 1989 Bisexual main characters, poly relationship[4]
Gideon the Ninth Tamsyn Muir 2019 Lesbian main characters
The Painter Knight Fiona Patton 1998
Witchmark C. L. Polk 2018 Gay main characters
2312 Kim Stanley Robinson 2012 Genderqueer major characters, society in which nonbinary and fluid gender and sexuality is embraced
And Chaos Died Joanna Russ 1970 Gay protagonist
The Female Man Joanna Russ 1975 Lesbian major characters, partially about an all-female world
Was Geoff Ryman 1992 Gay main characters
Burning Bright Melissa Scott 1993 Bisexual major characters, lesbian protagonist
A Choice of Destinies Melissa Scott 1986 Gay male protagonists
Dreamships Melissa Scott 1993 Many gay characters
The Jazz Melissa Scott 2000 Bisexual protagonist
Mighty Good Road Melissa Scott 1990 Lesbian protagonist
Night Sky Mine Melissa Scott 1996 Lesbian and gay main characters
Shadow Man Melissa Scott 1995
Trouble and Her Friends Melissa Scott 1994 Lesbian protagonists
Sword of the Guardian Merry Shannon 2006 Lesbian fantasy romance with crossdressing protagonist
The Porcelain Dove Delia Sherman 1993 Lesbian fairy tale
Grasshopper Jungle Andrew A. Smith 2015 Gay and questioning main characters
Glasshouse Charles Stross 2006 Posthuman world in which consciousness can be put into other bodies
Venus Plus X Theodore Sturgeon 1960 Set in a future utopia where everyone is one neuter gender[4]
Hollow World Michael J. Sullivan 2014 Homogenous world lacking genders where a man from the ancient past has to come to grips with the difference between love and sexual attraction[6]
Queen of the Amazons Judith Tarr 2004 Bisexual protagonist
Houston, Houston, Do You Read? James Tiptree Jr. 1976 Set in a future where all men have died off
Palimpsest Catherynne M. Valente 2009
The House at Pelham Falls Brenda Weathers 1986 Lesbian protagonists and main characters[4]
All the White Spaces Ally Wilkes 2022 A trans man protagonist[7]
Where the Dead Wait Ally Wilkes 2023 A closet gay man protagonist[8]
Orlando: A Biography Virginia Woolf 1928 Genderqueer themes, gender-switching
Briar Rose Jane Yolen 1992 Gay major character

Short fiction with LGBT characters and themes

Title Author Year First published in LGBT content[1][2][3]
"Desire" Kim Antieau 1997 Bending the Landscape: Fantasy
"The Stars Are Tears" Robin Wayne Bailey 1997 Bending the Landscape: Fantasy
"Love's Last Farewell" Richard A. Bamberg 1998 Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction
"In Memory Of" Don Bassingthwaite 1997 Bending the Landscape: Fantasy
"Who Plays With Sin" Don Bassingthwaite 1998 Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction
"Sun-Drenched" Stephen Baxter 1998 Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction
"Tangents" Greg Bear 1986 Omni Gay male protagonist, positive uplifting story about a nonsexual relationship[4]
"Magicked Tricks" K. L. Berac 1997 Bending the Landscape: Fantasy
"In the House of the Man in the Moon" Richard Bowes 1997 Bending the Landscape: Fantasy
"Anthem" Lela E. Buis 1997
2014
Sex Crime
Competitive Fauna
Lesbian protagonist
"Ascension" Lela E. Buis 1997
2013
Icarus & Angels
Storm and Shadow
Gay protagonist
"The Dress" Lela E. Buis 2016 Canines Lesbian protagonist
"Enigma Variations" Lela E. Buis 1996
2014
Cyber-magick: Lesbian SF
Competitive Fauna
Lesbian protagonist
"My Little Town" Lela E. Buis 2014 Competitive Fauna Lesbian protagonist
"That December" Lela E. Buis 2015 Young Love, Old Hearts Lesbian protagonist
"A Study of Competitive Fauna" Lela E. Buis 2014 Competitive Fauna Lesbian protagonist
"Expression of Desire" Dominick Cancilla 1997 Bending the Landscape: Fantasy
The Bane Chronicles Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson and Sarah Rees Brennan 2013–2014 Short e-books Main character is bisexual
"Aye, and Gomorrah" Samuel R. Delany 1967 Dangerous Visions Genderqueer characters
"The Cage"[9] A. M. Dellamonica 2010 Tor.com Lesbian protagonists
"A Plant (Whose Name is Destroyed)"[10] Seth Dickinson 2013 Strange Horizons Gay protagonists
"Dance at the Edge" L. Timmel Duchamp 1998 Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction
"A Hollow Play" Amal El-Mohtar 2013 Glitter & Mayhem Anthology Lesbian protagonist, transgender and genderqueer characters
"Catman" Harlan Ellison 1974 Final Stage: The Ultimate Science Fiction Anthology Society where bisexuality is the norm; most characters are gay or bisexual[4]
"Eye of the Storm" Kelley Eskridge 1998 Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers
"Frost Painting" Carolyn Ives Gilman 1997 Bending the Landscape: Fantasy
"It Takes Two" Nicola Griffith 2010 Eclipse Three Lesbian protagonist
"Free in Asveroth" Jim Grimsley 1998 Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction
"Miss Ogilvy Finds Herself" Radclyffe Hall 1934 Lesbian protagonist, gender-switching themes
"Sex, Guns, and Baptists" Keith Hartman 1998 Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction
"Lonely Land" Denise Lopes Heald 1998 Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction
"-All You Zombies-" Robert A. Heinlein 1959 Fantasy and Science Fiction Intersex protagonist
"Fisherman" Nalo Hopkinson 2001 Skin Folk
"In Mysterious Ways" Tanya Huff 1997 Bending the Landscape: Fantasy
"Cloudmaker" Charlee Jacob 1997 Bending the Landscape: Fantasy
"The Rendez-Vous" Nancy Johnston 1998 Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction
"Sex with Ghosts"[11] Sarah Kanning 2008 Strange Horizons
"Full Moon and Empty Arms" M. W. Keiper 1997 Bending the Landscape: Fantasy
"Galapagos" Caitlin R. Kiernan 2009 Eclipse Three Lesbian main characters
"Time Gypsy" Ellen Klages 1998 Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction Lesbian protagonist
"State of Nature" Nancy Kress 1998 Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction
"A Wild and Wicked Youth" Ellen Kushner 2009 Fantasy and Science Fiction
"The Fall of the Kings" Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman 1997 Bending the Landscape: Fantasy
"Nine Lives" Ursula K. Le Guin 1969 Playboy Bisexual protagonists[4]
"A Real Girl" Shariann Lewitt 1998 Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction
"Water Snakes" Holly Wade Matter 1997 Bending the Landscape: Fantasy
"Sea of Cortez" Sandra McDonald 2011 Take Me There: Trans and Genderqueer Erotica
"Useless Things" Maureen F. McHugh 2009 Eclipse Three
"Bridesicle" Will McIntosh 2010 Asimov's Science Fiction Lesbian protagonist
"Looking for Satan" Vonda N. McIntyre 1981 Thieves' World III Lesbian/bisexual love story[4]
"Powertool" Mark McLaughlin 1998 Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction
"Prince of the Dark Green Sea" Mark McLaughlin 1997 Bending the Landscape: Fantasy
"Three Letters from the Queen of Elfland" Sarah Monette 2002 Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet
"The King's Folly" James A. Moore 1997 Bending the Landscape: Fantasy
"Silent Passion" Kathleen O'Malley 1998 Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction
"Half in Love with Easeful Rock and Roll" Rebecca Ore 1998 Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction
"The Beautiful People" Wendy Rathbone 1998 Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction
"The City in Morning" Carrie Richerson 1998 Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction
"Proserpine When It Sizzles" Tansy Rayner Roberts 2009 New Ceres Nights
"Existence" Joanna Russ 1975 Epoch
"Nobody's Home" Joanna Russ 1972 Women of Wonder
"The Second Inquisition" Joanna Russ 1970 More Women of Wonder
"When It Changed" Joanna Russ 1972 Again, Dangerous Visions Lesbian protagonist
"Young Lady Who Loved Caterpillars" Jessica Amanda Salmonson 1997 Bending the Landscape: Fantasy
"Selected Program Notes from the Retrospective Exhibition of Theresa Rosenberg Latimer" Kenneth Schneyer 2013 Clockwork Phoenix 4 Lesbian protagonist
"Brooks Too Broad for Leaping" Charles Sheffield 1998 Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction
"Gary, in the Shadows" Mark Shepherd 1997 Bending the Landscape: Fantasy
"There Are Things Which Are Hidden from the Eyes of the Everyday" Simon Sheppard 1997 Bending the Landscape: Fantasy
"The Faerie Cony-Catcher" Delia Sherman 1998 Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers
"The Sound of Angels" Lisa S. Silverthorne 1997 Bending the Landscape : Fantasy
"On Vacation" Ralph A. Sperry 1998 Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction
"The Flying Triangle" Allen Steele 1998 Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction
"The World Well Lost" Theodore Sturgeon 1953 Universe
"Another Coming" Sonya Taaffe 2004 Not One of Us
"The Home Town Boy" B. J. Thrower 1997 Bending the Landscape: Fantasy
"The Night Train"[12] Lavie Tidhar 2010 Strange Horizons Trans protagonist
"Gestures Too Late on a Gravel Road" Mark W. Tiedemann 1997 Bending the Landscape: Fantasy
"Surfaces" Mark W. Tiedemann 1998 Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction
"Your Faces, O My Sisters! Your Faces Filled with Light" James Tiptree Jr. 1976 Aurora: Beyond Equality Woman from an all-female society is the protagonist.[4]
"Mahu" Jeff Verona 1997 Bending the Landscape: Fantasy
"… Suspends ton vol" Élisabeth Vonarburg 1992 Translated as "Stay Thy Flight" in Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction
"Beside the Well" Leslie What 1997 Bending the Landscape: Fantasy
"The Metamorphosis Bud" Liu Wen Zhuang (pen name of Cynthea Liu) 1996 Genderflex
"Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time" K. M. Szpara 2017 Uncanny Magazine trans protagonist

Anthologies

Title Editors Year Publisher
Bending the Landscape: Fantasy Nicola Griffith and Stephen Pagel 1997 White Wolf Publishing
Bending the Landscape: Horror Nicola Griffith and Stephen Pagel 2001 White Wolf Publishing
Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction Nicola Griffith and Stephen Pagel 1998 White Wolf Publishing
Beyond Binary: Genderqueer and Sexually Fluid Speculative Fiction Lee Mandelo 2013 Lethe Press
Brothers of the Night: Gay Vampire Stories Michael Rowe and Thomas S. Roche 1997 Cleis Press
Cyber-magick: Lesbian SF Gary Bowen 1996 Obeliesk Books
Flying Cups & Saucers: Gender Explorations in Science Fiction & Fantasy Debbie Notkin and the Secret Feminist Cabal 1998 Edgewood Press
Gay City 5: Ghosts in Gaslight, Monsters in Steam[13] Vincent Kovar and Evan J. Peterson 2013 Minor Arcana Press and Gay City Health Project
Grave Passions: Tales of the Gay Supernatural William J. Mann 1997 Badboy
Icarus & Angels, Flights of Fantasy: Gay SF Gary Bowen 1996 Obeliesk Books
Irregulars: A Shared-World Anthology – Stories by Nicole Kimberling, Josh Lanyon, Astrid Amara and Ginn Hale. LGBT Fantasy Nicole Kimberling and J.D. Hope 2012 Blind Eye Books
Kindred Spirits: An Anthology of Gay and Lesbian Science Fiction Stories Jeffrey M. Elliot 1984 Alyson
Queer Dimensions James EM Rasmussen 2009 Queered Fiction
Suffered from the Night: Queering Stoker's Dracula Steve Berman 2013 Lethe Press
Swords of the Rainbow: Science Fiction and Fantasy Eric Garber and Jewelle Gomez 1996 Alyson
Tangle Anthology, XY Edition. Fiction with a Twist. Nicole Kimberling 2008 Blind Eye Books
Tangle Girls Anthology. Fiction with a Twist. Nicole Kimberling 2009 Blind Eye Books
Things Invisible to See: Gay and Lesbian Tales of Magic Realism Lawrence Schimel 1998 Circlet Press
Time Well Bent: Queer Alternative Histories[14] Connie Wilkins 2009 Lethe Press
Touch of the Sea Steve Berman 2012 Lethe Press
Worlds Apart: An Anthology of Lesbian and Gay Science Fiction and Fantasy Camilla Decarnin, Eric Garber, and Lyn Paleo 1986 Alyson

Awards

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Feminist SFF & Utopia: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender SF". Archived from the original on 2008-06-09. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  2. ^ a b "Lambda Sci-Fi Recommended Reading".
  3. ^ a b "Alternative Sexualities and Identities in SF/F - Mohanraj".
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Uranian Worlds: a guide to alternative sexuality in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. 2nd Edition. Ed. Eric Garber and Lyn Paleo. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1990
  5. ^ Nicole Kimberling
  6. ^ "James Triptee Jr Award: An award encouraging the exploration & expansion of gender". Retrieved 2016-04-17.
  7. ^ "All the White Spaces". Publishers Weekly. 1 March 2022. ISSN 0000-0019. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  8. ^ "Where the Dead Wait". Kirkus Reviews. Vol. XCI, no. 21. 1 November 2023. ISSN 1948-7428. ProQuest 2883232815. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  9. ^ "The Cage"
  10. ^ "A Plant (Whose Name is Destroyed)"
  11. ^ "Sex with Ghosts"
  12. ^ "The Night Train"
  13. ^ Minor Arcana Press descriptive listing for "Ghosts in Gaslight..." (bottom of page) Archived 2013-12-16 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ ISFDB listing for Time Well Bent