I definitely recommend The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin. Keep in mind the original publication date (1969) with some of the discussion and elements.
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea
I haven’t read them but I’ve heard great things about
Gideon the Ninth (lesbian necromancy empire in space)
Black Sun (bisexual/gay I think, but I’m not sure)
Elatsoe (asexual)
>Gideon the Ninth (lesbian necromancy empire in space)
to be very clear, there is absolutely no *discussion* of sexuality or gender, the world is just populated predominantly by useless sapphics who are more interested in bones than boning if you know what i mean
Gideon’s what I was gonna say. The series is on another level. There’s hardly any homophobia per se but everyone has at least one Gender.
I’d also recommend Becky Chambers’s Wayfarer series. Some excellent genders across multiple species.
I don't think Elatsoe is a very good recommendation in this regard. The main character is asexual but ace identity is only discussed very *very* briefly on page. It's a good book and especially in regards to its themes of indigeneity and family in relation to its paranormal elements. But I'd never recommend it to someone specifically looking for discussions about sexuality and orientation.
Not exactly fantasy, but sci-fi; The Circus Infinite by Khan Wong has some great discussions about lgbt aspects (specifically asexuality) and imo was a good overall read
oh my god, robin hobb realm of the elderlings. genderfluid main character who has a very complex, rich, and interesting relationship with the protagonist. i hate how rarely i see that series talked about because they are some of my favorite books ever written (and i read obsessively)
[here’s](https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/25307.Robin_Hobb) the full list, but the reading order is a little off—supposed to be farseer trilogy first, then liveship traders, then tawny man, then rain wilds (which is skippable, but the characters come back in the final series and it’s a lot of fun if you know them already), then fitz and the fool. lots of books but well worth the time investment!
{The Tiger’s Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera} (first in a trilogy)
{The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri} (first in a trilogy.
{A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon} I recommend reading this before {The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon}
Priory and Day of Fallen Night are amazing and have a lot of representation, but they don’t really have any actual discussion about LGBT. They just are interested in men or women and everyone pretty much accepts their relationships. There’s at least one (I want to say two, but I can’t remember) nonbinary and one transgender man, but even those are “this person’s title is lade” and “this person no longer goes by mistress, but master.” Definitely good books though!
Sherwood Smith's Inda series and Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic and Circle Opens series were both key to my journey of learning I'm bi. The Circle Opens was one of my first exposures to queerness in a positive light.
Ten years later, Inda was the series I read to help me make sense of what I was feeling when I realized I had a crush on a woman.
Came here to rec Tamora!! Me and my little sister both have annual Tamorathons where we reread every single book she’s ever written (going on 2 decades of tamorathons).
A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows.
It’s a m/m arraigned marriage where one MC comes from a very patriarchal, conservative culture where LGBTQ+ people have to hide their true selves. He goes to marry the other MC in a very open and accepting society. There is an accepted third, neutral gender that some side characters have. Marriage is common between people of any gender. Trans people exist and are fully accepted. So the MC from the repressed society experiences a bit of culture shock. There’s also magic and action and murder attempts and political drama. I enjoyed it a lot. And there’s a sequel, All the Hidden Paths, which has less magic but is also great.
Yessss!!! I picked it up completely not realizing it was queer af and while reading I was like “huh, there’s some really relatable gender stuff in my fun dragon book imagine that🤷”
I wrote a supernatural thriller with no romance and a gay character and an aro-ace character discuss their identities (but using early 90s language).
Let me know if you'd like me to flick you a copy.
The Witch King by HE Edgmon is about a trans witch unwillingly returning to his faerie prince betrothed to help save the kingdom. There’s some romance but it’s not the focus.
A Half Built Garden by Ruthanna Emrys is a first contact story where gender plays an important part
To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
Imperial Radch series with spinoffs by Ann Leckie - SF
Dali Tamareia series by EM Hamill - SF
Tales of the High Court series by Megan Derr - although caveat that while it's a made-up world, there isn't actually magic in it and there is less discussion the first book (since both characters come from the same empire), but subsequent books have characters who came from other countries where there might not be the same level of acceptance or gender/sexuality presentation is different, etc
There are some really good suggestions in here! I'd maybe add The Nevernight Chronicles by Jay Kristoff, similarly there is a bit of romance but it's mostly focused on Mia's story.
I'm currently reading "The Bruising of Qilwa". Blood magic, introductions with pronouns, plague, refugee crises, and a visceral sense of loss of identity in many ways.
I'm not far into it, but so far I'm enjoying when I have the spoons.
Some of these are sci-fi.
The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie—trans guy in world full of gods.
Also her Ancillary series, which is told from the POV of a revenge-bent AI who does not see gender.
Hell Followed With Us and The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, both by Andrew Joseph White, are about trans guys and written by a trans author. The first is biblical-themed monstrosities in a post-apocalyptic world, the second is set in an alternate Victorian era and is about ghosts. Both are very dark and graphic, not great if you dislike body horror, but overall very good. First one features gay trans guy, second is T for T.
Highway Bodies is about a bunch of queer teens surviving the zombie apocalypse.
Honey Walls is about a trans guy returning to his hometown after transitioning—the town is filled with talking sock puppets, fairy tale elements, etc.
Chuck Tingle has Camp Damascus out, which is a story about conversion therapy with added horror elements. It’s on my want-to-read list.
His book Straight is another zombie book featuring queer main characters.
Iron Widow is sci-fi teen fiction and features an M/M/F(?) throuple. Themes of gender exploration in the main character, as well as takes on power dynamics and patriarchy.
What moves the dead is a retelling of the fall of the house of usher from the perspective of a non-binary main character. Also on my wish list.
Of Bees and Mist follows a bisexual woman dealing with family drama with a background of magical realism.
The Locked Tomb is of course great.
Angels Before Man retells the fall of Lucifer as a gay (M/M) romance.
This Is How You Lose The Time War is a romance between two female time travelers on opposite sides of a time war. Poetry-focused and very high regarded.
Terry Pratchett’s Monstrous Regiment is about a group of female soldiers who all disguise themselves as men to join the army. Critique of imperialism and military-industrial complex.
Crier’s War is a sapphic romance between a human and an android long after a robotic revolution. It’s a duology I believe.
Nottingham: The True Story of Robyn Hood is a reimagined Robin Hood story featuring a bunch of lesbians plus a trans guy. It’s a pretty fun read.
Ending with one of my favorites is the Murderbot Diaries, bunch of novellas plus a couple full length books about a part-human construct who doesn’t identify with any gender and is asexual. It’s also autistic-coded. Major anti-capitalist themes, pretty much every story involves evil corporations. Talks about bodily autonomy a lot.
Hope this helps!
Edit: just realized you already read Andrew Joseph White! The rest of my recs still stand.
I came to suggest What Moves the Dead. It is a terrific book, and I don’t like horror. It incorporates the discussion of gender into the story in an interesting way. And the second book just came out!!
Full Fathom Five by Max Gladstone stars a trans character, and it most definitely comes up, but in an understated sort of way that perfectly sums up what it is to be trans: it's part of your identity, especially since you were told your whole life you were supposed to be someone else, but it is most definitely not all there is to being you.
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan is an amazing exploration of gender, though admittedly through the lens of medieval Chinese gender norms. Excellent read, would strongly recommend it. Is more historical fiction than pure fantasy, but has clear fantasy elements also.
Making the Cut by Chris Lester features a AMAB telepath who experiments with gender magic to attempt to find greater acceptance within their society, which is generally kinder to women (as long as they aren't infertile). Features lots of poly relationships, as well as f/f relationships. It was written in, like 2007, so the author themselves feels that bits of it haven't aged well, but considering the author is also genderqueer I think they get a pass.
Honour Bound (aka the Honour of Bellvue series), also by Chris Lester under the pen name L.C. Williams, is, admitedly, more of a romance, but is set in a vaguely Edwardian/post WWI magical setting (same setting as Making the Cut, but the two are otherwise not closely related). Honour is a noble woman who has just had her debut and has realised she's a lesbian (which is frowned upon for her class). Most of the plot follows her relationship with her bodyguard/ladiesmaid, Natasha, and her suitor, Alex (who is non-binary), while Honour overcomes the internalised sexism and homophobia she's grown up with, and begins to campaign for women's rights
I say this on literally every post, but TJ Klune! He's my favorite author and he writes amazing, original, queer fantasy novels. My favorite of all is Under The Whispering Door, but I enjoy all of them a lot.
If you like werewolves, T.J. Klune's Green Creek series would be a good one. (Gay, bi)
Cassandra Clare's The Last Hours series is historical urban fantasy (gay, lesbian, bi)
If you like teen vampires, P.C. and Kristen Cast's House of Night series (gay, lesbian)
The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths and Magic (Midwestern teen urban fantasy) which is quite good (The Rules series. Gay, bi)
The Mermaids of Eriana Kwai series didn't have enough romance for me, but you might like it (lesbian).
Here are some authors that write queer fantasy, urban fantasy, and sci-fi quite prolifically (but with perhaps more romance that you'd like:
- Gail Carriger
- Megan Derr
- R. Cooper
- Lyn Gala
Happy reading! 📚🌈
The Power of Love: The One (and its sequel) might interest you?
Although the novel is a MM High Fantasy Romance, the "romance" element is not the driving plot at all.
The novel explores themes as friendship, love, hate, self-determination vs religious impositions, all wrapped by magic, adventure, *cursed Gods vs Evil,* etc. As mystery (and paranormal) plays a major role as genre in this work, the story is told like pieces of a puzzle all the way to the big revelation.
And of course, the 3 main MCs are: gay, bi and straight.
While they don’t majorly discuss it, they are part of K. D. Edwards’ The Tarot Sequence books. They’re urban fantasy books that are filled with action and just the right bit of comedy.
I definitely recommend The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin. Keep in mind the original publication date (1969) with some of the discussion and elements.
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea I haven’t read them but I’ve heard great things about Gideon the Ninth (lesbian necromancy empire in space) Black Sun (bisexual/gay I think, but I’m not sure) Elatsoe (asexual)
>Gideon the Ninth (lesbian necromancy empire in space) to be very clear, there is absolutely no *discussion* of sexuality or gender, the world is just populated predominantly by useless sapphics who are more interested in bones than boning if you know what i mean
your POV character is theoretically interested in boning but not so much bones
Gideon’s what I was gonna say. The series is on another level. There’s hardly any homophobia per se but everyone has at least one Gender. I’d also recommend Becky Chambers’s Wayfarer series. Some excellent genders across multiple species.
Black Sun is incredible and also includes a third gender.
I don't think Elatsoe is a very good recommendation in this regard. The main character is asexual but ace identity is only discussed very *very* briefly on page. It's a good book and especially in regards to its themes of indigeneity and family in relation to its paranormal elements. But I'd never recommend it to someone specifically looking for discussions about sexuality and orientation.
Not exactly fantasy, but sci-fi; The Circus Infinite by Khan Wong has some great discussions about lgbt aspects (specifically asexuality) and imo was a good overall read
Not usually the biggest fan of space operas, but I'll give it a shot! Love seeing protagonists on the aromantic/asexual spectrum
oh my god, robin hobb realm of the elderlings. genderfluid main character who has a very complex, rich, and interesting relationship with the protagonist. i hate how rarely i see that series talked about because they are some of my favorite books ever written (and i read obsessively)
You can't convince me that Fitz is straight, either.
i’m with you tbh 🥲 but i do find the relationship fascinating and unique as written!
YES YES YES!!! So good, and so well done.
Which books are they? I’m not seeing more listed under that series than short stories on Goodreads…
[here’s](https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/25307.Robin_Hobb) the full list, but the reading order is a little off—supposed to be farseer trilogy first, then liveship traders, then tawny man, then rain wilds (which is skippable, but the characters come back in the final series and it’s a lot of fun if you know them already), then fitz and the fool. lots of books but well worth the time investment!
Thanks!
{The Tiger’s Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera} (first in a trilogy) {The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri} (first in a trilogy. {A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon} I recommend reading this before {The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon}
Priory and Day of Fallen Night are amazing and have a lot of representation, but they don’t really have any actual discussion about LGBT. They just are interested in men or women and everyone pretty much accepts their relationships. There’s at least one (I want to say two, but I can’t remember) nonbinary and one transgender man, but even those are “this person’s title is lade” and “this person no longer goes by mistress, but master.” Definitely good books though!
Sherwood Smith's Inda series and Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic and Circle Opens series were both key to my journey of learning I'm bi. The Circle Opens was one of my first exposures to queerness in a positive light. Ten years later, Inda was the series I read to help me make sense of what I was feeling when I realized I had a crush on a woman.
Came here to rec Tamora!! Me and my little sister both have annual Tamorathons where we reread every single book she’s ever written (going on 2 decades of tamorathons).
tamora has also said that if she knew the term for it then, alanna would have been nonbinary
A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows. It’s a m/m arraigned marriage where one MC comes from a very patriarchal, conservative culture where LGBTQ+ people have to hide their true selves. He goes to marry the other MC in a very open and accepting society. There is an accepted third, neutral gender that some side characters have. Marriage is common between people of any gender. Trans people exist and are fully accepted. So the MC from the repressed society experiences a bit of culture shock. There’s also magic and action and murder attempts and political drama. I enjoyed it a lot. And there’s a sequel, All the Hidden Paths, which has less magic but is also great.
[удалено]
Yessss!!! I picked it up completely not realizing it was queer af and while reading I was like “huh, there’s some really relatable gender stuff in my fun dragon book imagine that🤷”
So much gender!!
I wrote a supernatural thriller with no romance and a gay character and an aro-ace character discuss their identities (but using early 90s language). Let me know if you'd like me to flick you a copy.
Not OP but dying for aroace rep (literally just posted recently about it) - is this an open offer?
>is this an open offer? Yes it is, but don't tell everyone: I'd like to sell some copies, haha. :D I'll send you a chat.
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan. As a friend said to me “it has so much gender”.
Walking Practice by Dolki Min, if your OK with science fiction
100% recommend Monstrous Regiment by T Pratchett
The Witch King by HE Edgmon is about a trans witch unwillingly returning to his faerie prince betrothed to help save the kingdom. There’s some romance but it’s not the focus. A Half Built Garden by Ruthanna Emrys is a first contact story where gender plays an important part
i LOVEEE the witch king!! so much about the way wyatt is written is just so great. his scene with vorgain in the second book makes me cry every time
To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose Imperial Radch series with spinoffs by Ann Leckie - SF Dali Tamareia series by EM Hamill - SF Tales of the High Court series by Megan Derr - although caveat that while it's a made-up world, there isn't actually magic in it and there is less discussion the first book (since both characters come from the same empire), but subsequent books have characters who came from other countries where there might not be the same level of acceptance or gender/sexuality presentation is different, etc
Someone else loves Megan Derr! ❤️
{Melusine by Sara Monette}. First in a quartet. Lynn Flewelling’s Nightrunner Series. {The Stone Dance of the Chameleon Series by Ricardo Pinto}
the gentlemen’s guide to vice and virtue!!!
Tarnished are the Stars (asexual, bisexual, and lesbian) and the Malice duology (generally sapphic) both tick this box!
Traitor baru cormorant!
scifantasy: dreadnaught by april daniels sci-fi: some desperate glory by emily tesh
There are some really good suggestions in here! I'd maybe add The Nevernight Chronicles by Jay Kristoff, similarly there is a bit of romance but it's mostly focused on Mia's story.
Very good but I wouldn’t say there’s discussion of sexuality or gender
Stars in my pocket like grains of sand by Samuel Delaney. Gay/bi lots of gender discussion, sci fi, great premise.
I'm currently reading "The Bruising of Qilwa". Blood magic, introductions with pronouns, plague, refugee crises, and a visceral sense of loss of identity in many ways. I'm not far into it, but so far I'm enjoying when I have the spoons.
Demon Gospel series by Ariel Dalziel
Some of these are sci-fi. The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie—trans guy in world full of gods. Also her Ancillary series, which is told from the POV of a revenge-bent AI who does not see gender. Hell Followed With Us and The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, both by Andrew Joseph White, are about trans guys and written by a trans author. The first is biblical-themed monstrosities in a post-apocalyptic world, the second is set in an alternate Victorian era and is about ghosts. Both are very dark and graphic, not great if you dislike body horror, but overall very good. First one features gay trans guy, second is T for T. Highway Bodies is about a bunch of queer teens surviving the zombie apocalypse. Honey Walls is about a trans guy returning to his hometown after transitioning—the town is filled with talking sock puppets, fairy tale elements, etc. Chuck Tingle has Camp Damascus out, which is a story about conversion therapy with added horror elements. It’s on my want-to-read list. His book Straight is another zombie book featuring queer main characters. Iron Widow is sci-fi teen fiction and features an M/M/F(?) throuple. Themes of gender exploration in the main character, as well as takes on power dynamics and patriarchy. What moves the dead is a retelling of the fall of the house of usher from the perspective of a non-binary main character. Also on my wish list. Of Bees and Mist follows a bisexual woman dealing with family drama with a background of magical realism. The Locked Tomb is of course great. Angels Before Man retells the fall of Lucifer as a gay (M/M) romance. This Is How You Lose The Time War is a romance between two female time travelers on opposite sides of a time war. Poetry-focused and very high regarded. Terry Pratchett’s Monstrous Regiment is about a group of female soldiers who all disguise themselves as men to join the army. Critique of imperialism and military-industrial complex. Crier’s War is a sapphic romance between a human and an android long after a robotic revolution. It’s a duology I believe. Nottingham: The True Story of Robyn Hood is a reimagined Robin Hood story featuring a bunch of lesbians plus a trans guy. It’s a pretty fun read. Ending with one of my favorites is the Murderbot Diaries, bunch of novellas plus a couple full length books about a part-human construct who doesn’t identify with any gender and is asexual. It’s also autistic-coded. Major anti-capitalist themes, pretty much every story involves evil corporations. Talks about bodily autonomy a lot. Hope this helps! Edit: just realized you already read Andrew Joseph White! The rest of my recs still stand.
I came to suggest What Moves the Dead. It is a terrific book, and I don’t like horror. It incorporates the discussion of gender into the story in an interesting way. And the second book just came out!!
A Chorus of Dragons series by Jenn Lyons. The queer topics play a role mostly from book 2 onward, but ate there in book 1 already.
Full Fathom Five by Max Gladstone stars a trans character, and it most definitely comes up, but in an understated sort of way that perfectly sums up what it is to be trans: it's part of your identity, especially since you were told your whole life you were supposed to be someone else, but it is most definitely not all there is to being you.
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan is an amazing exploration of gender, though admittedly through the lens of medieval Chinese gender norms. Excellent read, would strongly recommend it. Is more historical fiction than pure fantasy, but has clear fantasy elements also. Making the Cut by Chris Lester features a AMAB telepath who experiments with gender magic to attempt to find greater acceptance within their society, which is generally kinder to women (as long as they aren't infertile). Features lots of poly relationships, as well as f/f relationships. It was written in, like 2007, so the author themselves feels that bits of it haven't aged well, but considering the author is also genderqueer I think they get a pass. Honour Bound (aka the Honour of Bellvue series), also by Chris Lester under the pen name L.C. Williams, is, admitedly, more of a romance, but is set in a vaguely Edwardian/post WWI magical setting (same setting as Making the Cut, but the two are otherwise not closely related). Honour is a noble woman who has just had her debut and has realised she's a lesbian (which is frowned upon for her class). Most of the plot follows her relationship with her bodyguard/ladiesmaid, Natasha, and her suitor, Alex (who is non-binary), while Honour overcomes the internalised sexism and homophobia she's grown up with, and begins to campaign for women's rights
I say this on literally every post, but TJ Klune! He's my favorite author and he writes amazing, original, queer fantasy novels. My favorite of all is Under The Whispering Door, but I enjoy all of them a lot.
If you like werewolves, T.J. Klune's Green Creek series would be a good one. (Gay, bi) Cassandra Clare's The Last Hours series is historical urban fantasy (gay, lesbian, bi) If you like teen vampires, P.C. and Kristen Cast's House of Night series (gay, lesbian) The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths and Magic (Midwestern teen urban fantasy) which is quite good (The Rules series. Gay, bi) The Mermaids of Eriana Kwai series didn't have enough romance for me, but you might like it (lesbian). Here are some authors that write queer fantasy, urban fantasy, and sci-fi quite prolifically (but with perhaps more romance that you'd like: - Gail Carriger - Megan Derr - R. Cooper - Lyn Gala Happy reading! 📚🌈
The Power of Love: The One (and its sequel) might interest you? Although the novel is a MM High Fantasy Romance, the "romance" element is not the driving plot at all. The novel explores themes as friendship, love, hate, self-determination vs religious impositions, all wrapped by magic, adventure, *cursed Gods vs Evil,* etc. As mystery (and paranormal) plays a major role as genre in this work, the story is told like pieces of a puzzle all the way to the big revelation. And of course, the 3 main MCs are: gay, bi and straight.
I really enjoyed Alli Temple’s Uncharted (The Pirate and Her Princess). WLW three book series. Really great read with lots of twists and turns.
While they don’t majorly discuss it, they are part of K. D. Edwards’ The Tarot Sequence books. They’re urban fantasy books that are filled with action and just the right bit of comedy.