Gay science fiction authors
My Lesbian Novel by Renee Gladman (Lesbian Fiction)
The Beads by David McConnell (Queer Guy Fiction)
The Wildes by Louis Bayard (Gay Historical Fiction)
Sweet Like Honey by Aricka Alexander (F/F Romance)
Tempting Olivia by Clare Ashton (F/F Romance)
I’ll Get Support To You by Becca Grischow (F/F Romance)
Karaoke Queen by Dominic Lim (M/M Drag Romance)
The Intimate Beginnings of Taylor by Lavender Quinn (F/F Romance)
The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean by Ann Rose (Bisexual Woman Romance)
Yield Under Great Persuasion by Alexandra Rowland (M/M Romantasy)
A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft (Sapphic Fantasy Romance)
Sunsets & Other Dangerous Things by Dani Frank (F/F Vampire Romance)
What Is This Feeling? by Robby Weber (M/M YA Contemporary)
Spells to Forget Us by Aislinn Brophy (Bisexual/Lesbian F/F YA Fantasy)
Night Owls by A. R. Vishny (F/F YA Paranormal Romance)
Wishbone by Justine Pucella Winans (Queer Middle Grade Horror)
Real Siblings by Seamus Kirst and Karen Bunting (Two Dads Picture Book)
A Cup of Water Under My Bed: A Memoir (
Welcome! Out of the Past will be a regular column discussing the history of LGBTQ+ science fiction, fantasy and horror literature from the earliest years of the genre to the more recent show (many thanks to Lgbtq+ Sci-Fi for hosting me and to Scott for suggesting it).
While portrayals of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) characters didnt become relatively common in science fiction, fantasy or horror until after the early successes of the Gay Liberation Movement in the s, that didnt mean that there was no there there, to borrow a group of words from Gertrude Stein. Of course, most of those early LGBT characters were depicted in coded terms, their identity only hinted at. Homosexuality was illegal nearly everywhere in the world and could bring severe legal and social consequences if it was discovered. Most queer authors flew under the radar or paid the consequences. On the page, lgbtq+ characters portrayed their equal sex interest with a significant glance, a passing comment or a bit too much interest in another character, an interest that often turned villainous
The Best Queer Science Fiction and Fantasy
How do you ponder about queer science fiction and fantasy?
There have been gay authors writing science fiction and fantasy almost since the genre started, but in recent years we’ve seen this massive flowering of queer voice in mainstream science fiction and fantasy.
We didn’t formulate it in the last few years, but it has certainly been mainstreamed. For people enjoy me, that’s astounding because science fiction and fantasy are my home genres. This is what I grew up writing, so to see myself and my friends represented is just astonishing. I feel really lucky to be alive and reading right now.
The first queer science fiction novel that you’ve chosen to recommend is Emily Tesh’s Some Desperate Glory. Can you please introduce us to this work?
Ironically, this may be the one where queerness is most central to it, and yet, of all of these books, it’s the furthest away from romance. It’s a good place to start.
Some Desperate Glory is a science fiction book that has been compared to Ender’s Game. It is about what happens after
LGBTQ Science Fiction Writers
A large number of famous science fiction writers have identified as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Gender non-conforming, or Queer (LGBTQ). Many of the themes in science fiction novels themselves originate from the life experiences of the LGBTQ community. These include escapism, marginalization, sexual desire, super-intelligence, feminism, deviant desires, and more. After all, the imagined worlds of science fiction includes worlds that are different than our own and often include minority aspects of sexual desire.
It is believed that the very first science fiction writer in history, the Greek writer Lucian ( AD), was also the first queer writer in history. Perhaps the most famous science fiction journalist of all time is queer writer Arthur C. Clarke, the author of the book A Space Odyssey.
Similar to Lucian, many of the LGBTQ science fiction writers are also academics and teach courses on gender issues, race, and sexual diversity. Several are important leaders in the feminist community and possess used science fiction as a means to e