Lgbtq fiction authors
From Sappho to Stonewall, and beyond: how fiction tells LGBTQ+ history
Fiction tells us so much about the time we live in – and LGBTQ+ writers have been writing since the early days of literature. Their stories hold often, but not always, been marginalised, but they have always said something about the era in which they were first told or published. Here, we take a peer at the evolution of queer fiction across the ages – for brevity’s sake, focusing on the Western world – and what it reflects about that moment in history, from Sappho, to Stonewall, and beyond.
Queer stories in antiquity
Madeline Miller’s 2011 strike The Song of Achillesis a moving queer retelling of The Iliad from the perspective of childish prince Patroclus that simultaneously reflects pride in gay relationships (Achilles remains adamant throughout that he and Patroclus be seen together) and modern anxieties about romantic relationships and masculinity – how men can be gentle, how to manage family expectations.
But being queer wasn’t always coded as different, and many myths don’t necessitate retelling: even before the printed word, ancient mythology and religious narratives were rife with ro
Here are five tips to help you search voices of the Queer experience as well as a convenient clickable list of LGBTQ+ authors linked directly to our catalog for placing requests or checking out e-books and audiobooks. If you depend on help finding books by LGBTQ+ authors, we can help!
1. Read an award winner.
Make a selection from some of the most distinguished honors in literature.
2. Borrow e-books or downloadable audiobooks.
Browse OverDrive’s LGBTQIA+ collections of e-books and downloadable audiobooks.
If you have never borrowed from OverDrive or the OverDrive Libby app before, both OverDrive browser directions and Libby app directions are available as well as an OverDrive video tutorial and Overdrive/Libby Support.
Need more help? Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text or email Ask-a-Librarian. Additionally, the Tinker Station helpline at (317) 275-4500 is also present. It is staffed by device experts who can answer questions about how to read, watch and listen on a PC, tablet or phone.
3. Find reading recommendations from IndyPL staff.
4. Use your IndyPL Library card to login to Novelist
A confession: I very nearly quit putting this list together.
Throughout the year I keep a running list, adding modern names whenever I learn about an upcoming queer book—from Tweets, publicist pitches, endless NetGalley scrolls—and I usually originate writing the blurbs for each publication a few months before the list is due. Allow me also insert that, because I am a novelist myself, someone who works very challenging to put words on the page in a good-enough order for someone to respond to them, I attempt and read at least a minuscule of each publication featured. And here’s an incredible reality that’s both deeply satisfying and makes my job surprisingly difficult: there are more and more queer books published every year. There was a moment when I could complete a list like this in an afternoon; I was lucky to find a dozen explicitly queer titles. Now there’s a pretty solid chance I miss a good number of them.
In mid-December—at the half-way point, and a couple days after my birthday—I looked at the list, halfway done then, and consideration, “There’s no way I can perform this. There’s no way I can finish putting together this list in a way that does each publication justice.” Partly it was the volume, yes, and partly it was the amb
LGBTQ Science Fiction Writers
LGBTQ Science Fiction WritersA large number of popular science fiction writers have identified as Lesbian, Male lover, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer (LGBTQ). Many of the themes in science fiction novels themselves originate from the animation 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 distinct than our have and often involve minority aspects of sexual desire.
It is believed that the very first science fiction penner in history, the Greek writer Lucian (120-150 AD), was also the first gay writer in history. Perhaps the most famous science fiction writer of all time is gay writer Arthur C. Clarke, the author of the book 2001: 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 collective and have used science fiction as a means to express their vision of the perfect world. Several of these LGBTQ authors are recipients of
43 must-read books by LGBTQIA+ authors, from stunning memoirs to heartwarming romance novels
This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? .
When you get through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more
Diverse representation matters in every industry, and LGBTQIA+ authors bring a bright and necessary collection of lgbtq+ and genderqueer characters and stories to our shelves. From authentically portrayed sapphic romances to memoirs that illuminate challenging coming-of-age journeys, LGBTQIA+ authors write stories that can help readers of any identity superior understand anything from the trials faced by gender non-conforming people to the unrivaled height of queer joy.
We chose these recommendations based on queer authors we — and readers — love, from groundbreaking storytellers from the mid-1900s to emerging voices with stunning debuts. With a variety of genres on this list including memoirs, fantasy novels, and young senior books, you're sure to find an LGBTQIA+ storyteller to cherish this Celebration month and beyond.
Fiction
After losing her media career and being replaced by an
A confession: I very nearly quit putting this list together.
Throughout the year I keep a running list, adding modern names whenever I learn about an upcoming queer book—from Tweets, publicist pitches, endless NetGalley scrolls—and I usually originate writing the blurbs for each publication a few months before the list is due. Allow me also insert that, because I am a novelist myself, someone who works very challenging to put words on the page in a good-enough order for someone to respond to them, I attempt and read at least a minuscule of each publication featured. And here’s an incredible reality that’s both deeply satisfying and makes my job surprisingly difficult: there are more and more queer books published every year. There was a moment when I could complete a list like this in an afternoon; I was lucky to find a dozen explicitly queer titles. Now there’s a pretty solid chance I miss a good number of them.
In mid-December—at the half-way point, and a couple days after my birthday—I looked at the list, halfway done then, and consideration, “There’s no way I can perform this. There’s no way I can finish putting together this list in a way that does each publication justice.” Partly it was the volume, yes, and partly it was the amb
LGBTQ Science Fiction Writers
A large number of popular science fiction writers have identified as Lesbian, Male lover, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer (LGBTQ). Many of the themes in science fiction novels themselves originate from the animation 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 distinct than our have and often involve minority aspects of sexual desire.
It is believed that the very first science fiction penner in history, the Greek writer Lucian (120-150 AD), was also the first gay writer in history. Perhaps the most famous science fiction writer of all time is gay writer Arthur C. Clarke, the author of the book 2001: 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 collective and have used science fiction as a means to express their vision of the perfect world. Several of these LGBTQ authors are recipients of
43 must-read books by LGBTQIA+ authors, from stunning memoirs to heartwarming romance novels
This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? .
When you get through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more
Diverse representation matters in every industry, and LGBTQIA+ authors bring a bright and necessary collection of lgbtq+ and genderqueer characters and stories to our shelves. From authentically portrayed sapphic romances to memoirs that illuminate challenging coming-of-age journeys, LGBTQIA+ authors write stories that can help readers of any identity superior understand anything from the trials faced by gender non-conforming people to the unrivaled height of queer joy.
We chose these recommendations based on queer authors we — and readers — love, from groundbreaking storytellers from the mid-1900s to emerging voices with stunning debuts. With a variety of genres on this list including memoirs, fantasy novels, and young senior books, you're sure to find an LGBTQIA+ storyteller to cherish this Celebration month and beyond.
Fiction
After losing her media career and being replaced by an