Don't mind me and my big gay book spam!
If you don't know, Orson Scott Card is a well known, long standing queer hater who thinks that gay folks should be locked away if they dare to show their horrible queerness in public. Recently he rewrote a very nasty, and hateful version of Hamlet which revolves around the idea that gay = evil.
But this is the internet and at least in my section of it, we don't hold with those kind of shenanigans from people who are (not to put too fine a point on it) howling bigoted douchemonkeys.
The response, at least on Twitter, was the #buyabiggaynovelforscottcardday hashtag in which people from all over threw in their recommendation for queer/LGBT+ novels, books, even short stories and comics and graphic novels that would put any reader on the top of OSC's "Evil Queer" List.
And being the person I am, I have tried to compile that list by following the hashtag.
A List of GLBT+ Book Recommendations from The #buyabiggaynovelforscottcardday Hash Tag
Compiled by: megwrites/@wordroot
Note 1: Feel free to link to and spread around the list (and credit would be really nice!)
Note 2: This list is complete as I can make up to the most recent update (check the ETA's down below).
Note 3: I have tried to get all the titles I could, but it’s likely I may have missed some. If your recommendation was on the hashtag and it isn’t here, please send me a message or an @ reply on Twitter so I can update the list!
Note 4: Some of the titles listed here may be graphic novels, comic books, or non-book titles. I’ve tried to note that where I can with a star or a note. If I’ve missed something, please let me know.
Note 5: I cannot vouch for the quality or content of about the books on the list. I'm taking it on good faith that they all contain a reasonable amount of GLBT content or characters, but as with any book, they may excel in one area and be very problematic or hurtful in another. Feel free to discuss this to your heart's content in comments, but be VERY respectful of others. Hate, various -isms, and cluelessness will not be tolerated. Meaning: if someone says "this novel was problematic for x, y, z reasons", replying with, "But I didn't see anything wrong with it, so nothing was wrong" is NOT an okay response. If you want to rail about how NOT offensive/problematic it was, you have your own space. You can go to it. Away from here.
Note 6: Of course, I am also open for recommendations to add to the list here and will, when time permits, add anything that's mentioned in comments.
A
Acito, Marc - How I Paid for College, Attack of the Theater People
Adair, Gilbert - The Dreamers
Alameddine, Rabih - The Hakawati
Amara, Astrid - The Archer's Heart
Anders, Charlie - Choir Boy
Arnason, Eleanor - Ring of Swords
Arvin, Eric - The Rest is Illusion, Subsurdity, Suburbilicious, Simple Men, Slight Details and Random Events
B
Bailey, Robin Wayne - Shadowdance
Baker, James Robert - Tim and Pete, Adrenaline
Baldwin, James - Giovanni's Room
Bannon, Ann - Beebo Brinker
Barker, Clive B. - Mister B. Gone
Barker, Pat - Regeneration
Barr, Donna, The Desert Peach (graphic novels)
Barzak, Christopher - Love That We Share Without Knowing,One for Sorrow
Baudino, Gael - Gossamer Axe
Bear, Elizabeth - By the Mountain Bound, The Sea Thy Mistress, Carnival, Ink and Steel, Hell and Earth, Dust,
Bear, Greg - Anvil of Stars
Bechdel, Allison - Fun Home, Dykes to Watch Out For
Beckett, Galen M. - The Magicians and Mrs. Quent, The House on Durrow Street
Bergman, S. Bear - Butch is a Noun, The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You
Berman, Steve (ed) - So Fey: Queer Fairy Fiction, Vintage: A Ghost Story
Berman, Steve (ed) - Speaking Out: LGBT Youth Stand-Up
Besson, Phillippe - In the Absence of Men
Beukes, Lauren - Moxyland
Beutner, Katharine - Alcestis
Black, Holly - Tithe, Valiant, Ironside
Block, Francesca Lia - Dangerous Angels, The Rose and the Beast
Bobet, Leah - Above
Bohjalian, Chris: Trans-Sister Radio
Bowes, Rick - From the Files of the Time Rangers
Boyette, Samantha - Morning Rising
Bradley, Marion Zimmer - Hastur Lord, The Catch Trap
Bram, Christopher - All titles
Bray, Libba - A Great and Terrible Beauty
Breedlove, Lynn - Godspeed
Brenchley, Chaz - Outremer series
Brennan, Sarah Rees - The Demon's Lexicon
Bridges, C.C. - Angel 1089
Brite, Poppy Z. - Liquor, Drawing Blood, Lost Souls, Exquisite Corpse
Brown, Rita Mae - Rubyfruit Jungle
Brownrigg, Sylvia - Pages For You, The Metaphysical Touch
Bullington, Jesse - The Enterprise of Death
Burn, KC - Spice 'n Solace, Island of Icarus
Burroughs, William S. - Cities of the Red Night, Naked Lunch
Butler, Octavia - Parable of the Talents, Lillith's Brood
C
Canavan, Trudi - The Black Magician trilogy
Capote, Truman - Other Voices, Other Rooms
Carey, Jacqueline - Kushiel series, Santa Olivia
Carriger, Gail - Soulless
Carter, Angela - The Passion of New Eve
Carter, Timothy - Evil?
Carson, Michael - Sucking Sherbet Lemons
Chabon, Michael - Mysteries of Pittsburgh, Wonder Boys, and Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (and all other titles)
Chbosky, Stephen - The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Christensen, Kate - Jeremy Thrane
Chu, T'ien-wen - Notes of a Desolate Man
Clare, Cassandra - City of Bones
Clegg, Douglass - Mordred, Bastard Son
Connolly, John - Charlie Parker
Constantine Storm - Wraeththu series
Coover, Colleen and Tobin, Paul - Gingerbread Girl
Cottrell, Georgia - Shoulders
Coyote, Ivan E. - The Slow Fix, Loose Ends, Missed Her
Crow, Kirby - Scarlet and the White Wolf (and sequels)
Cruse, Howard - Stuck Rubber Baby
Cunningham, Michael - A Home At the End of the World
D
Daawesar, Abha - Baby Ji, Three of Us
Datlow, Ellen (ed) - Naked City: Tales of Urban Fantasy (some short stories in collection are GLBT+ stories)
Day, R.W. - A Strong and Sudden Thaw, Out of the Ashes
Delany, Samuel R. - Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand, Dark Reflections, Neveryon Quartet, Dhalgren
de la Pena, Teri - Margins
Dellamonica, Alyx - Indigo Springs
deLint, Charles - Medicine Road
Diemer, Sarah - The Dark Wife
Donoghue, Emma - Stir-Fry, Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins
Doran, Colleen - A distant soil (comic book series)
Douglas, Lauren Wright - Always Anonymous Beast
Downum, Amanda - The Drowning City & The Bone Palace
Dreamspinner Press
Dreher, Sara - Stoner McTavish
Duane, Diane - The Tale of the Five series
Duncan, Hal - Vellum, Ink
Durrell, Lawrence - The Alexandria Quartet
E
Eagland, Jane - Wildthorn
Edward, Charles - In The Darkness
Erno, Jeff - Invisible
Eskridge, Kelley - Solitaire
Eugenides, Jeffrey - Middlesex
F
Fancher, Jane - Harmonies of the 'Net series, Dance of the Rings series
Farrey, Brian - With or Without You
Feinberg, Leslie - Stone Butch Blues, Drag King Dreams
Feinburg, David B. - Eighty-Sixed
Fenton, Johnson - Geography of the Heart
Fischer, Erica - Aimee & Jaguar
Files, Gemma - A Book of Tongues
Fletcher, Jane - Celaeno Series
Flewelling, Lynn - Tamir Triology, The Nightrunners Series
Forrest, Katherine V - An Emergence of Green
Forster, E.M. - Maurice
Francis, Manna - The Administration series
Frane, Kevin - Thousand Leaves
Frey, J.M. - Triptych
Fry, Stephen - Making History
G
Gaider, David - Dragon Age: The Calling
Gaiman, Neil - Sandman: A Game of You
Galford, Ellen - Dyke & The Dybbuk, Fires of Bride
Garden, Nancy - Annie on My Mind
Gedris, Megan - Yu + Me (webcomic)
Genet, Jean - Our Lady of the Flowers
Gide, Andre - The Counterfeiters
Glass, Julia - Three Junes
Gold, Kyell - Out of Position, Isolation Play, all titles
Goldstein, Lisa - Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon
Gomez, Jewel - The Gilda stories
Goodman, Alison - Eon
Graham, Jo - Stealing Fire
Grant, Michael - Gone
Greene, Jamison - Becoming A Visible Man
Greer, Andrew Sean: The Story of a Marriage
Griffith, Nicola Z. - Slow River, Ammonite, The Aud Series
Griffo, Michael - Unnatural
Grimsley, Jim - Dream Boy, Comfort and Joy
Grossman, Lev - The Magicians
H
Hale, Ginn - Lord of the White Hell, Wicked Gentlemen
Hall, Radclyffe - The Well of Loneliness
Hansen, Joseph - Backtrack, all Dave Brandstetter mysteries
Hardy, James Earl - B-Boy Blues
Harland, Paul - The Hand That Takes
Hartinger, Brent - Shadow Walkers
Haruno, Nanae - Pieta (ピエタ)
Hawkins, Rachel - Hex Hall series
Healey, Bryan - Shattered Wings
Heim, Scott - Mysterious Skin
Herberth, S. Reesa - The Slipstream Con
Herberth, S. Reesa and Moore, Michelle - The Balance of Silence
Herren, Greg - Scott Bradley mysteries
Highsmith, Patricia - The Price of Salt
Hines, Jim C. - Princess series
Hobb, Robin - Dragon Keeper and Dragon Haven
Hoffman, Nina Kiriki - A Fistful of Sky
Holleran, Andrew - Dancer from the Dance
Hollinghurst, Alan - The Line of Beauty, The Swimming Pool Library
Home, Steward - all titles
Hopkinson, Nalo - The Salt Roads
Horner, Emily - A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend
Huff, Tanya - Sing the Four Quarters, Long Hot Summoning, the Smoke series
Hurley, Kameron - Gods War
Hwang, David Henry - M. Butterfly
Hyde, Catherine Ryan - Jumpstart the World
J
Jacen, Kris (ed) - I Do! An Anthology in Support of Marriage Equality
Jacques, Kathleen - Band vs. Band (webcomic)
Jeffers, Alex - Abode of Bliss
Jemisin, NK - The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
Johnson, Maureen - The Bermudez Triangle
Jones, Jaida and Bennett, Danielle - Havemercy
K
Kallmaker, Karin et al (ed) - Once Upon A Dyke: New Exploits of Fairy Tale Lesbians
Katcher, Brian: Almost Perfect
Kay, Jackie - Trumpet, Life Mask
Keller, Danielle - Vixen (Webcomic)
Kerr, Peg - The Wild Swans
Kiernan, Caitlin - Murder of Angels, The Red Tree, Silk, The Ammonite Violin & Others
Kiernan, Celine - MooreHawke Trilogy
Kimpton, Tab - Khaos Komix (webcomic)
King, Laurie R. - A Grave Talent; Kat Martinelli series
Klages, Ellen - Green Glass Sea; White Sands, Red Menace
Kluger, Steve - My Most Excellent Year, Almost Like Being In Love, Changing Pitches
Knox, Elizabeth - The Vintner's Luck/The Angel's Cut
Korra'ti, Angela - The Disenchanting of Princess Cerridwen (short story)
Koja, Kathe - Under the Poppy
Kureishi, Hanif - The Buddha of Suburbia
Kurimoto, Kaoru - The Sword of Paros (パロスの剣)
Kushner, Ellen - Swordspoint, Fall of the Kings
Kushner, Tony - Angels in America
L
Lackey, Mercedes - Last Herald Mage series
Lai, Larissa - Salt Fish Girl
Lake, Jay - Green
Laidlaw, Marc - Dad's Nuke
Lanyon, Josh - Adrian English series, Somebody Killed His Editor
Leavitt, David - The Lost Language of Cranes, While England Sleeps
Lee, Lillian - Farewell to my Concubine
Lee, Tanith - The Silver Metal Lover, Tales from the Flat Earth
Lehman, Ben - Hot Guys Making Out (RPG)*
Lane, Amy - The Locker Room
Lane, Thom - Dark Heart
Le Guin, Ursula - The Left Hand of Darkness, The Telling
Levithan, David & Green, John - Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Levithan, David - Boy Meets Boy, Marley's Ghost, The Realm of Possibility
Link, Aaron Raz - What Becomes You
Lo, Malinda - Ash
Lorde, Audre - Zami, The Cancer Journals
Lowachee, Karin - Warchild, Cagebird, Burndive
Lundoff , Catherine (ed) - Haunted Hearths & Sapphic Shades: Lesbian Ghost Stories
Lynn, Elizabeth A. - The Chronicles of Tornor, The Woman Who Loved the Moon, a Different Light, Northern Girl
M
Marks, Laurie - Elemental Logic series
Marr, Melissa - Wicked Lovely
Matarese, Jennifer - Heroine Addict
Maupin, Armistead - Tales of the City, the Night listener
McCann, Maria - As Meat Loves Salt
McCauley, Stephen - Alternatives to Sex
McDonald, Sandra - Diana Comet and Other Improbably Stories
McGuire, Seanan - October Daye series
McHugh, Maureen - China Mountain Zhang, Mission Child
Meluch, R. M. - The Queen's Squadron, The War Birds, Sovereign, Chicago Red
Melville, Herman - Moby Dick (^)
Merlis, Mark - An Arrow's Flight
Merrick, Gordon - The Lord Won't Mind
Mieville, China - Iron Council
Mishima, Yukio - All titles
Moen, Erica - DAR*
Mohanraj, Mary Anne - Bodies In Motion
Monette, Paul - Becoming a Man
Monette Sarah & Bear, Elizabeth - A Companion to Wolves/A Tempering of Men
Monette, Sarah - Booth stories, Doctrine of Labyrinths series, Absent From Felicity ( http://truepenny.livejournal.com/621802.html)
Moore, Perry - Hero
Mordden, Ethan - Buddies cycle
Morgan, Richard K. - The Steel Remains
Moss, Kevin (ed) -Out of the Blue: Russia's Hidden Gay Literature
Mukherjee, Neel - Past Continuous
N
Namjoshi - Conversations of Cow
Newman, Leslea - Heather Has Two Mommies
Newton, Mark Charan - Red Sun
O
Olsen, Nora - The End
Ore, Rebecca - Centuries Ago and Very Fast
Oyeyemi, Helen - White is for Witching
P
Pai, Hsein-yung - Crystal Boys
Patton, Fiona - The Stone Prince
Pearson, M.J. - Discreet Young Gentlemen
Peck, Dale - Sprout, Martin and John
Peters, Julie Anne - Luna, Keeping You a Secret, Between Mom and Jo, Rage: A Love Story, Far from Xanadu, She Loves You, She Loves You Not
Phoenix, Adrian - Black Dust Mambo
Pierce, Tamora - The Will of the Empress
Pini, Wendy - Masque of the Red Death
Pinto, Ricardo - The Stone Dance of the Chameleon
Pitts, J.A. - Black Blade Blues
Plakcy, Neil S. - Mahu (and sequels)
Plum-Ucci, Carol - What Happened to Lani
Price, Jordan Castillo - Psycop series
Pollack, Rachel - All Works
R
Rainfield, Cheryl - Scars
Reage, Pauline - The Story of O
Rechy, John - City of Night
Redmann, J.M. - Death by the Riverside
Reisz, Kristopher - Tripping to Somewhere
Renault, Mary - The Last of the Wine, The Charioteer, The Persian Boy, Fire from Heaven
Revoyr, Nina - The Necessary Hunger, Southland
Rice, Anne - The Tale of the Body Thief
Richardson, Justin and Parnell, Peter - And Tango Makes Three
Richardsson, K.L. - Heart Sense
Robins, Lane - Maledicte
Rode, Michelle - Water Seekers
Rodi, Robert - What They Did to Princess Paragon, When You Were Me, Closet Case
Roman, Kate - Firebug
Rozanov, Vasily - Lyudi lunnogo sveta
Rund, Lance - Associated Student Bodies* (comic)
Russ, Joanna - The Female Man, On Strike Against God
Russell, Paul - Sea of Tranquility
Ryan, Sarah - Empress of the World, The Rules for Hearts
Ryman, Geoff - All titles
S
Sakers, Don - Lucky in Love
Sanchez, Alex - Bait, The God Box, So Hard to Say, Getting It, Rainbow Trilogy
Schrag, Ariel - Awkward, Definition, Potential
Schulman, Sarah - Girls, Visions and Everything, People in Trouble, After Delores, The Child, Summer, Rat Bohemia, Empathy, The Sophie Horowitz Story
Scott, Melissa & Barnett Lisa - The Armor of Light, Point of Hopes, Point of Dreams
See, Lisa - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Selvadurai, Shyam - Funny Boy, Swimming in the Monsoon Sea, Cinnamon Gardens
Sexton, Marie - Between Sinners and Saints
Shanower, Eric - Age of Bronze, Wizard of Oz Adaptation
Sheehan, Tamara - The Tenth Man
Smith, Ali - Hotel World, Like, Girl Meets Boy: The Myth of Iphis
Smith, Julie - Cursebusters!
Smith, Sherwood - Inda, The Fox, The King's Shield, Treason's Shore
Simone, Gail - Secret Six (comic)*
Slonczewski, Joan - Sharer series
Soehnlein, K.M. - Robin and Ruby
Sorokin, Vladimir - Goluboe salo
Spanbauer, Tom - The Man Who Fell In Love With the Moon, In the City of Shy Hunters, Now is the Hour
Sperring, Kari - Living With Ghosts
Sprecher, Lorre - Sister Safety Pin
Springer, Nancy - Metal Angel, Larque on the Wing
Stace, Wesley - Misfortune
Stoppard, Tom - The Invention of Love
Stross, Charles - Rule 34, Halting State
T
Tamaki, Jillian and Mariko - Skim
Tammet, Daniel - Born on a Blue Day
Taylor, Shiela Ortiz - Faultline
Tea, Michelle & McCubbin, Laurenn - Rent Girl
Thorne, Hayden - Masks: Rise of Heroes, Banshee
Thurman, Rob - Trickster seres, Cal Leandros series
Toibin, Colm - The Story of the Night, The Master
Tournier, Michel - Gemini
Tracey, Scott - Witch Eyes
Truong, Monique - The Book of Salt
Tsui, Kitty - Dancer Dawkins & The California Kid
U
Urban, Madeleine - Cut & Run
Ucci-Plum, Carol - What Happened to Lani Garver
V
Vanderhooft, JoSelle (ed) - Steam-Powered: Lesbian Steampunk Stories and Steam-Powered 2: More Lesbian Steampunk Stories
Vanderhooft, JoSelle and Lundoff, Catherine (ed) - Hellebore & Rue
Valente, Cat - Palimpsest
Vaughn, Piper & O'Shea, M.J. - Moonlight Becomes You
W
Waitman, Katie - The Merro Tree
Walker, Alice - The Color Purple
Walton, Jo - Farthing and other titles
Warren, Patricia Nell - The Front Runner and sequels
Waters, Daniel - Generation Dead series
Waters, Sarah - Affinity, Fingersmith, Night Watch, The Little Stranger(^), Tipping the Velvet
Waugh, Evelyn - Brideshead Revisited
Wedekind, Frank - Spring's Awakening
Weightless Books: http://weightlessbooks.com/?cat=379
Wilde, Oscar - The Importance of Being Earnest and all Titles (^)
Wilson, Martin - What They Always Tell Us
Winterson, Jeanette - Oranges are Not the Only Fruit, Art & Lies
Wister, Owen - The Virginian
Wittig, Monique - Across the Acheron
Wittinger, Ellen - Parrotfish
Woolf, Virginia - All titles
Woulff, Iolanthe - She's My Dad
Y
Yamanaka, Lois-Ann: Name Me Nobody, Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers
Yoshimoto, Banana - Kitchen
Yoshinaga, Fumi - Antique Bakery
Yourcenar, Marguerite - Memoirs of Hadrian
ETA 9: - Updated with corrections and addition at 19-Sept-2011, 1700EST.
I wanted to make a note that I encourage all the people perusing this list to not only leave comments about the books they have read (including and especially pointing out if these books are problematic in some areas), but also to check out reviews and comments to see what others are saying about the book. I want to emphasize that this list is a compilation, it isn't quality controlled and indeed, there may be many books here that succeed in one area but not another.
So, as always, the comments are open and please see the above notes about my policies here.
ETA 8: - Updated with corrections, additions, etc. This version is accurate as of 13-Sept-2011, 1030EST. I plan on updating and making revisions weekly as required unless no more comments come in.
And while I'm doing that, phase two begins wherein I'll be trying to sort through the books so I can at least categorize them (ie - by YA/Adult or genre). That's going to take a long, long while and I'll let you know when it's done!
ETA 7: Updated. More corrections, additions and revisions. This version is complete as of 9-Sept-2011, 09:00EST. Per what I said earlier, I won't be actively tracking the Twitter tag, but comments remain open and I'll keep adding as time permits.
I'm really, really proud of how big this list has grown and how many people have chipped in. This is awesome.
ETA 6: Updated. Some more corrections and additions. Complete as of 8-Sept-2011, 19:30EST Thanks to everyone who has put in recommendations or helped me make the list more accurate! Keep 'em coming!
ETA 5: Updated again with corrections, additions, and revisions! Accurate as of 8-Sept-2011, 14:30EST 15:20EST. Keep 'em coming. Thanks to everyone who has contributed thus far.
Oh, btw, Y'all made the news!. That's right. Be proud. The little hashtag-that-could got news attention from The Guardian *wipes away tear of pride*.
ETA 4: Another update, checking the hashtag and comments. This update is complete as of 8-Sept-2011, 10:00EST. I'll make another sweep later in the day to see what else has come up.
I'm going to keep watching the hashtag on Twitter at least until tomorrow morning, especially since I'm U.S. Eastern Standard Time and I want to give folks in other places plenty of time to get their recommendations in.
After that I'll scan it from time to time, but the best way to get additions to the list will be to leave a comment here or drop me a line on Twitter.
ETA 3 (8-Sept: 0700EST): A few more corrections and revisions plus some additions have trickled in.
Someone in comments also pointed out that a book that was recommended was by an author who identifies as GLBT+ but didn't actually contain any characters/themes to that effect. I'm going to err on the side of inclusiveness with this list and say that books by GLBT+ authors are fair game. The entire point of this list was to push back, hard, against this kind of hate. And unfortunately, that hate does not just live within in the pages of books, but it's here in the world. So I think pushing back means not just supporting works that have queer characters, but the real, live authors who are queer or GLBT+.
Thus, I've marked books that are by queer authors but don't contain queer/GLBT+ characters with a handy dandy (^). Just so you know! If there are any other titles that fit this criteria, please let me know so I can make sure they're marked.
ETA 2 (7-Sept, 22:00EST): More corrections, revisions, and additions to the list. Thank you to all the people who have added titles or helped me make a more accurate list! Special apologies to authors who's names I've misspelled or who's books I've misattributed. One day my failbrain will learn to put letters and words where they belong on screens and pages, but alas, that day is not today.
Keep the recs, corrections, comments, and other goodies coming in!
ETA 1 (7-Sept, 17:50EST): Corrected a mix up of titles! Thank you to
rhivolution for the heads up! Also, added several titles to the list!
This entry was originally posted at http://megwrites.dreamwidth.org/210641.html, you can comment at: http://megwrites.dreamwidth.org/210641.html?mode=reply or here, comments will be read and responded to at both sites.
But this is the internet and at least in my section of it, we don't hold with those kind of shenanigans from people who are (not to put too fine a point on it) howling bigoted douchemonkeys.
The response, at least on Twitter, was the #buyabiggaynovelforscottcardday hashtag in which people from all over threw in their recommendation for queer/LGBT+ novels, books, even short stories and comics and graphic novels that would put any reader on the top of OSC's "Evil Queer" List.
And being the person I am, I have tried to compile that list by following the hashtag.
A List of GLBT+ Book Recommendations from The #buyabiggaynovelforscottcardday Hash Tag
Compiled by: megwrites/@wordroot
Note 1: Feel free to link to and spread around the list (and credit would be really nice!)
Note 2: This list is complete as I can make up to the most recent update (check the ETA's down below).
Note 3: I have tried to get all the titles I could, but it’s likely I may have missed some. If your recommendation was on the hashtag and it isn’t here, please send me a message or an @ reply on Twitter so I can update the list!
Note 4: Some of the titles listed here may be graphic novels, comic books, or non-book titles. I’ve tried to note that where I can with a star or a note. If I’ve missed something, please let me know.
Note 5: I cannot vouch for the quality or content of about the books on the list. I'm taking it on good faith that they all contain a reasonable amount of GLBT content or characters, but as with any book, they may excel in one area and be very problematic or hurtful in another. Feel free to discuss this to your heart's content in comments, but be VERY respectful of others. Hate, various -isms, and cluelessness will not be tolerated. Meaning: if someone says "this novel was problematic for x, y, z reasons", replying with, "But I didn't see anything wrong with it, so nothing was wrong" is NOT an okay response. If you want to rail about how NOT offensive/problematic it was, you have your own space. You can go to it. Away from here.
Note 6: Of course, I am also open for recommendations to add to the list here and will, when time permits, add anything that's mentioned in comments.
A
Acito, Marc - How I Paid for College, Attack of the Theater People
Adair, Gilbert - The Dreamers
Alameddine, Rabih - The Hakawati
Amara, Astrid - The Archer's Heart
Anders, Charlie - Choir Boy
Arnason, Eleanor - Ring of Swords
Arvin, Eric - The Rest is Illusion, Subsurdity, Suburbilicious, Simple Men, Slight Details and Random Events
B
Bailey, Robin Wayne - Shadowdance
Baker, James Robert - Tim and Pete, Adrenaline
Baldwin, James - Giovanni's Room
Bannon, Ann - Beebo Brinker
Barker, Clive B. - Mister B. Gone
Barker, Pat - Regeneration
Barr, Donna, The Desert Peach (graphic novels)
Barzak, Christopher - Love That We Share Without Knowing,One for Sorrow
Baudino, Gael - Gossamer Axe
Bear, Elizabeth - By the Mountain Bound, The Sea Thy Mistress, Carnival, Ink and Steel, Hell and Earth, Dust,
Bear, Greg - Anvil of Stars
Bechdel, Allison - Fun Home, Dykes to Watch Out For
Beckett, Galen M. - The Magicians and Mrs. Quent, The House on Durrow Street
Bergman, S. Bear - Butch is a Noun, The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You
Berman, Steve (ed) - So Fey: Queer Fairy Fiction, Vintage: A Ghost Story
Berman, Steve (ed) - Speaking Out: LGBT Youth Stand-Up
Besson, Phillippe - In the Absence of Men
Beukes, Lauren - Moxyland
Beutner, Katharine - Alcestis
Black, Holly - Tithe, Valiant, Ironside
Block, Francesca Lia - Dangerous Angels, The Rose and the Beast
Bobet, Leah - Above
Bohjalian, Chris: Trans-Sister Radio
Bowes, Rick - From the Files of the Time Rangers
Boyette, Samantha - Morning Rising
Bradley, Marion Zimmer - Hastur Lord, The Catch Trap
Bram, Christopher - All titles
Bray, Libba - A Great and Terrible Beauty
Breedlove, Lynn - Godspeed
Brenchley, Chaz - Outremer series
Brennan, Sarah Rees - The Demon's Lexicon
Bridges, C.C. - Angel 1089
Brite, Poppy Z. - Liquor, Drawing Blood, Lost Souls, Exquisite Corpse
Brown, Rita Mae - Rubyfruit Jungle
Brownrigg, Sylvia - Pages For You, The Metaphysical Touch
Bullington, Jesse - The Enterprise of Death
Burn, KC - Spice 'n Solace, Island of Icarus
Burroughs, William S. - Cities of the Red Night, Naked Lunch
Butler, Octavia - Parable of the Talents, Lillith's Brood
C
Canavan, Trudi - The Black Magician trilogy
Capote, Truman - Other Voices, Other Rooms
Carey, Jacqueline - Kushiel series, Santa Olivia
Carriger, Gail - Soulless
Carter, Angela - The Passion of New Eve
Carter, Timothy - Evil?
Carson, Michael - Sucking Sherbet Lemons
Chabon, Michael - Mysteries of Pittsburgh, Wonder Boys, and Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (and all other titles)
Chbosky, Stephen - The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Christensen, Kate - Jeremy Thrane
Chu, T'ien-wen - Notes of a Desolate Man
Clare, Cassandra - City of Bones
Clegg, Douglass - Mordred, Bastard Son
Connolly, John - Charlie Parker
Constantine Storm - Wraeththu series
Coover, Colleen and Tobin, Paul - Gingerbread Girl
Cottrell, Georgia - Shoulders
Coyote, Ivan E. - The Slow Fix, Loose Ends, Missed Her
Crow, Kirby - Scarlet and the White Wolf (and sequels)
Cruse, Howard - Stuck Rubber Baby
Cunningham, Michael - A Home At the End of the World
D
Daawesar, Abha - Baby Ji, Three of Us
Datlow, Ellen (ed) - Naked City: Tales of Urban Fantasy (some short stories in collection are GLBT+ stories)
Day, R.W. - A Strong and Sudden Thaw, Out of the Ashes
Delany, Samuel R. - Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand, Dark Reflections, Neveryon Quartet, Dhalgren
de la Pena, Teri - Margins
Dellamonica, Alyx - Indigo Springs
deLint, Charles - Medicine Road
Diemer, Sarah - The Dark Wife
Donoghue, Emma - Stir-Fry, Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins
Doran, Colleen - A distant soil (comic book series)
Douglas, Lauren Wright - Always Anonymous Beast
Downum, Amanda - The Drowning City & The Bone Palace
Dreamspinner Press
Dreher, Sara - Stoner McTavish
Duane, Diane - The Tale of the Five series
Duncan, Hal - Vellum, Ink
Durrell, Lawrence - The Alexandria Quartet
E
Eagland, Jane - Wildthorn
Edward, Charles - In The Darkness
Erno, Jeff - Invisible
Eskridge, Kelley - Solitaire
Eugenides, Jeffrey - Middlesex
F
Fancher, Jane - Harmonies of the 'Net series, Dance of the Rings series
Farrey, Brian - With or Without You
Feinberg, Leslie - Stone Butch Blues, Drag King Dreams
Feinburg, David B. - Eighty-Sixed
Fenton, Johnson - Geography of the Heart
Fischer, Erica - Aimee & Jaguar
Files, Gemma - A Book of Tongues
Fletcher, Jane - Celaeno Series
Flewelling, Lynn - Tamir Triology, The Nightrunners Series
Forrest, Katherine V - An Emergence of Green
Forster, E.M. - Maurice
Francis, Manna - The Administration series
Frane, Kevin - Thousand Leaves
Frey, J.M. - Triptych
Fry, Stephen - Making History
G
Gaider, David - Dragon Age: The Calling
Gaiman, Neil - Sandman: A Game of You
Galford, Ellen - Dyke & The Dybbuk, Fires of Bride
Garden, Nancy - Annie on My Mind
Gedris, Megan - Yu + Me (webcomic)
Genet, Jean - Our Lady of the Flowers
Gide, Andre - The Counterfeiters
Glass, Julia - Three Junes
Gold, Kyell - Out of Position, Isolation Play, all titles
Goldstein, Lisa - Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon
Gomez, Jewel - The Gilda stories
Goodman, Alison - Eon
Graham, Jo - Stealing Fire
Grant, Michael - Gone
Greene, Jamison - Becoming A Visible Man
Greer, Andrew Sean: The Story of a Marriage
Griffith, Nicola Z. - Slow River, Ammonite, The Aud Series
Griffo, Michael - Unnatural
Grimsley, Jim - Dream Boy, Comfort and Joy
Grossman, Lev - The Magicians
H
Hale, Ginn - Lord of the White Hell, Wicked Gentlemen
Hall, Radclyffe - The Well of Loneliness
Hansen, Joseph - Backtrack, all Dave Brandstetter mysteries
Hardy, James Earl - B-Boy Blues
Harland, Paul - The Hand That Takes
Hartinger, Brent - Shadow Walkers
Haruno, Nanae - Pieta (ピエタ)
Hawkins, Rachel - Hex Hall series
Healey, Bryan - Shattered Wings
Heim, Scott - Mysterious Skin
Herberth, S. Reesa - The Slipstream Con
Herberth, S. Reesa and Moore, Michelle - The Balance of Silence
Herren, Greg - Scott Bradley mysteries
Highsmith, Patricia - The Price of Salt
Hines, Jim C. - Princess series
Hobb, Robin - Dragon Keeper and Dragon Haven
Hoffman, Nina Kiriki - A Fistful of Sky
Holleran, Andrew - Dancer from the Dance
Hollinghurst, Alan - The Line of Beauty, The Swimming Pool Library
Home, Steward - all titles
Hopkinson, Nalo - The Salt Roads
Horner, Emily - A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend
Huff, Tanya - Sing the Four Quarters, Long Hot Summoning, the Smoke series
Hurley, Kameron - Gods War
Hwang, David Henry - M. Butterfly
Hyde, Catherine Ryan - Jumpstart the World
J
Jacen, Kris (ed) - I Do! An Anthology in Support of Marriage Equality
Jacques, Kathleen - Band vs. Band (webcomic)
Jeffers, Alex - Abode of Bliss
Jemisin, NK - The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
Johnson, Maureen - The Bermudez Triangle
Jones, Jaida and Bennett, Danielle - Havemercy
K
Kallmaker, Karin et al (ed) - Once Upon A Dyke: New Exploits of Fairy Tale Lesbians
Katcher, Brian: Almost Perfect
Kay, Jackie - Trumpet, Life Mask
Keller, Danielle - Vixen (Webcomic)
Kerr, Peg - The Wild Swans
Kiernan, Caitlin - Murder of Angels, The Red Tree, Silk, The Ammonite Violin & Others
Kiernan, Celine - MooreHawke Trilogy
Kimpton, Tab - Khaos Komix (webcomic)
King, Laurie R. - A Grave Talent; Kat Martinelli series
Klages, Ellen - Green Glass Sea; White Sands, Red Menace
Kluger, Steve - My Most Excellent Year, Almost Like Being In Love, Changing Pitches
Knox, Elizabeth - The Vintner's Luck/The Angel's Cut
Korra'ti, Angela - The Disenchanting of Princess Cerridwen (short story)
Koja, Kathe - Under the Poppy
Kureishi, Hanif - The Buddha of Suburbia
Kurimoto, Kaoru - The Sword of Paros (パロスの剣)
Kushner, Ellen - Swordspoint, Fall of the Kings
Kushner, Tony - Angels in America
L
Lackey, Mercedes - Last Herald Mage series
Lai, Larissa - Salt Fish Girl
Lake, Jay - Green
Laidlaw, Marc - Dad's Nuke
Lanyon, Josh - Adrian English series, Somebody Killed His Editor
Leavitt, David - The Lost Language of Cranes, While England Sleeps
Lee, Lillian - Farewell to my Concubine
Lee, Tanith - The Silver Metal Lover, Tales from the Flat Earth
Lehman, Ben - Hot Guys Making Out (RPG)*
Lane, Amy - The Locker Room
Lane, Thom - Dark Heart
Le Guin, Ursula - The Left Hand of Darkness, The Telling
Levithan, David & Green, John - Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Levithan, David - Boy Meets Boy, Marley's Ghost, The Realm of Possibility
Link, Aaron Raz - What Becomes You
Lo, Malinda - Ash
Lorde, Audre - Zami, The Cancer Journals
Lowachee, Karin - Warchild, Cagebird, Burndive
Lundoff , Catherine (ed) - Haunted Hearths & Sapphic Shades: Lesbian Ghost Stories
Lynn, Elizabeth A. - The Chronicles of Tornor, The Woman Who Loved the Moon, a Different Light, Northern Girl
M
Marks, Laurie - Elemental Logic series
Marr, Melissa - Wicked Lovely
Matarese, Jennifer - Heroine Addict
Maupin, Armistead - Tales of the City, the Night listener
McCann, Maria - As Meat Loves Salt
McCauley, Stephen - Alternatives to Sex
McDonald, Sandra - Diana Comet and Other Improbably Stories
McGuire, Seanan - October Daye series
McHugh, Maureen - China Mountain Zhang, Mission Child
Meluch, R. M. - The Queen's Squadron, The War Birds, Sovereign, Chicago Red
Melville, Herman - Moby Dick (^)
Merlis, Mark - An Arrow's Flight
Merrick, Gordon - The Lord Won't Mind
Mieville, China - Iron Council
Mishima, Yukio - All titles
Moen, Erica - DAR*
Mohanraj, Mary Anne - Bodies In Motion
Monette, Paul - Becoming a Man
Monette Sarah & Bear, Elizabeth - A Companion to Wolves/A Tempering of Men
Monette, Sarah - Booth stories, Doctrine of Labyrinths series, Absent From Felicity ( http://truepenny.livejournal.com/621802.html)
Moore, Perry - Hero
Mordden, Ethan - Buddies cycle
Morgan, Richard K. - The Steel Remains
Moss, Kevin (ed) -Out of the Blue: Russia's Hidden Gay Literature
Mukherjee, Neel - Past Continuous
N
Namjoshi - Conversations of Cow
Newman, Leslea - Heather Has Two Mommies
Newton, Mark Charan - Red Sun
O
Olsen, Nora - The End
Ore, Rebecca - Centuries Ago and Very Fast
Oyeyemi, Helen - White is for Witching
P
Pai, Hsein-yung - Crystal Boys
Patton, Fiona - The Stone Prince
Pearson, M.J. - Discreet Young Gentlemen
Peck, Dale - Sprout, Martin and John
Peters, Julie Anne - Luna, Keeping You a Secret, Between Mom and Jo, Rage: A Love Story, Far from Xanadu, She Loves You, She Loves You Not
Phoenix, Adrian - Black Dust Mambo
Pierce, Tamora - The Will of the Empress
Pini, Wendy - Masque of the Red Death
Pinto, Ricardo - The Stone Dance of the Chameleon
Pitts, J.A. - Black Blade Blues
Plakcy, Neil S. - Mahu (and sequels)
Plum-Ucci, Carol - What Happened to Lani
Price, Jordan Castillo - Psycop series
Pollack, Rachel - All Works
R
Rainfield, Cheryl - Scars
Reage, Pauline - The Story of O
Rechy, John - City of Night
Redmann, J.M. - Death by the Riverside
Reisz, Kristopher - Tripping to Somewhere
Renault, Mary - The Last of the Wine, The Charioteer, The Persian Boy, Fire from Heaven
Revoyr, Nina - The Necessary Hunger, Southland
Rice, Anne - The Tale of the Body Thief
Richardson, Justin and Parnell, Peter - And Tango Makes Three
Richardsson, K.L. - Heart Sense
Robins, Lane - Maledicte
Rode, Michelle - Water Seekers
Rodi, Robert - What They Did to Princess Paragon, When You Were Me, Closet Case
Roman, Kate - Firebug
Rozanov, Vasily - Lyudi lunnogo sveta
Rund, Lance - Associated Student Bodies* (comic)
Russ, Joanna - The Female Man, On Strike Against God
Russell, Paul - Sea of Tranquility
Ryan, Sarah - Empress of the World, The Rules for Hearts
Ryman, Geoff - All titles
S
Sakers, Don - Lucky in Love
Sanchez, Alex - Bait, The God Box, So Hard to Say, Getting It, Rainbow Trilogy
Schrag, Ariel - Awkward, Definition, Potential
Schulman, Sarah - Girls, Visions and Everything, People in Trouble, After Delores, The Child, Summer, Rat Bohemia, Empathy, The Sophie Horowitz Story
Scott, Melissa & Barnett Lisa - The Armor of Light, Point of Hopes, Point of Dreams
See, Lisa - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Selvadurai, Shyam - Funny Boy, Swimming in the Monsoon Sea, Cinnamon Gardens
Sexton, Marie - Between Sinners and Saints
Shanower, Eric - Age of Bronze, Wizard of Oz Adaptation
Sheehan, Tamara - The Tenth Man
Smith, Ali - Hotel World, Like, Girl Meets Boy: The Myth of Iphis
Smith, Julie - Cursebusters!
Smith, Sherwood - Inda, The Fox, The King's Shield, Treason's Shore
Simone, Gail - Secret Six (comic)*
Slonczewski, Joan - Sharer series
Soehnlein, K.M. - Robin and Ruby
Sorokin, Vladimir - Goluboe salo
Spanbauer, Tom - The Man Who Fell In Love With the Moon, In the City of Shy Hunters, Now is the Hour
Sperring, Kari - Living With Ghosts
Sprecher, Lorre - Sister Safety Pin
Springer, Nancy - Metal Angel, Larque on the Wing
Stace, Wesley - Misfortune
Stoppard, Tom - The Invention of Love
Stross, Charles - Rule 34, Halting State
T
Tamaki, Jillian and Mariko - Skim
Tammet, Daniel - Born on a Blue Day
Taylor, Shiela Ortiz - Faultline
Tea, Michelle & McCubbin, Laurenn - Rent Girl
Thorne, Hayden - Masks: Rise of Heroes, Banshee
Thurman, Rob - Trickster seres, Cal Leandros series
Toibin, Colm - The Story of the Night, The Master
Tournier, Michel - Gemini
Tracey, Scott - Witch Eyes
Truong, Monique - The Book of Salt
Tsui, Kitty - Dancer Dawkins & The California Kid
U
Urban, Madeleine - Cut & Run
Ucci-Plum, Carol - What Happened to Lani Garver
V
Vanderhooft, JoSelle (ed) - Steam-Powered: Lesbian Steampunk Stories and Steam-Powered 2: More Lesbian Steampunk Stories
Vanderhooft, JoSelle and Lundoff, Catherine (ed) - Hellebore & Rue
Valente, Cat - Palimpsest
Vaughn, Piper & O'Shea, M.J. - Moonlight Becomes You
W
Waitman, Katie - The Merro Tree
Walker, Alice - The Color Purple
Walton, Jo - Farthing and other titles
Warren, Patricia Nell - The Front Runner and sequels
Waters, Daniel - Generation Dead series
Waters, Sarah - Affinity, Fingersmith, Night Watch, The Little Stranger(^), Tipping the Velvet
Waugh, Evelyn - Brideshead Revisited
Wedekind, Frank - Spring's Awakening
Weightless Books: http://weightlessbooks.com/?cat=379
Wilde, Oscar - The Importance of Being Earnest and all Titles (^)
Wilson, Martin - What They Always Tell Us
Winterson, Jeanette - Oranges are Not the Only Fruit, Art & Lies
Wister, Owen - The Virginian
Wittig, Monique - Across the Acheron
Wittinger, Ellen - Parrotfish
Woolf, Virginia - All titles
Woulff, Iolanthe - She's My Dad
Y
Yamanaka, Lois-Ann: Name Me Nobody, Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers
Yoshimoto, Banana - Kitchen
Yoshinaga, Fumi - Antique Bakery
Yourcenar, Marguerite - Memoirs of Hadrian
ETA 9: - Updated with corrections and addition at 19-Sept-2011, 1700EST.
I wanted to make a note that I encourage all the people perusing this list to not only leave comments about the books they have read (including and especially pointing out if these books are problematic in some areas), but also to check out reviews and comments to see what others are saying about the book. I want to emphasize that this list is a compilation, it isn't quality controlled and indeed, there may be many books here that succeed in one area but not another.
So, as always, the comments are open and please see the above notes about my policies here.
ETA 8: - Updated with corrections, additions, etc. This version is accurate as of 13-Sept-2011, 1030EST. I plan on updating and making revisions weekly as required unless no more comments come in.
And while I'm doing that, phase two begins wherein I'll be trying to sort through the books so I can at least categorize them (ie - by YA/Adult or genre). That's going to take a long, long while and I'll let you know when it's done!
ETA 7: Updated. More corrections, additions and revisions. This version is complete as of 9-Sept-2011, 09:00EST. Per what I said earlier, I won't be actively tracking the Twitter tag, but comments remain open and I'll keep adding as time permits.
I'm really, really proud of how big this list has grown and how many people have chipped in. This is awesome.
ETA 6: Updated. Some more corrections and additions. Complete as of 8-Sept-2011, 19:30EST Thanks to everyone who has put in recommendations or helped me make the list more accurate! Keep 'em coming!
ETA 5: Updated again with corrections, additions, and revisions! Accurate as of 8-Sept-2011, 14:30EST 15:20EST. Keep 'em coming. Thanks to everyone who has contributed thus far.
Oh, btw, Y'all made the news!. That's right. Be proud. The little hashtag-that-could got news attention from The Guardian *wipes away tear of pride*.
ETA 4: Another update, checking the hashtag and comments. This update is complete as of 8-Sept-2011, 10:00EST. I'll make another sweep later in the day to see what else has come up.
I'm going to keep watching the hashtag on Twitter at least until tomorrow morning, especially since I'm U.S. Eastern Standard Time and I want to give folks in other places plenty of time to get their recommendations in.
After that I'll scan it from time to time, but the best way to get additions to the list will be to leave a comment here or drop me a line on Twitter.
ETA 3 (8-Sept: 0700EST): A few more corrections and revisions plus some additions have trickled in.
Someone in comments also pointed out that a book that was recommended was by an author who identifies as GLBT+ but didn't actually contain any characters/themes to that effect. I'm going to err on the side of inclusiveness with this list and say that books by GLBT+ authors are fair game. The entire point of this list was to push back, hard, against this kind of hate. And unfortunately, that hate does not just live within in the pages of books, but it's here in the world. So I think pushing back means not just supporting works that have queer characters, but the real, live authors who are queer or GLBT+.
Thus, I've marked books that are by queer authors but don't contain queer/GLBT+ characters with a handy dandy (^). Just so you know! If there are any other titles that fit this criteria, please let me know so I can make sure they're marked.
ETA 2 (7-Sept, 22:00EST): More corrections, revisions, and additions to the list. Thank you to all the people who have added titles or helped me make a more accurate list! Special apologies to authors who's names I've misspelled or who's books I've misattributed. One day my failbrain will learn to put letters and words where they belong on screens and pages, but alas, that day is not today.
Keep the recs, corrections, comments, and other goodies coming in!
ETA 1 (7-Sept, 17:50EST): Corrected a mix up of titles! Thank you to
rhivolution for the heads up! Also, added several titles to the list!
This entry was originally posted at http://megwrites.dreamwidth.org/210641.html, you can comment at: http://megwrites.dreamwidth.org/210641.html?mode=reply or here, comments will be read and responded to at both sites.