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LGBTQ+ Science Fiction and Fantasy
Science fiction and fantasy explore more than just new worlds in these books.
Published on June 16, 2021
Black Water Sister
Zen ChoThe second we saw author Zen Cho describe her fantasy adventure as “A stressed zillennial lesbian fights gods, ghosts, gangsters & grandmas in 21st century Penang” on Twitter, we were in! Equal parts sass, suspense, family drama, and heart, you don’t want to miss this charmer set in modern Malaysia.
The Deep
Rivers SolomonRivers Solomon’s “The Deep” is based on a Hugo Award-nominated song from Clipping, the rap group headed by Daveed Diggs. It’s about a group of mermaid-like people who are descended from pregnant slaves who perished when they were tossed overboard crossing the Atlantic. This Lammy Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror winner defines the word haunting.
Gideon the Ninth
Tamsyn MuirA queer swordswoman and her childhood frenemy, a necromancer, team up to save the world in this darkly snarky epic fantasy.
The Left Hand of Darkness
Ursula K. Le GuinConsidered by many to be one of the iconic books in science fiction, “The Left Hand of Darkness” by Ursula K. Le Guin explores gender, politics, and what it means to be human.
Iron & Velvet
Alexis HallAlexis Hall’s gorgeous prose makes paranormal investigator Kate Kane’s adventures delightfully fun.
Kushiel's Dart
Jacqueline CareyOne reviewer called “Kushiel’s Dart” “a mix of ‘Game of Thrones’ with a dash of BDSM,” and that is as accurate as anything we could come up with. Jacqueline Carey’s world-building is exquisite, and her heroine Phédre is remarkable.
The Salt Roads
Nalo HopkinsonA historical fiction/fantasy set in three different times, “The Salt Roads” depicts the brutal realities of slavery, prostitution, and racism, bound together by one goddess’s consciousness.
The Tide of War
Lori A. WittEarth is at war, and elite pilots are needed to fight the enemy. But the fighter pilots have a high mortality rate, and so one of Earth’s best fighters, an American, refuses to go because he doesn’t want to run the risk that his partner and their son will have to live without him. But when they are killed, he insists he take the most dangerous task, meeting a fellow pilot — who’s Russian — and bonding with him both on and off the battlefield.