I can't believe I haven't done one of these before. Then I started putting together a top ten, and realized that I only had 13 to choose from. So I decided to just include them all
This list consists only of books I have read. I have not read Fleweling's Lark on the Wing or Hambly's Darkmage, or Duane's Door Into Fire, so I can't judge where to put them on the list. At some point, if I want to be the fantasy lit Vito Russo, I might track down the rest of the books, but for now, this is what is in my repertoire.
Criteria for "Queer Fantasy": Must have a queer protagonist or major character. Queer character must be out in-universe - no Dumbledore. Also, must be human. Vampire lesbians are cheating.
13. City of Bones (2007) - Cassandra Clare
Character: Alec, the gay sidekick.
Queer Context: Real world-ish. There’s an underground clique of demon-hunters, and it’s implied that they would be very not happy if they knew Alec was gay. He’s kind of a straight gay, and hooks up with the one other gay character in the story, who is a flaming glittery gay mage, after minimal off-page courtship. They have nothing in common except being the only two gay characters in the story. Also, the story begins with him having a crush on his stepbrother, the male lead Jace, who gives Alec a pep talk and tells Alec that he isn’t really in love with him, he just likes to torture himself by falling in love with unattainable people. And the main cast seems to be chill that Alec is gay, but no one overtly supports him, they just see it as a nonissue. I’d be upset with the way the gay romance subplot was handled, except that the main romance subplot was just as bad; there’s an incest scare, but it turns out it was all a misunderstanding. That’s the best obstacle you could give their relationship? That’s totally relatable.
LGBTQ-friendly rating: B-. Clare at least tries, and Alec is a positive character, if not actually an accurate representation of anything.
12. Ash (2009) - Malinda Lo
Character: Ash, a lesbian Cinderella.
Queer Context: Queer retelling of Cinderella. Only I feel cheated because I was expecting her to hook up with a princess, and instead she hooks up with the Huntress, which is a completely created role and not really kosher. And then she breaks a curse by sleeping with a (male?) fairy thing, which is really not feminist. I mean, gaining independence from the male presence by submitting to it? Solving problems with prostitution.
I don’t remember how people react to their relationship; I think it’s one of those worlds where homosexuality in society is not talked about, and so I have no idea if Ash had any context for understanding her desires.
LGBTQ-friendly rating: C+. There's no context for the lesbian relationship, which makes it hard to relate to. Also, the end with the fairy.
11. Wolfcry (2006) - Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Character: Oliza, the shapeshifter princess. Has some really scary genetics, but conveniently ends up in a non-procreative relationship with a woman. Each book in the series has a different viewpoint character, and this one is hers.
Queer Context: Not given in the previous three books or even foreshadowed in this one. Just all of a sudden the princess is gay, and mostly everyone’s fine with it. Do they allow gay marriage? What are the social stigmas? No other characters are gay, and no word for gay is given. I assume the author knows more than was revealed in the books; she has a wife, and I usually like to know the queer context of anything I write. Granted, I usually end up with queer characters.
LGBTQ-friendly rating: B. Oliza isn't tokenized at all, and it's obvious she was a character first and became queer in the writing. It's just a little sudden and lacking in context.
10. Tithe (2002) - Holly Black
Character: Corny, the gay sidekick. In later books, his boyfriend Luis, and lesbian sidekick Ruth.
Queer Context: Real world. With fairies. Black is one of those authors who makes sure some of her characters are gay, because some people are gay. Always the unwaveringly supportive sidekicks, though. Yay for helpful minorities.
LGBTQ-friendly rating: B. Corny was based on Black's gay friends, who are geek-gays and not flaming queens, and he's a fairly well-fleshed out character.
9. Magic’s Pawn (1989) - Mercedes Lackey
Character: Vanyel, the only gay Herald who actually does anything interesting.
Queer Context: Lackey always tries to include a random queer in every book. Someone once called her out on having way more gay men than lesbians. She counted them up and said they were actually about even. However, only two of her queer characters achieve major character status, and both are gay men. Homosexuality is severely stigmatized by wider society, but any named character who is “good” is fine with it. Nor are the parameters for the stigma clearly defined; vaguely religious, but considering it’s a massive fantasyland pantheon, you’d think there would be some variation. Also, this is one of Lackey’s few stories where the protagonist dies at the end, and it’s the gay one. However, I find her tragedies are at least slightly better than her happy endings. Oh, and there are the random forest people who seem to be universally pansexual, and a gay couple of the forest people serve a sort of mentor function for Vanyel. And the other gay major character, Firesong (in later books) is also of the forest people. The people in “bad” countries are more homophobic than in the “good” countries.
LGBTQ-friendly rating: C. Because it's 80's, and preachy. In the context of the 80's, I would give it an A for effort, though. And the other major gay is a flaming queen.
8. The Will of the Empress (2005) - Tamora Pierce
Character: Daja, the lady blacksmith mage, has a sexual revelation when she is kissed by a woman.
Queer Context: The first series was originally published in the 90’s. The characters were ten, but they were being raised by a lesbian couple, who I did not realize was a lesbian couple until I read this book and they directly referenced it. I wish they had been more out in the earlier books, that I read when I was ten; it would have made my life a lot simpler. One thing I do like about it is that it includes a queer protagonist by retcon in a children’s book; me reading those books as a child and then reading the later one after coming out was a rather validating experience. Even though the queer character is like “I had no idea I was gay” and you’d think being raised by a lesbian couple she’d have enough context to figure herself out. Really, it’s the author deciding to make her gay a decade later when society has progressed enough and it’s in a YA novel. Because Pierce is another who makes sure to include gay minor characters all the time.
LGBTQ-friendly rating: B+. Lark and Rosethorn spent the 90's in the closet, and I resent them for that. Also, because since the author obviously decided "They've hit puberty! Let's make one gay!" she decided the butch blacksmith should be a dyke, and not the feisty seamstress or the grouchy bookworm. I will say, though, I really appreciate the character existing in a non-queer context first; so many gay characters (in fantasy and out) are introduced at puberty when they are struggling with sqhishy hormonal feelings. Yes, we were once kids too.
Coming soon: 1-7. What are my favorite gay fantasy novels?
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