Since its inception, the science fiction genre has always questioned the boundaries of the imagination. While the real world is plagued by prejudice, inequality, and injustice, sci-fi writers are free to imagine alternate societies that are more inclusive, diverse, and sustainable—even expanding on our understanding of gender, sexuality, and relationships.
Traditionally members of the queer community have often identified with the figure of the “other”—be it the monsters under the bed, the mutants, or the aliens from outer space—even as the homosexual themes remained buried mostly in the subtext. However, following the New Wave of science fiction from the late 1960s onwards, more experimental styles as well as narratives depicting explicit queer relationships became prevalent, as seen in the works of Joanna Russ, Samuel R. Delany and Ursula Le Guinn.
Though mainstream SFF is still dominated by white, male voices, in the recent years, the publishing industry has become more welcoming of diverse perspectives, particularly from marginalized communities. So, whether you’re in the mood for a sapphic space romance, a cozy found-family adventure with an all-queer cast, or a novel that might challenge your pre-conceived notions about gender, our list of LQBTQIA+ sci-fi books is a great place to begin your queer odyssey through space and time.
This Is How You Lose the Time War
If you’d like a breathlessly poetic novella that details the forbidden romance between two spies on the opposite sides of a war, told entirely through elegantly-written letters suffused with longing, you should pick up a copy of This Is How You Lose the Time War ASAP. The language is utterly exquisite, unfolding a timey-wimey sapphic tale across multiple universes and timelines.
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Melusine
Those in the mood for an intriguing M/M romance set in a magical city tainted with corruption and decadence can check out Katherine Addison’s Melusine, the first in her Doctrine of Labyrinths series. It narrates the story of Felix Harrowgate, a charismatic wizard and Midmay The Fox, a cat burglar whose paths unexpectedly cross when the latter is caught by a foreign wizard in the place of the former. Slow-building, deliciously dark, and utterly compelling, Mélusine is sure to suck you in.
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
This cozy novel by Becky Chambers focuses on the various crew members aboard The Wayfarer, a patched-up spaceship that cruises through galaxies, tunneling wormholes to distant planets. From alien life-forms to sentient AI powering the ship, Chambers very expertly sketches each character, painting a vivid landscape of what life in outer space may look like, complete with descriptions of alien cuisine, interesting bits of lore, alternate societies and bodies/minds that function very differently from what we know. The conflicts here are small and solvable and the characters (who are mostly queer and neurodivergent) learn from their mistakes—making it a refreshing, feel-good read.
Honor Bound
Rachel Caine’s Honors books are perfect for readers who enjoy light-hearted space adventures featuring a rag-tag group of criminals, aimed at a YA audience. Honor Bound continues the story of thief-turned-fugitive Zara Cole and her crew as they’re on the run from creatures that want them dead. Filled with badass action, alien criminals and an earnest relationship between a sentient spaceship and the pilot, Honor Bound promises to be an enthralling read, especially for love-starved bibliophiles bored by earthbound romances.
Ancillary Justice
The first entry in Leckie’s critically acclaimed Imperial Reach trilogy, Ancillary Justice is a vengeance quest novel that cleverly plays around with our understanding of gendered bodies. It follows the story of Breq who was once an immense starship but now inhabits a fragile human body, as she strives to find answers to certain questions and seek revenge on those who wronged her.
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Trouble on Triton
Evident from the subtitle itself, Delany’s book deconstructs the very idea of a “Utopia” while challenging the conventional ideas of gender and sexuality. Witty, emotional and thoughtful, the novel follows the misadventures of the immigrant Bron Helstrom—an average dude who struggles to fit in a seemingly shape-shifting world where anyone can be whoever they chose to be.
In fact, as per the author himself, Triton was partly written in response to Ursula Le Guin’s The Dispossessed, which explores anarchist ideas and alternate societies. Together, these two books can be paired for an intense reading club discussion.
The Left Hand of Darkness
Like The Dispossessed, Ursula Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness offers a tantalizing vision of an alternate society in the planet of Gethen where individuals have no fixed sex. Similar to Bron in Triton, we have a human character called Genly Ai who is sent to Gethen as an envoy and struggles to understand their strange and unique culture. A masterful examination of how sex and gender shapes society, The Left Hand of Darkness is a riveting and impactful read.
On a Sunbeam
One of my favorite works of graphic fiction in the recent years, Tillie Walden’s On a Sunbeam originally began life as a web comic, carefully straddling two engaging storylines—a sapphic romance set in a boarding school in space and a found-family spaceship crew that rebuilds broken structures anew. The artwork is composed of beautiful, mellow shades, and is utterly stunning, lending a poetic and sublime quality to the story. Packed with longing and daring adventure, On a Sunbeam will take you on a tear-jerking ride through space time.
Gideon the Ninth
If you love science fantasy, Gothic visuals and space lesbians with swords, pick up a copy of Tamsyn Muir’s page-turning and hilariously-plotted Gideon the Ninth. It’s a densely-detailed novel starring a snarky swordswoman whose plan of escape is foiled by Harrow who needs Gideon’s help to compete in an epic tournament. Fair warning, though—it takes some time for the story to start making sense, so if you don’t give up, you’ll be rewarded with an incredibly fun and giddy experience.
