This week I thought I'd share a bunch of links that are useful in finding quality GLBT science fiction. After all, it's not like you can go into a book shop, don a pair of rainbow tinted glasses and pick out the relevant novels by their multi-colored halos.*
*And given how long it takes a phone to decipher a QR code, I do not expect a Google Glass app for this any time soon.
Thankfully, we are not the first people to realize this, and there are a number of online resources to chose from:
*And given how long it takes a phone to decipher a QR code, I do not expect a Google Glass app for this any time soon.
Thankfully, we are not the first people to realize this, and there are a number of online resources to chose from:
Wikipedia is an ever popular starting point, and they have an article dedicated to LGBT-themed speculative fiction, and another that lists works set in single-gender worlds.
LGBT sci-fi awards can also be counted on to maintain online lists of award winners and books of note.
Also...
If you have a chance, I would also check out Little Black Books on BlackSci-Fi.com. It may not be specifically queer themed, but author and reviewer Geoffrey Thorne does not shy away from writers like Octavia Butler, Samuel Daleny, and Nalo Hopkinson.
And there is always Goodreads, which has a number of queer science-fiction reading lists. If you don't mind (or better still, are looking for) romance novels, this may just be the way to go – but there are plenty of other good books to be found here as well.
LGBT sci-fi awards can also be counted on to maintain online lists of award winners and books of note.
- The James Tiptree, Jr. Award is an annual prize given to an outstanding work of science fiction or fantasy that expands or explores the meaning of gender. The award is named after Alice B. Sheldon, who used James Tiptree, Jr. as her nome de plume so that her manuscripts would not be discarded as “women's writing”
- The Gaylactic Spectrum Awards were created in 1998 to honor works of science fiction, fantasy, and horror which include positive explorations of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender characters, themes, or issues.
- The Golden Crown Literary Society recognizes a number of authors each year for works that feature significant lesbian characters and/or themes.
- The Lambda Literary Awards recognize one work of GLBT speculative fiction each year, and a section of their website is dedicated to the review of new works of speculative fiction with GLBT themes and characters.
- In addition, Lambda Sci-Fi (the D.C. Chapter of the Lambda Literary book club) has fairly long list of queer sci-fi novels sorted by author.
- Bella's Books (which specializes in lesbian lit.) has a page for its speculative fiction genre listings.
Also...
If you have a chance, I would also check out Little Black Books on BlackSci-Fi.com. It may not be specifically queer themed, but author and reviewer Geoffrey Thorne does not shy away from writers like Octavia Butler, Samuel Daleny, and Nalo Hopkinson.
And there is always Goodreads, which has a number of queer science-fiction reading lists. If you don't mind (or better still, are looking for) romance novels, this may just be the way to go – but there are plenty of other good books to be found here as well.
Where do you find your "to-read" books?