We’re living in the midst of a golden age for science fiction and fantasy, especially in regards to depictions of queerness. From books to movies to podcasts, there is a wealth of variety nowadays that simply didn’t exist ten or fifteen years ago. Looking for something new to fall in love with? Here are my top five recommendations!
The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard
Cliopher Mdang, the personal secretary of the Emperor, institutes radically liberal government reforms in order to allow his beloved lord to retire and finally be freed from the magical and social taboos that have kept him isolated. Cliopher is on the asexual spectrum, yet the building love in the queer-platonic relationship between him and his lord is treated with the same depth and extravagance as it would be in any slowburn romance novel. This is my frothing-at-the-mouth favorite book!
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
This is such a kind, sweet, humane story, suffused with that almost-painful tenderness felt when someone who loves you makes you a warm cup of tea. While I do admittedly love romance novels (or romance-adjacent ones), there’s also something really healing about a story that’s not centered on that kind of relationship. The quiet friendship between Dex and Mosscap (both of whom are different flavors of nonbinary) is one of those stories, and I’m thrilled that it exists in the world.
Space Sweepers
A Korean space opera film about interplanetary garbage collectors! What more could you want? Maybe a blistering critique of late-stage capitalism? It has that too! And the robot character is transgender! Now, I’ve often been frustrated by the implication of otherness when a story’s trans character is nonhuman, but in this case? Trust me, it works. The film does a wonderful job of giving Bubs’ relationship to gender a fully-realized, vibrant storyline, including going out of its way to showcase the massive financial obstacles often involved in transitioning.
Campaign: Skyjacks
An actual-play RPG podcast about sky-ship pirates in a setting based on the music of The Decemberists, Skyjacks is by turns hilarious, gorgeous, and heartwrenching. From the main characters to the supporting cast and the worldbuilding itself, queerness is woven effortlessly and lovingly into the very fabric of the story. If you loved Our Flag Means Death and want more hilarious queer pirates, check this one out!
The Sword Dance Trilogy by AJ Demas
A romance novel with a bonus mystery plot for spice! A speculative setting with flavors of Ancient Greece and Persia! AMAB nonbinary/genderqueer representation! Sword Dance is a really charming and heartfelt love story between two people with very real physical and psychological trauma in their respective pasts, and the greatest joy of this series is getting to watch the process of them discovering those hurts, negotiating how to lovingly accommodate them, and learning how to accept that care and gentleness in return. All while investigating assassination plots, of course, like you do.
A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland is published by Tor. Order here
