20 of the best LGBTQIA+ works of science fiction
Young Avengers (Cover image via Marvel)
Science fiction deals with a diverse range of worlds and people throughout time and the cosmos. Here are some of the best works of LGBTQIA+ science fiction
It’s strange that science fiction, with all of its fantastical worlds and new ways of living, has had such a difficult time depicting LGBTQIA+ people. If there can be faster than light travel and intelligent aliens, then why can’t two female-identified people get together? Why were some writer and creators so terrified at the prospect of men in a romantic relationship? While we’re at it, why should works of science fiction even accept the staid old gender norms of our own societies?
Thankfully, the science fiction genre is growing more and more progressive. With that movement, authors and other creative folk have taken the deep well of creativity there and used it to explore previously ignored topics like gender and sexuality. Sure, there still aren’t as many “classics” of science fiction or big-name authors that could be diving into the subject. Still, it’s certainly more so than in the earliest days of the genre.
It’s proven to be pretty rich ground. The works here include stories about people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, agender, and nearly everything in between. Some authors chose to explore worlds much like our own, while others went practically wild with possibility over alien planets and societies. Some tales are set in the near future, while others are so vast and removed from our own that it’s hard to remember that the protagonists are (mostly) human, too.
A couple of notes
A few of the slides contain spoilers. Some may also discuss mature content, though none of it gets graphic.
About terminology: There are many ways to refer to the galaxy of non-heterosexual orientations. I’ve chosen to use “LGBTQIA+” as a standard abbreviation and “queer” as a more general term. This is not meant to exclude different orientations and gender identities. Neither is it intended to gloss over the long, complicated history of words like “queer”.
With all of that in mind, read on for some of the best works of LGBTQIA+ science fiction available right now.