Genderqueer Fiction

Gender fascinates people; it should be no surprise there is much fiction that investigates gender and sexuality. (Not all of these are strictly fiction; I have included some memoirs.) You might want to also look at my holdings on LibraryThing.
Last updated 18 July 2008 by Lisa Lees.

link to Oopt

Lists & 'Zines

Some of these lists are maintained by students and other itinerant academic people, and so may move with time. A lot of 'cyberpunk' stories and books have significant LBGT content, too. Links validated 9 December 2007.

Alternative Sexualities in Science Fiction and Fantasy List
On the Society for Human Sexuality site, copied from another site that no longer exists. Some annotations and links.
Imagined Sexual Futures
A list put together by Elisa Sparks.
LGBT SF
A sublist of the Feminist Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Utopia site maintained by Laura Quilter.
Lambda Sci-Fi Recommended Reading list
A short list, well annotated.
Lambda Literary Award Nominees and Winners
The fantasy and science fiction nominees and winners since 1988. With purchase links, but no annotations.
The James Tiptree, Jr. Awards
This award is specifically for works having themes concerned with gender and gender roles. (James Tiptree was a pseudonym used by Alice Sheldon.) The collection of award winners, Flying Cups and Saucers: Gender Explorations in Science Fiction and Fantasy, is wonderful! Edited by Debbie Notkin and the Secret Feminist Cabal, Edgewood Press, PO Box 380264, Cambridge MA 02238.
Yuricon, for women who like their women...animated
Hosts an "ever-growing list of anime and manga characters who either appear to be lesbians or who are extremely 'slashable'." I cannot gush enough about this list! For anything that's available on amazon.com or amazon.co.jp they now have hot links! ZOMG!

Young Adult

I mostly read books about people labeled as girls and women, but there are also a lot of guy books out there, and many of the books here include gay guys, too. I've read all of the books I list, but I re-read only the happy ones. Grief is not exactly hard to come by, and I prefer looking forward to better times.

If you read a lot of these books you'll notice some pretty clear trends. Before about 1990 there wasn't much available, and really bad things usually happened. Around 1990 things began looking up, and queer teen characters occasionally reached the end of a book alive and with their relationship intact. About 2000 we start to see books that are actually positive and happy. Beginning also about 2000 almost every book portrays conservative Christianity as a major force of evil that is totally out of touch with the modern world.

For a more complete list of YA fiction see Lesbian and Gay Voices: an annotated bibliography and guide to literature for children and young adults (2000), and The Heart Has Its Reasons: young adult literature with gay/lesbian/queer content, 1969-2004 (2006).

I start off with anthologies, but I've decided to then list individual books in the order they were originally published (alphabetical by author within year), rather than grouped by their author, to illustrate the above observation.

Marion Dane Bauer, editor. Am I Blue? Coming Out from The Silence. 1994. Harper Trophy.
An anthology of YA short fiction by writers including Bruce Coville, Nancy Garden, M.E. Kerr and Jane Yolen.
Jane Summer, ed. Not the Only One: Lesbian & Gay Fiction for Teens. 2004. Alyson Books.
Twenty diverse stories by twenty adult authors, including Michael Thomas Ford, Brent Hartinger, Claire McNab and Lesléa Newman. This is the second edition of this anthology, with stories about coming of age, coming out, self-discovery, dealing with parents and interacting with adults (sexually, in Judd Powell's "Crossing Lines"). Worth reading, however do note the title, "lesbian and gay fiction;" this is not queer fiction, and the only mention of transgender issues is a (stereotypical) glimpse of a crossdressing father in Lesléa Newman's story.
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Isabel Miller. Patience & Sarah. 1969. Fawcett.
A tale of love between two young women, set in New England in the early 1800's, and is at least loosely based on stories of women who did live lives together and may have had similar stories. This qualifies as one of the first lesbian love stories with a happy ending. Out of print on Amazon, but I know it's available through ISO, and it's easy to find used.
Rita Mae Brown. Rubyfruit Jungle. 1973. Bantam.
This novel has a good deal of explicit language and explicit sex (of the pre-AIDS ultra risky variety). Still, any young adult brave enough to read a book about "growing up lesbian in America" is not going to be shocked by a little gutter language, and with any luck they will know something about safer sex. Irreverent. Lot's of fun. Easily available.
Sandra Scoppettone. Trying Hard to Hear You. 1974. Alyson.
About a group of kids doing summer theater, so it's not all bad, but one of the two gay guys dies, drunk, in a car accident along with a girl while he's pretending to be straight. The story is told by an ambiguous girl narrator. Perhaps when this was first published it was daring, and it at least helped make queer people less invisible, but now it's just sad. Out of print.
Sandra Scoppettone. Happy Endings Are All Alike. 1978. Alyson.
Follows the common formula of two girls falling in love, one of whom is certain of her sexual identity, one who is not, with the latter leaving the relationship, then deciding at the very end that she wants it back, but with no certainty of how things will turn out in the long run. The obligatory really bad thing is that the first girl is brutally raped, in ten pages of gruesome detail, her lesbian relationship is exposed and lesser bad things happen to everyone involved. Maybe this is worth reading if you can't imagine what horrible things happen to kids just because they're queer, or if you want to nurse along a suicidal depression, but otherwise I suggest you leave this one buried in history. Out of print.
Jane Futcher. Crush. 1981. AlyCat.
I like this book, but some of the reasons I do may be minuses for other people. The story is set at a rich girl prep boarding school in 1964-65. I went to a small private co-ed prep school, the mid-60's was the beginning of my teen years so the historical events are seared in my mind, I've lived on the east coast, traveled much by train, and knocked around NYC a bit. The characters are good, if a tad stereotypical; Jinx who's pretty certain she's queer, Lexie who may be but is doing all the typical stupid things to deny it to herself, and Miggin who may be and would have been so much better for Jinx if happy endings were allowed in YA queer books. Still in print.
Nancy Garden. Annie on My Mind. 1982. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Annie on My Mind is probably the best known of all YA coming of age/out novels, and deservedly so. I think this book was the literary turning point that made happy endings imaginable, though it took a while for it to happen. The story is told by Liza, in college, looking back on her senior year relationship with Annie. Their relationship at that point ended in disaster, but the book ends on several notes of hope, and the all-important message that it is the truth that sets us free.
Jeanette Winterson. Oranges are not the only Fruit. 1985. Atlantic Monthly Press.
Winterson's autobiographical first novel. She was adopted into a fundamentalist evangelical family in a working class English city, but grew up queer anyway. This is more of a literary novel than a young adult novel, but it's an interesting commentary on the absurdity of religion, and is quite humorous in places.
Francesca Lia Block. Dangerous Angels: The Weetzie Bat Books. 1998, HarperCollins (individual books published 1989-95)
It's hard to describe the Weetzie Bat books to someone who has not read them without their coming across as bizarre. What they are is sensual, sensuous and sensitive. The characters cover a multitude of ages, genders, races and sexualities. There is magic, ghosts and spirits. The books share a common theme, which is: love, in all its forms, delightful and painful, requited and unrequited, deserved and undeserved. Fantastic, in every sense of the word. I recommend everything she has written, though be warned that some of her other books can be a little dark in places.
Nancy Garden. Lark in the Morning. 1991. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Gillian is in her summer between high school and college. She has come out to herself and to her best friend and now lover, Suzanne, and is slowly working on coming out to others. The story takes place where her family is spending the summer, and involves two runaway children who Gillian befriends. Her efforts to secretly help the children cause tension with the rest of her relationships. Although Gillian's sexual orientation is often on her mind, the queer focus is in fact pretty small; Gillian is with Suzanne only briefly and most of the tension in the story has to do with helping the runaway kids. Out of print. Still, if you're queer and you're simply looking for books that admit you exist, this one is worth looking for used.
Diane Salvatore. Benediction. 1991. Naiad (now Bella Books).
Grace and Meg are juniors at a Catholic girls school in New York City. They become friends, and eventually lovers. Meg can't handle the social consequences of being gay, and eventually backs out of the relationship, hurting Grace (and we assume, herself) a great deal in the process. Grace decides to stand firm on her beliefs, in more areas than her sexuality. With the help of her best friend, who isn't gay, Grace makes contact with the lesbian community and looks to her future. In spite of the common formula of one girl who can handle her identity and one who cannot, I consider this a book worth reading, with engaging characters. As you might expect from a Naiad book, the sex scenes are better than in most YA books.
M.E. Kerr. Deliver Us From Evie. 1994. HarperTrophy.
The sub-head on the cover is, "She has always known what she was..." which is a dyke, of course. The story is told by Evie's brother, Parr, which is somewhat weird, but some writers believe that girl stories just don't sell. Whatever. Evie is there, and yeh, she's a dyke, but in rural Missouri, which is the state in which I was born, and where I went to college and graduate school. So this book speaks to my roots. I personally think that having Evie's brother as narrator works quite well, but then I have a younger brother, too. One of my favorite books. In print.
April Sinclair. Coffee Will Make You Black. 1994. HarperCollins Perennial.
This is a wonderful coming of age novel, and there are hints that Stevie is not headed on a straight course. Set in Chicago between 1965 and 1970 amid the turmoil of civil rights and anti-war unrest. Aside from being a very well written and worthwhile read, Coffee will remind you of just how much some things have changed in forty years, and how far we still are from reaching the lofty goals shouted out in those heady years. Ain't Gonna Be the Same Fool Twice is a sequel, following Stevie to college and then to San Francisco.
Lorrie Sprecher. Sister Safety Pin. 1994. Firebrand Books.
Sister begins when Melany is 17, has spiky blue hair, is coming to terms with her sexuality, has finished high school early and has just begun college. We follow her through several lovers, moves and changes, into graduate school and work toward a PhD. This is a wonderful, sweet book about a person who just doesn't fit in (except with other people who don't fit it) and goes through all kinds of shit, and... it has a happy ending! Definitely worth tracking down. (Lorrie is also Sugar Rat: "voted the number one eccentric political lesbian folk-punk artist of the year AGAIN." Woo hoo! Have I mentioned I like loud, angry intelligent music, and hooded rats?)
Nancy Garden. Good Moon Rising. 1996. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Good Moon Rising quickly went out of print, which is a shame. Two high school seniors doing theater (The Crucible) fall in love and suffer the usual crap from fellow students. The ending is considerably more upbeat than Annie's, but Good Moon is very realistic as to what it is still (sigh) like to be young and queer.
Melissa Scott. Night Sky Mine. 1996. Tor.
This is not actually a 'young adult' book, though one of the central characters, Ista, and her friend Stinne, are young adults, and a good deal of the book is about Ista trying to figure out her place in the universe and her relationship with Stinne. They become involved with the other major characters, Rangsey and his contracted partner Tarasov, in a far flung adventure in real and cyber space. Like most of Scott's books, there is a complex economic, political, and social system involved, which may put off young readers not already into science fiction. Out of print now, of course.
Jean Stewart. Emerald City Blues. 1996. Rising Tide Press. Available from Bella Books.
Emerald is an interesting meld between YA and adult lesbian fiction. Much of the story is about Morgan, who runs from her family, and Reb, who has been on the street for a couple of years. They are taken in by Chris, who is beginning a relationship with Jennifer, the woman who has moved in next door. There are quite a few other characters in this Seattle based novel. The ending is realistic, but upbeat. I like it; it leaves me wanting to know more about all the main characters, and I certainly won't argue with the message: we need to take care of our own. Worth finding.
Paula Boock. Dare Truth or Promise. 1997, Longacre Press, New Zealand; 1999, Houghton Mifflin.
I like this one very much, and there is a fairly happy ending, after much pain and struggle. The families of Louie and Willa are made very real, as are their school and job situations. The New Zealand setting adds interest. (Dunedin sounds like a safer place than most U.S. cities, but then I don't know what has been left out of the picture, and it is not presented as a safe place for queer kids, of course; nowhere is.)
Jacqueline Woodson. The House You Pass on the Way. 1997. Random.
Staggerlee and Trout, two young girls, one pretty certain who and what she is, the other rebelling, but not so certain against what; both busy growing up and finding out what they will become. Pretty mellow, in print. (Anything by Jacqueline Woodson is worth reading, by the way.)
Sue Hines. Out of the Shadows. 1998. Avon Tempest.
After her mother was killed by a drunk driver, Rowanna continues to live with Deb, her mother's partner. She becomes friends with a new girl at school, Jodie, who is coming to terms with being lesbian. Also in the mix is Rowanna's best friend Mark. They're all in Year 9 (this is Australia, so that means they are fifteen and sixteen years old). The story is about the three friends, their problems at school, and their interactions with Deb, who quickly realizes that Jodie is lesbian and finds Rowanna attractive. There's no romance here, just working out problems and relationships, learning what it's like to be different, and learning how valuable friends are. Good characters, and a good book for someone coping with finding out that a person in their life is "one of them".
Elizabeth Kushner. "Changeling," in The Essential Bordertown, edited by Terri Windling & Delia Sherman. 1998. TOR.
This is a short story, one of many written in the shared world of Bordertown. Bordertown is where many people run off to look for a better place in which to be different, but "Changeling" is exceptional in that it has two young queer characters. And, hey, they're even doing theater! Most of the Borderland books and stories were written in the 1980's and don't touch on explicitly queer themes, but they all are about being different, and queerness often runs just below the surface of the stories. That is so often the queer experience; you hope and hope and hope that your existence will be acknowledged and it just doesn't happen very often. The few writers (and editors and publishers) brave enough to let the queer peek through are to be applauded!
Stephen Chbosky. The Perks of being a Wallflower. 1999. Pocket Books.
Charlie isn't gay, but one of his close friends is. Charlie is a sensitive, gifted teenager (15 at the start of the novel) who has serious emotional problems as a result of being sexually abused as a young child. Takes place between August 1991 and August 1992, Charlie's freshman year, in the form of letters written to an anonymous person. Wallflower is a very well done coming of age book with an unusual viewpoint character, and presents a believable outcome of the type of abuse Charlie suffered.
Nancy Garden. The Year They Burned the Books. 1999. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
The Year remains in print, with queer high school kids (and their friends and parents) battling religious fundamentalism in a small northeastern town and coming out on top, at least temporarily. Does a good job of showing a range of viewpoints and making a case for tolerance, diverse ideas and freedom of the press. Nancy Garden writes from the experience of having her own books banned from school libraries and burned or trashed.
Ellen Wittlinger. Hard Love. 1999. Simon Pulse.
John is a junior in high school, dealing with his parents' divorce and the impending remarriage of his mother. He puts his thoughts down in a zine, picks up other zines from a bookstore in Boston, and decides to try to meet Marisol, the writer of a zine called Escape Velocity. Marisol, a senior, describes herself as a "Puerto Rican Cuban Cambridge, rich spoiled lesbian private-schooled gifted-and-talented writer virgin looking for love." Gio (the name under which he publishes his zine) hasn't even decided if he has a sexual orientation, and isn't sure of much else about himself. Gio and Marisol become very good friends, but then Gio finds himself responding to Marisol's attention in ways he had not anticipated. Love is a complicated thing that does not always go where one expects it to go. Marisol and Gio part friends–hurting–but that is part of most worthwhile relationships, too, isn't it? Not at all your standard love story, which is a good thing. Highly recommended.
Lois-Ann Yamanaka. Name Me Nobody. 1999. Hyperion.
Louie and Von are close, blood sisters. In middle school they develop different interests; Louie in boys, Von in girls. Also explores issues of body image and mixed race heritage. Sports intensive. Set in Hawai'i. Dialogue is heavy with dialect and slang, which I found fascinating. Told from Louie's point of view. She has rough times, survives, learns things about herself. The ending is fairly upbeat. I like it.
Nancy Garden. Holly's Secret. 2000. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
This book is aimed at a lower or middle school audience. Twelve-year old Holly takes advantage of her family moving to the country to assume a new identity at her new school, that of a 'normal' girl who does not have lesbian parents, is more feminine, has friends and maybe even a boyfriend. Not surprisingly, she finds that living a lie is not a simple thing to do, hurts the people who care about her, and complicates instead of simplifies finding new friends. Things work out okay in the end; Holly realizes that being her true self is best (and she does end up with a boyfriend).
Julie Anne Peters. Define Normal. 2000. Little, Brown.
This one isn't explicitly about sexuality or gender issues, but it's very much about identity and social expectation. Antonia has major family problems and ends up peer counseling Jazz (Jasmine) a goth-punk with whom she believes she has nothing in common. They end up good friends.
Marilyn Reynolds. Love Rules. 2001. Morning Glory Press.
Told from the viewpoint of Lynn, about the coming out of her best friend and next door neighbor since age 11, Kit. Lynn's struggles to continue to accept Kit as her spirit sister, and has her own problems because of her black boyfriend Conan. Very realistic portrayal of the crap to which queer students are subjected; hate crimes, indifference or worse from some teachers and administrators, and involvement with a GSA and GLSEN. I had nightmares after I finished this book. Not because it's scary, per se, but because it's realistic and made me remember things about school I try to not remember. Highly recommended to help anyone walk a mile in the shoes of an LGBTQ teen. Part of her "True-to-life series from Hamilton High."
Sara Ryan. Empress of the World. 2001. Penguin. 213 pages.
Another coming out story. During a summer gifted and talented program, Nicola finds out a lot about herself, and finds a girlfriend. There are problems, of course, but ultimately a happy ending. Imagine that! In 2001 we reached the point where people can write books about LBGTQ kids without feeling the need for a wretched ending. One of my favorite books. A sequel, The Rules for Hearts, came out in 2007. See below.
Julia Watts. Finding H.F. 2001. Alyson.
Okay, some people are going to say 16 year old H.F. and her gay friend Bo have impossibly good luck and the ending is improbable. So what? Can't we have just one YA book with queer characters where everything turns out okay? When you're feeling blue, read this book! I love it to pieces! (I love all her books; she has a fantastic sense of humor.)
Tea Benduhn. Gravel Queen. 2003. Simon & Schuster.
Aurin, Kenney and Fred are close high school friends, in part because they don't feel that they fit in anywhere else. Kenney is the leader of the trio, and Aurin's best friend. Fred knows he is gay, though he hasn't had a serious relationship. Aurin, who tells the story, isn't sure, but when she meets Neila, it doesn't take too long for butterflys to turn to kisses. Although the novel is set in the conservative south, and Neila is black (mixed-race is implied), it doesn't make much difference. I think this is because we're seeing the world through Aurin's eyes, and these things simply aren't important to her, nor is labeling herself or her feelings toward Neila. Benduhn's language is very sensual, and film making is an often-used metaphor. The ending trails off, but is upbeat. I like this book a lot; my only regret is that it's way too short.
Brent Hartinger. Geography Club. 2003. Harper Tempest.
A very sweet book about being LBG in high school and starting what eventually becomes a GSA. If you're different in any way, school sucks, of course, and the things you do to try to survive can actually make the situation worse. Upbeat. Told from Russell's point of view, beginning from when he thought he was the only gay kid in his school.
David Levithan. Boy Meets Boy. 2003. Alfred A. Knopf.
In keeping with my philosophy of liking positive, forward looking books, this one is a real gem! It's not completely realistic, but it sure is hopeful. Told from the viewpoint of gay boy Paul, the action centers around his life and his truly amazing town and school, in which one can be gay without being beaten up. Imagine! (I do believe, I do believe, I do!)
Lauren Myracle. Kissing Kate. 2003. Dutton Books.
What can I say about this book? It's mostly harmless? Lissa kisses Kate, and it's a defining moment for Lissa, but Kate doesn't want to deal with it, and a long-standing friendship goes down the tubes. It's not a bad book, it's just not very deep. And maybe that is good, very good, that being gay is no longer such a big deal, just part of growing up. (Except of course that actually living as a queer person is still no piece of cake.)
Julie Anne Peters. Keeping You a Secret. 2003. Little, Brown.
This is a coming-out story told from the point of view of Holland, a girl in her final semester of high school who lives with her mother, stepfather and her obnoxious stepsister; has a steady boyfriend, is president of the student council and is bound for a (prestigious) college. She's also unhappy and feels like she isn't in control of herself or her life. By the end of the book everything has changed: she has a girlfriend, has been kicked out of home, is friends with her stepsister and is headed to community college to study something she wants to do. Though some people say this book tries to touch on too many issues, this is my definite favorite of all these YA books; I've read it five times so far.
Zoe Trope. Please Don't Kill The Freshman. 2003. Harper Tempest.
A candid, honest, literate memoir that spans a little more than a year in the life of a high school girl. Zoe is many things, and yes, queer is one of those things, which is why the book is on this list. I won't suggest more labels. Read the book and get to know her. Zoe graduated from high school in 2003 and I'm hoping for more writing from her. (I hated high school with a passion, was a misfit, dropped out twice, went to three different schools, was beat up and bashed. I guess things haven't changed much in the past 30 years.)
Julie Burchill. Sugar Rush. 2004. Harper Tempest.
The sugar rush of the title is Maria Sweet, Kim's first serious girlfriend. It's a relationship across social classes, but it's doomed because although Maria enjoys sex with Kim, she really isn't gay. Set in Brighton, UK, with a lot of sex and alcohol and drugs and bad language. Though the book is well enough written that I wanted to finish it and find out what happens with Kim, it's also annoying in several ways. From what I know of Julie Burchill ("Britain's most famous and controversial journalist," according to the liner notes), her own voice too frequently and stridently breaks through into the voices of her characters. The use of ALL CAPS for emphasis got real old, and the fast forward a couple of years into Kim's future in the last chapter was cute, but too brief. I would rather have had a few more pages (of 280) there and quite a few thousand words less in a few other places. (Where is a strong editorial hand when one needs one?) Still, in an ocean of heterosexuality, any life raft is better than nothing, so if this one comes your way, it is worth reading.
Jackie Calhoun. Woman in the Mirror. 2004. Bella Books.
The main characters are Josey, a painter, and Annie, her college-age niece. They are both lesbian and have problems in their lives. We see their parallel stories play out, amidst a number of other interesting characters and situations. The story perhaps accelerates a bit too much near the end, but as the end(s) are upbeat, this is a recommended read.
Kristyn Dunnion. Mosh Pit. 2004. Red Deer Press.
Viewpoint character Simone is having problems with school, her mother, her friend Cherry (who she wishes was her lover) and life in general. This is a somewhat dark book set in the underworld of punk, drugs, porn, sex and crime, with characters that are very real and engaging. It's the kind of book I'm sorry to see end because I want to know more about (some of) the characters. There are strong lesbian and trans characters. Simone has hard times in this book, but learns important things about herself and her place in the world. At the end, things are looking up for her, not in a gee-gosh-wow fairy tale wonderful way, but in a damn, I can do this in spite of all the crap way. I liked it.
Lisa Jahn-Clough. Country Girl, City Girl. 2004. Walter Lorraine Books, Houghton Mifflin.
Phoebe is a country girl, living with her father and older brother on a small farm in Maine. The summer before eighth grade, a big-city girl, Melita, comes to stay while her mother, who was a friend of Phoebe's mother, recovers from a breakdown. Though they seem very different, Phoebe and Melita quickly become friends. Later in the summer Phoebe spends a week in New York City with Melita and her mother. By the end of the summer, Phoebe feels as if she is finally beginning to understand herself, thanks to her 'princess charming' Melita, and her kiss. Gentle, hopeful and upbeat. A good read.
Judy MacLean. Rosemary and Juliet. 2004. Alice Street Editions, Harrington Park Press.
Very loosely based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, this book is a good read, if perhaps a little heavy on drama and with a touch of "everything and the kitchen sink, too" syndrome. The book is not quite as blood-thirsty as the play, as both Romey and Juliet are alive and still in love at the end, if forcibly separated. Rosemary and Juliet is very gay-positive and pulls no punches in painting the conservative Christian right as the enemy (and so will no doubt be banned and burned in the usual places).
Julie Anne Peters. Luna. 2004. Little, Brown.
Like all of Julie's books this one is about a lot of things: family problems, friend problems, young love, identity, and in this case, transsexuality. The story is told by Regan, about herself and her gifted older brother Liam, who longs to be Luna, a girl like Regan. I think Luna does a good job of helping the reader see into the mind of a person whose gender identity does not match the gender assigned them at birth, and gives a glimpse of the effects and consequences that changing sex/gender has for a trans person and their family and friends. The ending is happier than many real-life endings are for young trans people; the book is dedicated "in memory of Fred C. Martinez, Jr. (Beyoncé) 1985-2001," a teenager who was killed for being trans.

Luna is one of the few YA books to include a significant transgender character. General readers should be cautioned that there is a wide variety of experiences behind the terms transgender, transsexual, genderqueer and intersex that are only beginning to be addressed in YA fiction. See my resource pages for more information.

Alison Smith. Name All the Animals. 2004. Scribner.
This is a memoir, but reads like truly excellent young adult fiction. This story spans Alison's high school years, and tells how she coped (or failed to cope) with the death of her dearly beloved brother. It is also the story of a first love with another girl, and of how their families' religion provided the stage for everything that happened. The loose ends remain loose, but perhaps we will hear more from Alison. (I hope so!) Painful in places, but very highly recommended.
Charlie Anders. Choir Boy. 2005. Soft Skull Press.
Berry is a middle school age choir boy who decides to use anti-androgens and estrogen to keep his voice from changing. Of course everything else about his body begins changing, and the complications quickly snowball out of control. There is a cast of very unusual characters and situations. I found the humor often at the ROFL level. (If you know who Charlie Anders is, this is the kind of coming of age novel one would expect her to write.) The jacket copy compares Choir Boy to Katherine Dunn's Geek Love. Meaning no disrespect for either book, I don't think that's a good comparison. Though Choir Boy does push the limits of reality, it remains (barely) within them, and everyone is still alive at the end. I recommend this to anyone who wants to laugh at the whole stupid mess that is binary sex and gender. My favorite quote: "I have a pull-out bed. Don't worry. Really. I'm a trained advice columnist."
Lisa Lees. Fool for Love. 2005. Lulu.com.
Carys and Jami are of high school age, though Jami is home-schooled, when they meet at a spring break arts camp. They are immediately attracted to each other, and begin dealing with the fact that Jami is intersexed and Carys is genderqueer. The cover is by artist Jade Gordon, who draws the Lean on Me web comic.
Julie Anne Peters. Far from Xanadu. 2005. Little, Brown.
Mike is third generation in her little town of Coalton, Kansas, where she and her gay friend Jamie are tolerated, but lonely. Mike falls, hard, for Xanadu, a beautiful girl sent to stay with relatives because of the trouble she was in from dealing drugs in the big city. The two girls are very different, not least of all because Xanadu is straight. Mike is still trying to figure out what has happened to her life since her father jumped off the town's water tower two years ago. Is she going to stay in town and try to carry on her father's plumbing business, without the help of her worthless brother, or use her skill and talent with sports to find a way out? Can she convince Xanadu to love her? Another good read from Julie Anne Peters!
JD Glass. Punk Like Me. 2006. Bold Strokes Books.
Punk isn't marketed as a YA novel, but almost the entire story takes place as a flashback to Nina's high school days and her coming out to herself and others. The flashback is set in NYC in a somewhat indeterminate early 1990s timeframe, before cell phones, instant messaging and online communities changed the way young people can be connected. It's a pretty gritty story, with parental brutality, explicit descriptions of lesbian sex and some very emotional scenes. The main character, Nina, through whose eyes we live the story, is incredibly well fleshed-out and appealing (in a hardcore way). It's the kind of book where I skim ahead to make sure someone's going to be okay, because I quickly come to care about them so much. A damn good read; I am eagerly waiting for the promised sequel!
Lisa Lees. A Queer Circle of Friends. 2006. Lulu.com.
QC picks up six months after A Fool for Love. Carys has started a support group for LBGTQQI young people. One of the group members dies in a way that leaves some questions that quickly involve Carys and Jami and their friends. In addition to figuring that out, they start a gender performance troupe, Wizzy Wig, and fall in love, both of them, with the same person, who falls in love with both of them, and well, two plus one equals three, right? Cover by artist Jade Gordon.
 
The third Queer Circle novel, A Queer Turn of Events, is being posted on the web as an illustrated serial. The place to go is wizzywig.net!
Julie Anne Peters. Between Mom and Jo. 2006. Little, Brown.
Nick has two moms, and he's mostly just fine with that, though there are some problems at school. But then things go wrong in their relationship and Nick is caught in the middle. Told from Nick's point of view.
Julia Watts. Women's Studies. 2006. Spinster's Ink.
Women's Studies follows an academic year in the life of three students at a southern college. They happen to know each other because at the beginning they are starting the fall semester in the same women's studies class, but they don't actually have much direct contact with each other in the novel. A complex, intertwined coming out / self-discovery story, with very good characters. A number of what at first appear to be college-age and lesbian stereotypes, but there is enough character development of even these incidental characters to make them individuals. (Have I mentioned I really like good character development?) Lots of Julia Watts's brand of subtle humor.
Sara Ryan. The Rules for Hearts. 2007. Viking. 222 pages.
This is a sequel to Empress of the World (2001). Told from Battle's point of view, the story takes place a year later, during the summer before she begins college. Battle's brother Nick is in this story, but Nicola is not (though Battle is still in touch with Nic, and we do hear a little about her). Battle is a very different person than Nic, so Rules is a very different book than Empress. Battle does not understand people, and has a lot of trouble talking with people. (She's like me. I should make a T-shirt that says, "not available for processing".) Everyone in the book is involved in theater, which adds a whole 'nother level if you're a theater geek.
Ellen Wittlinger. Parrotfish. 2007. Simon & Schuster. 287 pages.
Grady is an FTM teen, the first of which I am aware in YA fiction. A great deal of good information is worked into the story. (One day this will no longer be necessary, but I know for a fact that most people still need trans-101.) There are several well developed chracters that one quickly comes to care about. We see what it really means for Grady to transition, how he is treated, and how much it hurts. And it has as happy an ending as any trans story can have. Woot!

Non-YA Books

An assortment of books I feel are worth mentioning for their genderqueerness, though they are not YA books.

Marion Zimmer Bradley. The World Wreckers. 1971, 1994. Penguin.
Many of MZB's novels explore non-mainstream sexualities. In this novel we learn many interesting things about the chieri, one of Darkover's native intelligent species, including that they are hermaphrodites who change to fertile male or female forms under certain conditions. Other MZB novels in which non-mainstream sexuality plays an important part are: Darkover Landfall; The Shattered Chain, Thendara House, City of Sorcery (the Renunciates series); The Forbidden Tower, The Heritage of Hastur; The Catch Trap, and of course The Mists of Avalon. [Mainstream sexuality being monogamous heterosexuality.]

MZB is also responsible for Lythande, the mysterious adept and minstrel who conceals her gender and her attraction to women, in the Sanctuary/Thieves World universe.

Poppy Z. Brite. The Crow: The Lazarus Heart. 1998. Harper.
Warning! There is murder, torture, vivisection, explicit sex and ultraviolence in this book. There are also a wide range of LBGT characters that really live (for a while, anyway) as individuals, and an intense inside-out look at what it is sometimes like to be queer in this culture.
Samuel R. Delany. Babel-17. 1966.
One of my all time favorite books, which I have read over and over and over since it was published. I like this book on so many levels, I don't know where to begin. It's science fiction, about language, with wonderful ideas about body modification, a hero with whom I can identify, lots of action, and gender, race and sexuality are not stereotypes.
----------. Trouble on Triton: An Ambiguous Heterotopia. 1976. Reprint 1996.
I hate to summarize Delany. Read it! Yes, there is a sex/gender change. No, it isn't as simple as that. Have I mentioned that Delany is one of my favorite writers? Perhaps he is too much of a writer's writer. Dhalgren was a bestseller, but how many people have actually read it, much less re-read it? I'm happy I had a chance to meet him and hear him speak at MSU. Much of Delany's work has been out of print, but is now being republished. Look for it!
M.J. Engh. Rainbow Man. 1993. Orb.
The major themes are (1) a spacefaring society in which there is no faster than light communication or travel, so embarking on a starship is to leave behind everyone and everything one has known, and (2) a planet on which the definition of female is strictly "capable of reproduction" and on which there is also a strict religious fundamentalism with an unusual implementation. A woman who decides to leave a starship for a stay on Bimran, and who like most starshippers has elected to be sterilized, is socially a man on Bimran and so would be encouraging homosexuality by flirting with a person born male on Bimran.
Carolyn Ives Gilman. Halfway Human. 1998. Avon Books.
The path of evolution on Gammadis has resulted in humanoids who do not sexually differentiate until they go through puberty. At that time they become male, female or remain neuter, the latter having no external sex organs. The social implications are of course profound. One of the neuters ends up on another planet in strange circumstances, which is where the story begins. (Gilman is rumored to be working on another novel set in this universe; I hope so!) Out of print, but very well worth the effort to find.
Ursula K. LeGuin. The Left Hand of Darkness. 1969. Reissue edition, 1991. Ace.
On Gethen the people are not always sexually active or receptive, only when they come into kemmer; they change sex/gender as necessary to match their mate, but only for the length of their mating, otherwise they are sexless. The envoy from another world, who is always one sex, is considered a pervert. (A Gethen pervert can artificially induce kemmer to have sex out of season or to remain one gender). See her essay, "Is Gender Necessary? Redux" in Dancing at the Edge of the World: Thoughts on Words, Women, Places. Le Guin's novel The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia, is also well worth reading and has considerable insights about gender and society.
C.C. Saint-Clair. Morgan in the Mirror. 2004. BookMakers Ink.
The story of Morgan, a young (20's) transman, is told from a number of points of view, including Morgan's memories. In the present, at the start of the story, Morgan is living stealth, known and accepted as a young man to friends and co-workers. He's been on T for a while and has recently had top surgery. Set in Australia.

I think Morgan is a very believable character. I say that as a trans and genderqueer person who is not FTM. I have known a number of FTM people. I have read many words written by FTM people and heard a number of FTM people speak about their experiences. So when I say that Morgan is a believable character, it's in that context. Some people in an online forum have disagreed, but I don't think any of them had actually read the book.

Saint-Clair is an experienced writer of what is called "hot lesbian romance," but what she writes is very solid novels with well-developed characters that grab your heart and don't let go. Morgan in the Mirror builds from a previous novel, Far From Maddy, in which the characters of Maddy, Jo and Christen are introduced. (Order from BookMakers Ink for the best price.)

Melissa Scott. Shadow Man. 1995. Tor.
Takes the 'five sexes' proposed by Anne Fausto-Sterling in her 1993 article in The Sciences and extrapolates a galactic society in which these five sexes (woman, fem, herm, mem, man) are recognized and accepted to the point of having five pronouns and honorifics, along with nine sexual orientations. The action takes place on a planet that forces its people into only two genders. As this planet is adsorbed into galactic culture, such constraints cannot last. (Out of print, unfortunately!) I hope Scott writes a sequel to this one day, because I'd like to follow the main characters a little further. Until then, read Trouble and Her Friends, and anything else that Melissa Scott has written, by herself, or with her late partner, Lisa A. Barnett.
Caitlin Sullivan & Kate Bornstein. Nearly Roadkill: An Infobahn Erotic Adventure. 1996. High Risk Books.
About gender, lack of gender, ambiguous gender, sex, sexuality, transsexuality, and the Internet. A decent story, too. I liked it.
Thomas T. Thomas. Crygender. 1992. Baen Books.
The title character, full name "Cryptic Gender," is a medically created bi-lateral hermaphrodite with completely functioning male and female external genitalia. Cry runs the posh Babylon bordello on the former Alcatraz island at the start of the 21st century. It's not a bad story, though one sees voiced all the usual and tired social attitudes toward intersexuality and transsexuality. There is no hint that this level of medical technology is used more widely, and little queer subtext. Out of print.
Jeanette Winterson. Written On the Body. 1993. Vintage International. (Many reprints and translations.)
The well-known first-person novel in which the gender of the leading character is never revealed.

Manga, Manhwa & Anime

Gender-bending and same-gender interest are huge themes in manga and anime. As with print-only books, I'm listing titles I have actually read/seen. This section is not meant to be reviews of the art or story, but a mention of anime and manga with non-traditional gender themes. For the most part, these stories do not delve deeply into the complexity of sex/gender, but are focused on romance and use gender-change as a plot device to ensure lots of crazy situations. Where there is more going on, I comment about it. Dates listed are for original publication, not translation. Warning: some of these anime and manga contain sexual violence triggers and/or other very emotional situations. I try to note this.

My list here is focused on gender-bending, though I've included a few titles with same-gender-loving females. (There is a fantastic list of girl/girl manga and anime on Yuricon.) You'll also find discussions of a few anime series on my memoir site: WiltedFlowerChild.com and some more reviews in the visual culture part of this site.

Setona Mizushiro. After School Nightmare. Go! Comi, 2005.
An intriguing fantasy situation is used in this story that revolves around Ichijo Mashiro, who has always known that he is intersexed. Mashiro-kun has many issues with his body, his gender and his sexuality. The after-school nightmare setting allows an exploration of the way people feel about themselves that is usually very difficult to pull off. Highly recommended, but does contain triggers for pretty much anything you can imagine... or dream.
Hitoshi Tomizawa. Alien Nine. CPM Manga, 1999.
Cute grade-school girls protect the Earth by entering into symbiosis with aliens they wear on their heads, a relationship that eventually causes them to become more alien than human. No, Alien Nine is not about gender, per se, but it sure is about body issues and the horrors of puberty, and two of the main characters like each other quite a lot. The sci-fi aspect won't appeal to some folks, and there's a good deal of violence and bad stuff that happens. Unfortunately the series was kind of left hanging. But I like it, a lot, anyway. The OVA is very hard to follow if you haven't read the books.
Hiroyuki Nishimori. Cheeky Angel. VIZ, 1999.
Nine-year old Megumi suffers an instant sex change through interaction with a mischievous genie. The story takes up six years later when Megumi, a very feminine appearing but masculine behaving teenager, has all sorts of trouble in school. Eighteen numbers; early ones are hard to find.
Youngran Lee. Click. Netcomics, 2001.
Another involuntary sex-change story. Joonha is an obnoxious pretty boy until age 16, when he suffers a chromosome change that runs in his family. She forces her parents to move and starts life over in high school, coping with being a girl. You can read excerpts and reviews on Netcomics. Manhwa. Eight numbers.
Shioko Mizuki. Crossroad. Go! Comi, 2005.
"Less than siblings, more than friends." Heh. A lot more. My excuse for including this here is that there is a minor lesbian character and a fair amount of same-gender loving humor. The real reason is that I love this manga and its characters. The first time I read it, I skimmed all the way through to make sure it had a happy ending because I cared so much about the characters. Higher praise I cannot give. This is on my re-read over and over and over again shelf. So good! :: hugs self ::
Mikiyo Tsuda. The Day of Revolution. Digital Manga Publishing, 2006.
Kei discovers at age 15 that he is intersexed—genetically female—and decides to continue from that point as a girl because initially no one told him he could choose to stay a boy, and because his mother always wanted a daughter. Though the small amount of information given about intersexuality is surprisingly accurate, this story uses Kei's intersexuality mostly as an excuse for Kei to suddenly (during a six month absence) have to become Megumi and deal with going to the same school and working out relationships that have changed because her gender changed.

After the intro, intersexuality, per se, is not mentioned again. Much of the treatment of concern over being 'read' because of left-over masculine mannerisms and speeech, of being found out, and of having everyone staring at you and whispering about you will ring true for anyone who's done a transition for any reason. As may the confusion over who is attractive now. There are only two numbers in this series. This author also writes yaoi as Taishi Zaou, and there's a good deal of boy-love subtext in in The Day of Revolution. Contains sexual violence triggers.

Jill Thompson. The Dead Boy Detectives. Vertigo, 2005.
The dead boys adopt disguises as girls to help solve a mystery at a girls school. Much fun is had by almost everyone. (If by some bizarre chance you don't like Neil Gaiman's The Sandman, just skip this one.)
Mizuo Shinonme, et al. First Love Sisters. Seven Seas, 2006.
First number of a cute love story that promises to become complicated. The only reason this is rated Older Teen is because it's about same-gender love; there is no explicit content, no panty shots or gratuitous boobage. It's just a love story. Grrr! I'm looking forward to rereading this when the next number comes out.
Natsuki Takaya. Fruits Basket. Tokyopop, 1998.
I'm including Fruits Basket because there is considerable bending of pretty much everything, including sexuality and gender, but also because I'm a Furuba fanatic and I think Tohru Honda should be World President.
Hiroshi Aro. Futuba-kun Change: A Whole New You! Studio Ironcat / I.C. Entertainment, 1990 (1999-2003). Out of print.
Once members of Futuba's family reach adulthood, they change sex when excited or stressed. This makes relationships a little difficult. Lots of boobs and panties. All eight numbers were translated and printed, but they aren't easy to find now.
Hisaya Nakajo. Hana-Kimi (For You in Full Blossom). VIZ, 1997.
Mizuki decides to go to high school in Japan to be close to Izumi Sano, her track and field star idol. It's an all-boys school, so Mizuki cuts her hair and enrolls as a boy, and the rest is manga history. [I am an adoring fan of Hana-Kimi and Hisaya Nakajo.]
Yukie Nasu. Here is Green Wood. VIZ, 1991.
Here is Green Wood is a manga/anime classic that bends gender and sexuality and sanity all over the map. It's a romantic comedy with a boy who looks like a girl but identifies as male, plus a good deal of yaoi content. BTW, the anime's theme song, "No Brand Heroes," is where the phrase "we are the no-brand heroes" initially became popular. Some of the manga volumes are out of print. A live-action movie is coming out in 2008.
Kim Kang Won. I.N.V.U. Tokyopop, 2001.
The genderbending aspect of I envy you is that the daughter (Hali) in a family whose son (Terry) was killed in an automobile accident is pretending to be that son around their mother (who was traumatized in the accident and has selective amnesia concerning the daughter). However, Hali is a girl at school and in the rest of her life. Told from the viewpoint of 16-year-old Sey, who is living with them for complicated reasons. Intricate plot involving romance interests and relationships. This is an almost believable situation and the genderbending is not simply a throw-away device as it is too often. I like. I.N.V.U. is Korean manhwa, not enough of which is yet available in the U.S.
Satoru Akahori, Yukimaru Katsura, Sukune Inugami. KashiMashi (Girl Meets Girl). Seven Seas, 2005.
Hazumu, accidentally squashed by an alien spaceship, is restored, but as a girl. It's a lot more complicated than that. The aliens, including the very cute personification of the ship that squashed Hazumu, hang around to observe. Hazumu is interested in girls, and a couple of girls are interested in her, including one who liked the male Hazumu because she perceived him as having many feminine attributes. This story more than any other I've read manages to capture some of the complexities of being trans, and reminds me of the stories I used to make up about myself when I was very young, before I knew there was actually something I could do about the way I felt. (The story in the anime is slightly different.)
Wataru Yoshizumi. Mint na Bokura. Shueisha, 1998.
A light romance in which a brother poses as a girl to follow his twin sister to a boarding school. If you like Marmalade Boy and/or Ultra Maniac you'll like this. (Not available in English; I read this and Marmalade Boy in French.)
Ai Yazawa. Paradise Kiss. Tokyopop, 2000.
I'm a fan of anything Yazawa-san does (Nana) and I really like Paradise Kiss. The reason for its listing here is its matter-of-fact inclusion of bisexuality and cross-dressing (though I think Isabella is clearly trans from what is said about her feelings about her gender). The story of Yukari's rebellion against her mother and decision to work as a model after falling in with a group of design-school students. Teen+ for sexual contect.
Saki Hiwatari. Please Save My Earth. VIZ, 1988.
A group of young people on Earth discover they share a dream life about a group of alien scientists on the Moon. Eventually it becomes clear that what is happening is more of a reincarnation than dreams. One of the female moon scientists chooses to be reincarnated in a male Earth body, hence the mention here.
Yasuhiro Kano. Pretty Face. VIZ, 2002.
Rando is badly burned in an auto accident. During a year in a coma, he is mistakenly given a face exacltly like that of the girl he likes, whose photo he had in his wallet. After recovery, Rando is mistaken for this girl's vanished twin sister and goes to live with her family. There's a good deal of humor and a lot of character development. Light on the exploration of sex and gender, but worth checking out. Mature content.
Rumiko Takahashi. Ranma 1/2. VIZ, 1987.
Because of a magical accident, cold water turns Ranma into a girl and his father into a panda. Complications ensue through 38 numbers, most of which I have not read.
Chiho Saito, Be-PaPas. Revolutionary Girl Utena. VIZ, 1996.
Utena Tenjou is 'revolutionary' in the "I'll do it my way and change the world" sense. The manga, anime and movie (The adolescence of Utena) also have been revolutionary in their impact on the art form and, dare I say, the world. Utena is listed here because it's a personal favorite and has to have the most sex/gender subtext per square centimeter of anything I've ever seen! And the music is to die for, OMFG! Loosely, it's the story of a teenage girl who wants to be a prince, and fights a lot of duels to keep and protect the Rose Bride. The movie version is more than a shortened version of the TV series, it's a rewrite that results in a much edgier, explicit story. It's all T+ (older teens) and deserves that rating for its wide array of sexual content.
Naoko Takeuchi. Sailor Moon S. 1994.
How could I not include Sailor Moon on this list? The third episode of Sailor Moon S, "A Beautiful Boy? The Secret of Haruka Tenoh" is a classic gender-bending laugh riot. I love Sailor Moon! (But it's not currently licensed in North America, so you'll have to track it down used. Come on, Kodansha!)
Simoun. Anime Works / Media Blasters, 2006.
This is a 26-episode anime that is just being released in the US. Simoun takes place on a planet where the people are born 'female' but do not choose a sex until about age 17. There is a war going on, being fought using the remains of ancient technology; a 'Simoun' is a two-seater fighter that is crewed by a pair of priestesses. Simoun is a must-see as a good story on many levels beyond sex and gender! Read more on Wikipedia.
Rivkah. Steady Beat. Tokyopop, 2005.
Leah reads a letter her sister drops, a love letter, that is signed, "Love, Jessica." Their mother is a conservative legislator in Texas. Drama ensues as Leah's life gets complicated. Winner of the Manga Academy's Create Your Own Manga Competition. Aimed at a middle-school audience, there's not a lot of depth about gender/sex issues, but this story feels very real and Leah is a great leading character. (Tokyopop killed the print edition of the third volume. Check Rivkah's site for information about online availablity.)
Sakurako Kimino, Takuminamuchi. Strawberry Panic. Seven Seas, 2007.
From all I had read about Strawberry Panic in reviews, I expected a bit of fan-service fluff. I was pleasantly surprised to find a good story and a set of characters that are developed in some depth, with less outright fan service than a lot of shonen titles I could name. This is pure yuri fun! The anime version is quite different, but also fun.
Takako Shigematsu. Tenshi Ja Nai!! (I'm No Angel!). Go! Comi, 2003.
Introverted Hikaru transfers to an all-girls academy, to find that her roommate, TV idol Izumi Kido, is actually—you guessed it—a guy with a complicated story.
Nawoko. Voiceful. Seven Seas, 2006.
This is something of an odd manga, a collection of three stories, plus a long preview of First Love Sisters. The main story, Voiceful, is very good, but way too short. This is a thoroughly modern story; the two girls meet because of the Internet. They are both deeply flawed chcaracters who lend each other support and seem to be headed for something more. I really like the art style. There is no indication there will be more of Voiceful, but I hope that someway there will be. (This is rated Older Teen but does not deserve that rating. There's nothing at all explicit in any of the content.)
Emura. W Juliet. VIZ, 1997.
Here we have a tomboy (Ito Miura) and a guy pretending to be a girl (Makoto Amano) to prove he can be an actor, both in the same all-girls school.
Ai Morinaga. Your and My Secret. ADV Manga, 2004.
The gimmick here is a mad-scientist experiment gone wrong (?) that swaps the minds of Nanako Momoi and Akira Uehara. Their personalities are such that this is not that bad a thing, though Momoi seems more immediately at home in her new male body than Uehara in his female body. Volume 2 is finally out in the USA in summer of 2008!
Tomochika Miyano. Yubisaki Milk Tea. Tokyopop, 2003.
Yoshinori fills in as a model for his sister Miki, then continues cross-dressing on his own. There's a lot of gender identity stuff going on, and of course complicated relationships with friends and love interests, some of whom know about the cross-dressing as Yuki (and are okay with it and even prefer Yuki-chan to Nori-kun), some of whom don't. The parental advisory for explicit content means boobies, pre-pubescent genitals, underwear and honesty about the sexual thoughts that everyone is always having about everyone else. Later on there is sex. There's some very good humor in places, too.

NOTE: many of the comics on my webcomics list have print books.

 
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