Howdy! I'm looking for novels that have gender-nonconforming male characters – feminine men, men in traditionally female roles, genderfluid characters that significantly align with masculinity, etc. I love sci-fi and historical fiction, but I would give just about any genre a shot.
Dealbreakers:
- If the gender-nonconforming male character dies
- If he's a joke or token side character with no development (that means no catty gay best friends in straight women's stories)
- If he's part of a romance with a gender-conforming woman
- If he becomes gender-normative over the course of his arc
- If the character is on the trans male/masculine spectrum AND the narrative is mostly focused on his transition, dysphoria, or experiences with transphobia; OR if his trans status/sex assigned at birth is treated as some kind of "innate femininity" and the reason for his nonconformity. If he's just trans and it's not a big deal, that's fine!
Bonus points:
- If the gender-nonconforming male character is the protagonist
- If he is an empath, magic user, spirit worker, man of the cloth, etc etc. His vocation is somewhere on the emotional/relational or mystical side of things.
- If he's not sexually/romantically submissive
- If it's available as an audiobook!
For clarity, I am not looking for:
- Nonbinary characters who do not align with masculinity, or who align with female and male identity equally (fine if they're in the book! But this is not what I'm asking about)
- Transgender women (again, fine if they're in the book! But not what I'm looking for)
If the character faces a lot of prejudice because of his nonconformity, that's fine, but I'd appreciate a heads up!
I'll happily take recommendations for indie or amateur fiction as well. Some recent favorite authors include Sarah Gailey, Ann Leckie, and Katherine Addison. Thanks a bunch!
by A_Literal_Dog
6 Comments
Murderbot. Start with “All Systems Red”, by Martha Wells
So full disclosure…I’ve not read this in a while and not 100% it totally fits all your requirements, but I loved the protagonist in Voyage of the Damned by Frances White, never read a character quite like him.
I can’t recall specific characters or books cause my mind is a jumble right now, but Terry Pratchett and the Discworld books overall are good for gender nonconforming characters
We Could Be Heroes by PJ Ellis
Gorgeous book, one of my favourites for the year.
Edit to add: this book is a contemporary gay romance with an abundance queer joy and deep social conscience. The premise is an out and proud drag queen and a closeted movie start fall in love, and navigate all the challenges that brings for both of them. It does deal with themes of homophobia and transphobia, but in an empowering and hopeful way.
*The Left-Handed Booksellers of London* by Garth Nix has a male deuteragonist who does magic and often cross-dresses. He shows back up in *The Sinister Booksellers of Bath*, and I think s third volume is pending.
Books of the Raksura by Martha Wells. Starting with The Cloud Roads