Book RecsJun 3, 2020

Diverse Books:
Queer books by Black authors

We’re celebrating Pride Month in June because of the Stonewall riots in June 1969 and it was Black trans and queer people at the front, fighting for the rights of queer people. With the current events, it’s especially important to not just celebrate queer books, but to highlight those by Black authors (and that goes all year long, not just in June).

Here is a list of Black (adult) science fiction and fantasy authors and their books featuring queer main characters.

N.K. Jemisin

The City We Became (fantasy)

  • gay man
  • lesbian

The Broken Earth series (scifi/fantasy)

  • polyamory
  • queernorm

Nicky Drayden

The Prey of Gods (scifi/fantasy)

  • gay boy
  • trans woman

Escaping Exodus (scifi/fantasy)

  • polyamory
  • queernorm
  • f/f

C.L. Polk

Witchmark (historical fantasy)

  • gay
  • m/m

Stormsong (historical fantasy)

  • sapphic
  • f/f

Rivers Solomon

The Deep (fantasy/scifi)

  • genderfluid
  • f/f

An Unkindness of Ghosts (scifi)

  • non-binary

Kai Ashante Wilson

The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps (fantasy)

  • gay (m)

A Taste of Honey (fantasy, romance)

  • gay
  • m/m

Micaiah Johnson

The Space Between Worlds (scifi)

  • f/f
  • sapphic

Marlon James

Black Leopard, Red Wolf* (fantasy)

  • gay
  • m/m

(*make sure to check TW if needed!)

Nalo Hopkins

The Molly Southbourne series (horror)

  • bi/pan (f)

Nalo Hopkinson

Salt Roads (fantasy)

  • sapphic
  • f/f

Sister Mine (fantasy)

  • bi (f)

Adding three more titles that don’t exactly fit the original list genre-wise or because of their main characters but I want to highlight them anyway:

Akwaeke Emezi

Freshwater

  • queer
  • trans nb (afab)

Not SFF but an autobiographical novel

P- Djèlí Clark

The Black God’s Drums (steampunk)

  • queer side character

Kacen Callender

Queen of the Conquered (fantasy)

  • trans author

Has no queer MC as far as I’m aware

A lot of these authors listed here have even more (queer) books out, so I urge you to check them out, and not just the books listed here! if you know of even more Black authors of (adult) SFF, let me know! Would love to make my list even longer.

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