I always love reading and promoting trans stories simply because there is nothing better than finding books where you can find pieces of yourself in, and I want a lot more of those, both for myself and others. Now more than ever it is important to highlight stories by and about trans* people as much as we possibly can. Buy trans books! Read and promote those books!
*when I say trans stories, I mean stories from and about all genders under the umbrella term (trans fem/masc, agender, non-binary, genderqueer, ..)
I’ve been terrible lately at advertising queer adult SFF books in general, but sure want to get back to it this year (anger at the state of the world can do that *sigh*). As trans stories are so damn precious to me, of course I had to start with those (will for sure highlight more backlist/2024 titles in the coming weeks/months)
Looking back on 2024, theres’s lots of great books that were either by trans* authors or included trans main characters and nothing makes me happier than being extremely overwhelmed by the amount of books I want to push on other people. 50 books was a good number to stop at though. I’ll for sure follow up with even more at a later point (if you already need more recommendations, check out my list of “48 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books By Trans Authors You Should Not Miss“)
All books listed below are either by trans/genderqueer voices or have main characters under the umbrella (not necessarily meaning these are books about being trans, most often they aren’t, the characters just are… genderqueer people get to have all the adventures too)
Trans Books: (Adult) Science Fiction & Fantasy
And the Mighty Will Fall (NeoG #4) by K.B. Wagers
“When you’re trapped in space, there’s no way out.” Die Hard in Space!! (can be read as a standalone but treat yourself to the whole series anyway)
Key Lime Sky by Al Hess
An alien invasion hits the town of Muddy Gap, but a disgruntled pie aficionado is the only one who seems to remember it…
Unexploded Remnants by Elaine Gallagher
An A.I. wages war on a future it doesn’t understand.
Magica Riot by Kara Buchanan
Portland trans girl Claire just found out her favorite local band is a secret magical girl squad…and she’s a magical girl, too. Now she’s balancing life out of the closet and being the newest member.
Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto
Ocean’s 8 meets Blade Runner, about being forced to find a new home and striving to build a better one.
The Sunforge (#2) by Sascha Stronach
A police officer back from the dead who will stop at nothing to save her city from the evil that threatens to destroy it.
Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine
One look can kill.
Riley has not seen a single human face in longer than she can reckon. No faces, no eyes. Not if you want to survive…
These Deathless Shores by P.H. Low
On an Island where boys fly and fight pirates, but girls can only be mothers, Jordan’s shaved head and false swagger are the only things keeping her adopted crew of Lost Boys from forcing her into a role she has never wanted.
Lord of the Empty Isles by Jules Arbeaux
Remy is fatebound to his brother’s killer. Even worse, the only way to slow the curse for long enough to find a cure is to join forces with him and his criminal crew.
Mistress of Lies (#1) K.M. Enright
The daughter of a powerful but disgraced Blood Worker has spent her entire life perfecting her blood magic and gathering every scrap of power she could. Nows he assassinates their father and that is only the start of her revenge.
Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore
Ezra Friedman sees ghosts, which made growing up in a funeral home a bit complicated.
We Came to Welcome You by Vincent Tirado
A queer married couple moves into a gated community that slowly creeps into a pervasive dread.
Model Home by Rivers Solomon
The Maxwell siblings keep their distance from the house where they grew up and strange and unexplainable, scray things happened. Upon their parents’ death, they are forced to return.
The Last Gifts of the Universe by Riley August
A dying universe. A search for answers. An adventure at the end of a trillion lifetimes.
All the Hearts You Eat by Hailey Piper
Ivory’s life changes irrevocably when she discovers the body of Cabrina Brite on the sands of Cape Morning, along with a mysterious poem. How did she die, and why does it seem she was trying to swim to Ghost Cat Island, the centre of so many local mysteries?
Metal from Heaven by August Clarke
A bloody lesbian revenge tale and political fantasy set in a glittering world transformed by industrial change – and simmering class warfare.
Awakenings (#1) by Claudie Arseneault
A fantasy adventure blending cozy fantasy vibes and D&D style side-questing, imbued with an aspec-focused queernormative world and strong platonic bonds.
The Brides of High Hill (#5) Nghi Vo
The Cleric Chih accompanies a bride to her wedding to the aging ruler of a crumbling estate situated at the crossroads of dead empires. They quickly realize that something is haunting the shadowed halls.
Avast!: Pirate Stories From Transgender Authors
Get ready to set sail with a crew of rebels and misfits in this thrilling anthology of pirate tales
Moon Dust in My Hairnet by J.R. Creaden
Following an autistic lunar lunch lady as she juggles relationships and threatening corporate overlords, all while adjusting to life on Lunar Trust One.
Road to Ruin (#1) by Hana Lee
A royal messenger on a high-speed chase across a climate-ravaged wasteland, featuring motorcycles, monsters, and magic.
What Feasts at Night (#2) by T. Kingfisher
Easton knows better than to put too much stock in local superstitions, but they can tell that something is not quite right in their home. . . or in their dreams.
In Universes by Emet North
As Raffi’s carefully constructed life begins to collapse, they become increasingly fixated on the multiverse and the idea that somewhere, there might be a universe where they mean as much to Britt as she does to them…
The Shutouts Gabrielle Korn
The year is 2041, and it’s a dangerous time to be a woman driving across the United States alone. Deadly storms and uncontrollable wildfires are pummeling the country while political tensions are rising. But Kelly’s on the road anyway…
On Vicious Worlds (#2) by Bethany Jacobs
An empire that spans star systems, built on the bones of a genocide. A carefully hidden secret that could collapse worlds, hunted by three people with secrets of their own.
The Bound Worlds (#3) by Megan E. O’Keefe
When a spy is stranded on a dead planet with her mortal enemy, she must first figure out how to survive before she can uncover the conspiracy that landed them both there in the first place.
Smothermoss by Alisa Alering
A twisting tale of two sisters and the menacing, unexplained forces that threaten them and their rural mountain community.
The Palace of Eros by Carolina De Robertis
A queer retelling of the Greek myth of Eros and Psyche.
Song of the Tyrant Worm (#3) by Hailey Piper
A sinister presence lurks beyond the universe’s skin, a cosmic hunger that has haunted Gray since before she knew its name.
The Afterlife of Mal Caldera by Nadi Reed Perez
Mal’s life is over. Her afterlife is only just beginning…
Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet by Samantha Allen
It’s the gig of a lifetime for this ghostwriter, except there’s a the client, a closeted A-list actor finally ready to come out in his memoir, is an actual ghost.
Club Contango Eliane Boey
Single mum Connie Lam runs an illegal micro-casino on an international space city with the bold and enigmatic Chance–who is everything Connie isn’t–until the murder of a former business partner crosses with the fine print on an old AI job, locking her into a race to reclaim her life, from versions of herself.
Have You Eaten by Sarah Gailey
A fractured group of undesirables work together to nurture and nourish each other while navigating a dangerous world that would just as soon see them dead.
These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart Izzy Wasserstein
A queer, noir technothriller of fractured identity and corporate intrigue, a trans woman faces her fear of losing her community as her past chases after her.
Escape Velocity by Victor Manibo
Knives Out in space with a Parasite twist.A decades-old murder looms over the glamorous clientele of a high-end space hotel.
Critical Role: Bells Hells – What Doesn’t Break by Cassandra Khaw
For as long as she can remember, Laudna has had a friend. A mentor. A little voice whispering in her cropped ear, promising that, no matter how monstrous she becomes or how far she wanders, there will always be someone to guide her.
Cranberry Cove Hailey Piper
What’s been happening at Cranberry Cove? It’s unspeakable. It’s unspoken. Emberly Hale is about to take a dark journey inside the derelict hotel—and inside her own past—to find out the horrible truth.
Trans YA + MG Books
The Flicker by H.E. Edgmon
One year ago, a solar flare scorched the Earth and destroyed life as we know it.
Murray Out of Water by Taylor Tracy
A girl’s struggle to regain her magic after a hurricane forces her to move away from her beloved ocean that, she believes, has given her special powers.
Jasmine Is Haunted by Mark Oshiro
Jasmine Garza has a a ghost has been following her for years, ever since her Papi died. Enter Jasmine’s middle school’s Gay Straight Alliance. Together they set out to prove that Jasmine’s not just acting out.
Splinter & Ash (#1) by Marieke Nijkamp
For two young misfits, a dangerous quest to save their kingdom will also mean saving each other.
Accidental Demons (#1) by Clare Edge
Conjuring demons seems like something you should totally not be able to do by accident, right? Normally it isn’t but ever Ber was diagnosed with diabetes, each time she tests her blood sugar, accidental demons are slipping into the human dimension.
Puzzleheart by Jenn Reese
Twelve-year-old Perigee has never met a problem they couldn’t solve. So when their Dad’s spirits need raising, Perigee formulates the perfect road trip to Dad’s childhood home to reunite him with his estranged mother.
The Sapling Cage (#1) by Margaret Killjoy
Lorel has always dreamed of becoming a witch: learning magic, fighting monsters, and exploring the world. There’s only one problem: all witches are women, and she was born a boy.
Trans Comics & Graphic Novels
Godzilla: Valentine’s Day Special by Zoe Tunnell
A woman who decides to become a kaiju researcher after surviving an attack on Godzilla.
Blade Maidens: Dead In The Water (#4) by Zoe Tunnell, Valentine M. Smith
Blade Maidens is a romantic fantasy adventure webcomic starring two lesbians and their swords. That’s it! All done! Go home!
Lunar Boy by Jacinta Wibowo , Jessica Wibowo
A coming-of-age graphic novel about a young boy from the moon who discovers a home in the most unlikely places
Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story by Nicole Maines, Rye Hickman
Nia Nal’s spent her whole life taking a back seat to her older sister, Maeve, who’s expected to inherit their mother’s Naltorian powers––the ability to see the future through dreams. They’ll soon learn the dreaming powers had other plans…
The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag
Magdalena Herrera has a secret, which pulls her into the basement each night, drains her of energy, and leaves her bleeding. A secret that could hurt and even kill if it ever got out — like it did once before.
Spirit World by Alyssa Wong, Haining
Xanthe forms a reluctant alliance with DC’s bad boy of the mystic arts, John Constantine, to rescue Batgirl Cassandra Cain from a horde of jiangshi (Chinese hopping vampires).
I couldn’t be happier with how many trans stories I get to read each year (and the amount is steadily increasing by currently focusing more on indie books… a lot more recommendations to come soon!)
