Last week in celebration of Pride Month I talked about some of my favorite queer characters in fiction. This week I want to talk about some of the books on my TBR featuring more LGBTQIA+ characters. I’m going to start with a few that have already been released and I’m hoping to catch up on, but I also have some exciting future releases too.
Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee (and the rest of The Machineries of Empire series): I am really scared to start this because I feel really confident that I’m going to love it and it will end up a new favorite read. I am also scared to start this because I have a tendency to form expectations and then let myself down. It’s supposed to be super complex and I’m hoping to see some elements that remind me of another favorite series, Terra Ignota.
The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling: My favorite genre mashup of all time is always going to be Science Fiction and Horror, and The Luminous Dead looks like the perfect combo of both. I think space lends itself so very well to all kinds of horror situations. Whether you’re just trying to survive the freezing desolate landscape of an undiscovered planet, being chased by alien creatures, or you’re adrift in a derelict space ship with no one to call for help, chances are, things will end badly. I already have a buddy read planned for this one in September and I can’t wait!
Annex (The Violet Wars #1) by Rich Larson: This is a YA book about an alien invasion that somehow or other, leaves the world without adults. At first, Violet and her friends think it’s pretty great to have so much freedom… but then the invaders come back. One of my regular buddy readers enjoyed it and said it has trans rep (and that the character was one of her favorites), so I’m very excited to check it out. (PSA: this is currently $1.99 in the US Kindle Store as of 6/13.)
Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time Anthology edited by Hope Nicholson: This is a collection of indigenous short fiction all featuring LGBTQ+ characters. It’s a pretty quick read (125 pages according to GoodReads) and I picked it up on sale awhile back. Indigenous authors seem to be severely underrepresented in not only speculative fiction but fiction in general, so that makes this doubly exciting.
The Girl in the Road by Monica Byrne: Meena lives in futuristic Mumbai, but feels she must return to Ethiopia, her birthplace. She’s not sure what’s waiting for her there, but she decides to cross using a forbidden energy bridge that spans the Arabian Sea. Mariama, a girl from another time, is fleeing to Ethiopia from across the Saharan Africa in hopes of finding a better life. It’s described as melding the influences of Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman, and Erin Morgenstern, and it’s been on my TBR for way too long.
The Book of Joan by Lidia Yuknavitch: This is a Joan of Arc retelling in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic landscape. Do I really need to say more?
The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht (releases September 24, 2019): I talked about this one not too long ago, but I love the idea of lovers being villains together. This is quickly becoming one of my most anticipated fall releases.
Overthrow by Caleb Crain (releases August 27, 2019): I stumbled across this on Edelweiss, and everything about the description had me falling in love. The blurb is too long to summarize here, but buzzwords that caught my attention: telepathy, tarot cards, poets, the 1%, and utopian spirit, all featuring a m/m relationship that will be put to the test in a dystopian world that sounds similar to Orwell’s 1984. Viking denied me the ARC, but luckily, August isn’t that far away.
Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim (releases January 7, 2020): A gender flipped Count of Monte Christo retelling with Ace and Bisexual rep in space. I have a feeling this will be huge when it finally hits shelves. Right now, January feels very, very far away.
The Seep by Chana Porter (releases January 21, 2020): The Seep is about an alien invasion that brings new technologies, dismantles hierarchies, destroys capitalism, and introduces utopia. The story follows a trans woman after her wife, seduced by Seep-tech, leaves her. I really wish utopian stories had the same popularity as dystopians. Mostly because I’m curious what others imagine utopia to be and how human society could ever get there. I’m super excited for this, but have been holding off reading it until closer to release day.
Lady Hotspur by Tessa Gratton (releases January 7, 2020): I am reading The Queens of Innis Lear now, sheerly in preparation for this book, which I added entirely for the title without realizing that Hotspur is a character in Shakespeare’s Henry IV. Fiery lady knight falls in love with a female military commander known as the Wolf of Aremoria? I need this in my hands like, yesterday.
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (releases September 10, 2019): From GoodReads: “Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit.” To that I say, sold! I’m already in love with the personality of Gideon from that one line alone. Necromancy is usually not my thing, but if a character is well written I’ll read just about anything. It’s already getting rave reviews and thank goodness I don’t have to wait until 2020 for this one!
That’s it! I’ve already seen a few Pride Month TBRs floating around in the blogosphere, but please let me know if you have any additional recs- I’d love to hear them!
The Seep sounds like such a good read.
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It does sound really amazing. I have high hopes for it.
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The Luminous Dead sounds good! And the cover … gorgeous. Sci-fi and horror is my favourite genre mash up too 🙂
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It’s been my favorite mash up since I was like old enough to be allowed to watch that kind of stuff! And I am very excited about The Luminous Dead. GoodReads described it as “creeping dread” which is one of my favorite feelings, I just hope it’s done right!
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Think I’m going to have to grab a copy. You ever play the Dead Space games? They were some of the most creepy, horrory sci-fis.
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No and you’re going to laugh when I tell you why: I was too scared to play them. lol. I don’t mind horror that makes you jump, but when I’m playing a video game and stuff makes me jump, it usually results in me emptying the clip of my space gun into doors and walls and traveling companions followed by having my character devoured.
I did finally get over this fear to play The Last of Us, but yeah, Dead Space always looked terrifying. I’m a little sorry I didn’t play it now.
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I’m ashamed to say I never got into The Last of Us. Ha! The mental image I have is fantastic right now.
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There are so many books in this post that I’m excited about! Gideon the Ninth has really been building the hype and I have a feeling it’s going to be fantastic. You listed some books that are new to me and I may have to check out, both The Girl in the Road and The Seep are calling to me😁
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I’m super excited for those too. And I love that a lot of these books have more than just m/m, f/f relationships. Seems like publishing is finally starting to cover the full spectrum of LGBTQIA+ and I’m excited for the diversity.
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Ahhhh The Luminous Dead sounds so good! I think sci fi and horror is the perfect blend too 😍 and I’m so excited to try Tara Sim’s previous works, but I am for her upcoming one too! Scavenge the Stars has an amazing cover and I feel like I haven’t read a proper revenge story in a while. Plus, you just make every book in your posts sound so interesting and you make me want to read all of them. I keep saying that but wow it’s one of my favorite things about your blog!
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Oh wow- thank you! I needed that pick-me-up today. Hopefully I’m not over-selling them. I have definitely fallen victim to too much hype before.
But yes- Scavenge the Stars sounds AMAZING. I’m so excited for it.
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The Luminous Dead sounds WAY TOO INTENSE for me just from the title and the cover art alone. I’ll let you read it and describe it to me.
I also am very excited (and nervous) to start Ninefox Gambit. It sounds amazing, but I don’t want to let myself down if I get my expectations too high.
And I had to laugh at your description of how you play scary video games. I’m just as likely to jump and accidentally drop the controller in order to protect myself from the onscreen baddies, so I tend to avoid playing horror-ish games.
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HAHA! That’s me too! I remember when I started playing The Last of Us (or maybe it was a Tomb Raider game? Can’t remember) but whoever was hanging out with me at the time was dying laughing.
And I hope we both love Ninefox. I bought the whole trilogy in anticipation of loving it, but I’m scared I’ve amped myself up too much now.
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I tried playing Bioshock. My husband had a great time laughing at me when I kept jumping and hiding my face if the enemies scared me. I guess you can’t shoot the enemies if you are covering your face. 😉
I haven’t bought Ninefox yet, couldn’t decide on if I wanted paper of ebook copies. Hopefully we’ll both enjoy it!
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I loved the premise of Gideon the Ninth so much already, but I hadn’t seen that introduction of Gideon, and now I want to read it even more if possible
I wouldn’t say Ninefox Gambit and Terra Ignota are similar – they’re both heavy on the worldbuilding, but the way the world is presented is… kind of the opposite? Mycroft is unreliable and goes on tangents, while the narration in NG is for the most part more reliable but throws you into things and expects you to keep up. Both styles are very hit-or-miss and require concentration, but in different ways, at least for me. Anyway, I hope it works for you too!
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That’s good to know! I was thinking maybe they’d be similar in terms of complexity/difficulty and the level of figuring it out as you go. I wasn’t thinking the stories would be too similar just the type of book I guess? Still I’m super excited for it!
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Once again, one of your posts has expanded my ever growing TBR!
As for Yoon Ha Lee, I didn’t even know until the other day he’s trans. Now that I know, it takes Cheris/Judao to an even more amazing level.
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I keep hearing he (or is it they? Sorry I haven’t read it yet) is the best character!
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Definitely. Now, I won’t lie, it’s an intense book. You get plonked in the middle of everything with little explanation so it takes awhile to figure out what the heck is going on. But Ninefox Gambit is pretty awesome! I haven’t read the others yet but I just read a short story collection set in the same universe and loved it.
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I think I’m okay with intense! I’m ready for the challenge.
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And thank you! It’s always helpful to know that going in rather than being unprepared.
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These all look really cool! I hope you enjoy reading these!
-Emma 🙂
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Thanks Emma!
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Yeeees, Gideon the Ninth! I don’t have a ton of books I’m eagerly awaiting this fall, but that book is definitely at the top of the list.
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Really? I feel like I’m waiting on SOO many. The six above are just scratching the surface lol. I think I have September blacked out for reading.
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ooh, I’ve been trying to think of another read for Pride Month and I hadn’t realized that The Luminous Dead fit! YAY, I’ve been excited to read that for a while, so that’s sorted 🙂
I’m desperate for Beyond The Black Door which is an ace dark fantasy coming out in September which is TOO FAR AWAY. also Tarnished Are The Stars which apparently has ace rep as well 😀
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I have not heard of these- but I am going to check them out now! Thanks for the Recs!
Also- I hope you love The Luminous Dead!
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I’m sooooo excited for Gideon the Ninth. I have the earc but can’t read it before August probably. so many amazing books on your TBR.
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Oh, this is a great idea for a post! I hadn’t heard of many of these. Woe to my TBR! I’m especially looking forward to The Monster of Elendhaven and Gideon the Ninth, also! How can you say no to lesbian necromancers?! That one line from the synopsis really got me, too. Figured if that’s Gideon’s personality, I’ll love him for sure.
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Right!! It’s so simple but says so much. I have high hopes for Gideon even though necromancy is usually not my thing.
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