Today, the lovely Memory of Stella Matutina is stopping by the blog to recommend some LGBTQ sci-fi and fantasy YA titles!
Queer speculative fiction is a topic near and dear to my heart. I believe it’s important for science fiction and fantasy (hereafter SFF) of all varieties to explore queer themes, but it becomes especially vital in fiction aimed at a younger audience. Queer YA helps combat heteronormativity. It breaks down the idea that anything other than cisgendered heterosexuality is abnormal.
General fiction often does this with coming out stories, which rejig the central paradigm by showing us a shift in both the protagonist’s self perception and their relationships with their peers. Queer SFF has its fair share of coming out stories, but I find it most interesting when it gives us a sphere where no paradigm shift is necessary. Secondary world and futuristic settings needn’t subscribe to common 21st century attitudes; they can take us to worlds where nobody ever needs to come out and/or stress over their gender identity because that sort of thing is no more noteworthy than, say, liking peas but not carrots, or choosing to go brunette. People can be themselves, straight up, without worrying how others will react to them (at least where their gender and sexuality are concerned).
But that’s all just so much pseudo-academic twaddle. Let’s talk about some awesome LGBTQ YA SFF (just to slam you with acronyms), plus a couple of adult titles oozing with crossover appeal.
Continue reading Guest Post: Memory of Stella Matutina's Queer SFF YA Recommendations
Queer speculative fiction is a topic near and dear to my heart. I believe it’s important for science fiction and fantasy (hereafter SFF) of all varieties to explore queer themes, but it becomes especially vital in fiction aimed at a younger audience. Queer YA helps combat heteronormativity. It breaks down the idea that anything other than cisgendered heterosexuality is abnormal.
General fiction often does this with coming out stories, which rejig the central paradigm by showing us a shift in both the protagonist’s self perception and their relationships with their peers. Queer SFF has its fair share of coming out stories, but I find it most interesting when it gives us a sphere where no paradigm shift is necessary. Secondary world and futuristic settings needn’t subscribe to common 21st century attitudes; they can take us to worlds where nobody ever needs to come out and/or stress over their gender identity because that sort of thing is no more noteworthy than, say, liking peas but not carrots, or choosing to go brunette. People can be themselves, straight up, without worrying how others will react to them (at least where their gender and sexuality are concerned).
But that’s all just so much pseudo-academic twaddle. Let’s talk about some awesome LGBTQ YA SFF (just to slam you with acronyms), plus a couple of adult titles oozing with crossover appeal.
