Many science fiction and fantasy stories involve LGBT characters, or otherwise represent themes that are relevant to LGBT issues and the LGBT community. This is a list of notable stories, and/or stories from notable series or anthologies, and/or by notable authors; it is not intended to be all-inclusive.
Novels with LGBT characters and themes, alphabetical by author surname
Title Author Year LGBT content Empire of the Senseless Kathy Acker 1988 Bisexual main characterUranian Worlds: a guide to alternative sexuality in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. 2nd Edition. Ed. Eric Garber and Lyn Paleo. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1990 The Dark Light Years Brian Aldiss 1964 Gender-shifting aliens, gay male charactersAll the Birds in the Sky Charlie Jane Anders 2016 Non-binary and asexual characters Virgin Planet Poul Anderson 1959 All-female world, lesbian characters The Gods Themselves Isaac Asimov 1972 Alien species with three sexes The Skolian Saga/Major Bhaajan Mysteries Catherine Asaro 1995–2020 Lesbian, gay, bisexual primary or secondary characters, positive portrayals The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood 1985 Lesbian character Shadowdance Robin Wayne Bailey 1991 Gay protagonist Queer Free Alabama Birdstone (pseudonym) 1981 Homophobic dystopiaTithe: A Modern Faerie Tale Holly Black 2002 Gay major characters Darkover Series Marion Zimmer Bradley 1962–1988 Gay and lesbian protagonists The Heritage of Hastur Marion Zimmer Bradley 1975 Gay male protagonist and antagonist The Shattered Chain Marion Zimmer Bradley 1976 All-female society, lesbian themes Warrior Woman Marion Zimmer Bradley 1985 Lesbian main characters, positive portrayal of lesbian relationships Beauty Queens Libba Bray 2011 Transgender and lesbian major characters A Civil Campaign Lois McMaster Bujold 1999 Transgender character Ethan of Athos Lois McMaster Bujold 1986 Gay male protagonist The Wanting Seed Anthony Burgess 1962 Homophobic dystopia Dawn Octavia Butler 1987 Alien race that has three sexes, polyamorous marriages Fledgling Octavia Butler 2005 Bisexual characters Patternmaster Octavia Butler 1976 Bisexual female protagonist An Anglo-American Alliance Gregory Casparian 1906 A trans man marries his early love, and they live happily ever after. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay Michael Chabon 2000 Gay protagonist Spartan Planet Bertram Chandler 1969 All-male world, gay characters The Conqueror's Child Suzy McKee Charnas 1999 All-female world The Furies Suzy McKee Charnas 1994 All-female world Motherlines Suzy McKee Charnas 1978 All-female world Walk to the End of the World Suzy McKee Charnas 1974 All-female world The Mortal Instruments series Cassandra Clare 2007–2014 One of the protagonist's best friends is gay, and has a relationship with a bisexual warlock. Imperial Earth Arthur C. Clarke 1976 Bisexual/gay male protagonist Sardia: A Story of Love Cora Linn Morrison Daniels 1891 Bisexual female vampire is the protagonist. Babel-17 Samuel R. Delany 1966 Bisexual major characters, poly relationships Dhalgren Samuel R. Delany 1975 Bisexual major character and other LGBT characters The Einstein Intersection Samuel R. Delany 1967 Gay major character Equinox Samuel R. Delany 1973 Gay major character Stars In My Pocket Like Grains Of Sand Samuel R. Delany 1984 Gay major character Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders Samuel R. Delany 2012 Gay major characters Triton Samuel R. Delany 1976 The Door Into Fire Diane Duane 1979 Major bisexual characters Solitaire Kelley Eskridge 2002 Lesbian protagonist Infinity's Web Sheila Finch 1985 Lesbian protagonist Casket of Souls Lynn Flewelling 2012 Gay main characters Luck in the Shadows Lynn Flewelling 1996 Gay main characters Shadows Return Lynn Flewelling 2008 Gay main characters Shards of Time Lynn Flewelling 2014 Gay main characters Stalking Darkness Lynn Flewelling 1997 Gay main characters Traitor's Moon Lynn Flewelling 1999 Gay main characters The White Road Lynn Flewelling 2010 Gay main characters Daughters of a Coral Dawn Katherine V. Forrest 1984 All-female world, lesbian protagonists Bouncing Off the Moon David Gerrold 2001 The Man Who Folded Himself David Gerrold 1973 Halfway Human Carolyn Ives Gilman 1998 Herland Charlotte Perkins Gilman 1915 All-female utopic world The Gilda Stories Jewelle Gomez 1991 Lesbian main character The Kappa Child Hiromi Goto 2001 Ammonite Nicola Griffith 1992 All-female world with mainly lesbian characters Slow River Nicola Griffith 1995 Lesbian main character Nontraditional Love Rafael Grugman 2008 Alternative future where heterosexuality is outlawed The Forever War Joe Haldeman 1974 Future society where homosexuality is the norm Champion of the Scarlet Wolf, Book One and Book Two (Cadeleonian Series 3, 4) Ginn Hale 2014 Gay protagonists Lord of the White Hell, Book One and Book Two (Cadeleonian Series 1, 2) Ginn Hale 2010 Gay protagonists The Rifter 1: The Shattered Gates Ginn Hale 2012 Gay protagonists The Rifter 2: The Holy Road Ginn Hale 2012 Gay protagonists The Rifter 3: His Sacred Bones Ginn Hale 2013 Gay protagonists Wicked Gentlemen Ginn Hale 2007 Gay protagonists The Gumshoe, the Witch, and the Virtual Corpse Keith Hartman 1999 The Salt Roads Nalo Hopkinson 2003 Lesbian major charactersQueen's Shadow, Queen's Peril and Queen's HopeE. K. Johnston2019–2022Bisexual major character The Wild Swans Peg Kerr 1999 Murder of Angels Caitlin R. Kiernan 2004 Turnskin Nicole KimberlingNicole Kimberling 2008 Gay protagonists Maximum Light Nancy Kress 1997 Swordspoint Ellen Kushner 1987 Gay protagonists, bisexual characters Magic's Pawn Mercedes Lackey 1989 Gay main characters Magic's Price Mercedes Lackey 1990 Gay main characters Magic's Promise Mercedes Lackey 1990 Gay main characters Salt Fish Girl Larissa Lai 2002 Lesbian protagonistsPantomime (Micah Grey Trilogy)Laura Lam 2013 intersex protagonist Carmilla Sheridan Le Fanu 1872 Lesbian vampire story The Left Hand of Darkness Ursula K. Le Guin 1969 Genderqueer main and major characters The Telling Ursula K. Le Guin 2000 Lesbian protagonist Dark Water's Embrace Stephen Leigh 1998 Ash Malinda Lo 2009 Ἀληθῆ διηγήματα Lucian 125–180 CE (c) All-male world, male hero is given the king's son in marriage Itineraria Jean de Mandeville (pseudonym) 1357–1371 An Amazon island and an island of the "third sex" China Mountain Zhang Maureen F. McHugh 1992 Gay major character Starfarers Vonda N. McIntyre 1989 Bisexual main characters, poly relationship Gideon the Ninth Tamsyn Muir 2019 Lesbian main characters The Painter Knight Fiona Patton 1998 Witchmark C. L. Polk 2018 Gay main characters 2312 Kim Stanley Robinson 2012 Genderqueer major characters, society in which nonbinary and fluid gender and sexuality is embraced And Chaos Died Joanna Russ 1970 Gay protagonist The Female Man Joanna Russ 1975 Lesbian major characters, partially about an all-female world Was Geoff Ryman 1992 Gay main characters Burning Bright Melissa Scott 1993 Bisexual major characters, lesbian protagonist A Choice of Destinies Melissa Scott 1986 Gay male protagonists Dreamships Melissa Scott 1993 Many gay characters The Jazz Melissa Scott 2000 Bisexual protagonist Mighty Good Road Melissa Scott 1990 Lesbian protagonist Night Sky Mine Melissa Scott 1996 Lesbian and gay main characters Shadow Man Melissa Scott 1995 Trouble and Her Friends Melissa Scott 1994 Lesbian protagonists Sword of the Guardian Merry Shannon 2006 Lesbian fantasy romance with crossdressing protagonist The Porcelain Dove Delia Sherman 1993 Lesbian fairy tale Grasshopper Jungle Andrew A. Smith 2015 Gay and questioning main characters Glasshouse Charles Stross 2006 Posthuman world in which consciousness can be put into other bodies Venus Plus X Theodore Sturgeon 1960 Set in a future utopia where everyone is one neuter gender Hollow World Michael J. Sullivan 2014 Homogenous world lacking genders where a man from the ancient past has to come to grips with the difference between love and sexual attraction Queen of the Amazons Judith Tarr 2004 Bisexual protagonist Houston, Houston, Do You Read? James Tiptree Jr. 1976 Set in a future where all men have died off Palimpsest Catherynne M. Valente 2009 The House at Pelham Falls Brenda Weathers 1986 Lesbian protagonists and main charactersStar Wars: AftermathChuck Wendig2015–2017Bisexual female antagonist All the White Spaces Ally Wilkes 2022 A trans man protagonist Where the Dead Wait Ally Wilkes 2023 A closet gay man protagonist Orlando: A Biography Virginia Woolf 1928 Genderqueer themes, gender-switching Briar Rose Jane Yolen 1992 Gay major characterThe Splinter in the SkyKemi Ashing-Giwa2023Lesbian main character, lesbian love interest, gay nonbinary major characterThe King Must DieKemi Ashing-Giwa2025Lesbian and trans man main characters, supporting characters are predominately queer
Short fiction with LGBT characters and themes