June is Pride Month! And we at Fantasy-Faction are celebrating our favorite LGBTQIA+ authors in SFF! I’ve grouped them by genre, and we hope you can find your next favorite in our list!
There are so many amazing authors in this community that I’m sure we’ve missed a bunch. If we’ve missed your favorite let us know and I’ll add them into our list! (Also, let me know if someone is in the wrong category and I’ll fix that too.)
[Important Note: I am only including people on this list that I can 100% confirm are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Some authors are out to friends, family, and/or fans. Others are not. And I will be respecting their wishes.]
Fantasy
- A. J. Hackwith
- A. K. Larkwood
- Aldrea Alien
- Alyc Helms
- A. M. Dellamonica
- Andrea Hairston
- Ben Alderson
- Bjørn Larssen
- Brand J. Alexander
- B. R. Sanders
- Cat Rambo
- Chana Porter
- Charlie Jane Anders
- C. J. Cherryh
- Claudie Arseneault
- Clive Barker
- C. L. Clark
- C. L. Polk
- C. M. (Cait) Spivey
- Dane Figueroa Edidi
- Dani Bennett
- Dax Murray
- Devin Madson
- E.D.E. Bell
- Elizabeth A. Lynn
- Ellen Kushner
- Emily Tesh
- Emma Osborne
- Foz Meadows
- Ginn Hale
- Gregory Maguire
- Isaac Fellman
- Izzy Wasserstein
- Jaida Jones
- Jane Fancher
- Jane Fletcher
- Jesse Nolan Bailey
- Jenn Lyons
- Jewelle Gomez
- Joanna Russ
- Joel Cornah
- John Wiswell
- Julia Ember
- Juliet Kemp
- K. A. Doore
- Kaia Sønderby
- Kameron Hurley
- K. Arsenault Rivera
- K. M. Szpara
- K. Vale Nagle
- Larissa Lai
- Laurie J. Marks
- L. R. Evans
- Mason Thomas
- M. D. Cooper
- Megan Derr
- Melissa Caruso
- Melissa Scott
- Mike Brooks
- Miles Nelson
- Nalo Hopkinson
- Naseem Jamnia
- ‘Nathan Burgoine
- Neon Yang (formerly J. Y. Yang)
- Nghi Vo
- Nina Varela
- Nino Cipri
- Nisi Shawl
- Noelle Stevenson
- Octavia E. Butler
- Patrick Weekes
- Raven Oak
- R. B. Lemberg
- Ricardo Pinto
- Richard Ford Burley
- Rin Chupeco
- Rivers Solomon
- R. M. Virtues
- RoAnna Sylver
- Ryka Aoki
- Sacha Black
- S. A. Chant (Austin Chant)
- Samantha Shannon
- Sarah Gailey
- S. D. Simper
- Seanan McGuire (Mira Grant)
- Shelley Parker-Chan
- Shira Glassman
- Simon Jimenez
- S. L. Dove Cooper
- Suzan Palumbo
- Tamsyn Muir
- Tanya Huff
- Tasha Suri
- T. J. Klune
- Taylor Hartley
- V. E. Schwab (Victoria Schwab)
- Virginia McClain
- Yoon Ha Lee
YA Fantasy
- Aden Polydoros
- Aiden Thomas
- Alex London
- Alex R. Kahler (K. R. Alexander)
- A. M. Strickland (AdriAnne Strickland)
- A. M. Dellamonica
- Andrew Joseph White
- Anna-Marie McLemore
- April Daniels
- A. R. Capetta
- Audrey Coulthurst
- Ben Alderson
- C. B. Lee
- Corinne Duyvis
- Dani Bennett
- Delia Sherman
- D. N. Bryn
- Emily A. Duncan
- Foz Meadows
- Hannah Moskowitz
- Isabel Sterling
- Jaida Jones
- Julia Ember
- Kacen Callender
- K. Arsenault Rivera
- Lyssa Chiavari
- Malinda Lo
- Margaret Owen
- Mark Oshiro
- Michelle Ruiz Keil
- Natasha Ngan
- ‘Nathan Burgoine
- Noelle Stevenson
- Rin Chupeco
- Sacha Black
- Sam J. Miller
- Sarah Gailey
- Seanan McGuire (Mira Grant)
- Tehlor Kay Mejia
- V. E. Schwab (Victoria Schwab)
Middle Grade & Children’s Fantasy
- Alex London
- K. R. Alexander (Alex R. Kahler)
- C. B. Lee
- Delia Sherman
- Tehlor Kay Mejia
- Victoria Schwab (V. E. Schwab)
- Yoon Ha Lee
Alternate History & Historical Fantasy
- Andrea Hairston
- Delia Sherman
- Foz Meadows
- Jordan L. Hawk
- J. R. Dawson
- Maya Deane
- Melissa Scott
- Nalo Hopkinson
- Nicola Griffith
- Sarah Gailey
- V. E. Schwab (Victoria Schwab)
Urban Fantasy
- Alexis Hall
- A. M. Dellamonica
- Candra Kylar
- Craig Schaefer
- David R. Slayton
- James Bennett
- K. D. Edwards
- Tanya Huff
- Seanan McGuire (Mira Grant)
- Virginia McClain
- Vivian Shaw
Paranormal Romance
- Brand J. Alexander
- C. M. (Cait) Spivey
- Foz Meadows
- Jenn Lyons
- Jordan L. Hawk
- Megan Derr
- ‘Nathan Burgoine
- Poppy Z. Brite
- RoAnna Sylver
- S. D. Simper
- T. J. Klune
- Victoria Schwab (V. E. Schwab)
Magical Realism
- Akwaeke Emezi
- Anna-Marie McLemore
- Charlie Jane Anders
- C. L. Polk
- Delia Sherman
- Kacen Callender
- Larissa Lai
- Tehlor Kay Mejia
Science Fiction
- A. J. Hackwith
- A. K. Larkwood
- Alexis Hall
- Alyc Helms
- A. M. Dellamonica
- Andrea Hairston
- A. R. Capetta
- Arkady Martine
- Becky Chambers
- Beth Lewis
- Cat Rambo
- Chana Porter
- Charlie Jane Anders
- C. J. Cherryh
- Claudie Arseneault
- Elizabeth A. Lynn
- Elly Bangs
- Emma Osborne
- Gregory Maguire
- Izzy Wasserstein
- Jane Fancher
- Jenn Lyons
- Joanna Russ
- John Wiswell
- Kaia Sønderby
- Kameron Hurley
- Kelley Eskridge
- K. M. Szpara
- Larissa Lai
- Laura Loup (Laura Carmen Loup/Carmen Loup)
- Laurie J. Marks
- L. M. Pierce
- Malinda Lo
- M. D. Cooper
- Melissa Scott
- Mike Brooks
- Miles Nelson
- Mira Grant (Seanan McGuire)
- Monica Byrne
- Nalo Hopkinson
- Nicola Griffith
- Nino Cipri
- Octavia E. Butler
- Patrick Weekes
- Raven Oak
- Rivers Solomon
- Roslyn Sinclair
- Ryka Aoki
- Sam J. Miller
- Samuel R. Delany
- Sim Kern
- Simon Jimenez
- Tanya Huff
- Tamsyn Muir
- Yoon Ha Lee
YA Science Fiction
- Adam Silvera
- Alex London
- A. R. Capetta
- C. B. Lee
- Charlie Jane Anders
- Corinne Duyvis
- Cory McCarthy
- Lyssa Chiavari
- M. K. England
- Natasha Ngan
- Patrick Weekes
- Xiran Jay Zhao
Dystopian & Post-Apocalyptic
- Alex London
- Beth Lewis
- Corinne Duyvis
- Cory McCarthy
- Elly Bangs
- Nalo Hopkinson
- Natasha Ngan
- Nisi Shawl
- Sam J. Miller
Steampunk
Horror
- Andrew Joseph White
- Beth Lewis
- Caitlín R. Kiernan
- Carmen Maria Machado
- Clive Barker
- Emma Osborne
- Jesse Nolan Bailey
- John Wiswell
- K. R. Alexander (Alex R. Kahler)
- L. M. Pierce
- Margaret Killjoy
- Mira Grant (Seanan McGuire)
- N. Malone
- Poppy Z. Brite
- Sam J. Miller
- Suzan Palumbo
- Rin Chupeco
- Rivers Solomon
- S. D. Simper
- Sim Kern
- Tamsyn Muir
Hope you’ve found some amazing authors on our list! Let us know who your favorites are in the comments!
Title image background by Cecilie Johnsen.
This article was originally posted on June 11, 2021.
Geoff Matthews
Julia Kitvaria Sarene
Hi Jennie, are these LGBT writers or writers whose books have got LGBT main characters?
(and yes, I know it might be both hehe, but not necessarily)
This is for authors who are in the LGBT community, not those that are allies and write LGBT characters. Which is really hard to reduce to a short phrase for a title. XD
James Bennett! Joel Cornah! Tasha Suri!
Storm Constantine I think. Wrote The Wraeththu series
Paula Poundstone
Anthony Rapp, his is more sci-fi than fantasy but Paula poundstone actually writes about herself and Abe Lincoln in the same chapter.
You’ve missed out:
Peter R Ellis
Juliet Kemp
Miles Nelson
Sapphira Olson
Tej Turner
I’d like to see Beth Lewis added here too. Both dystopian (The Wolf Road) and SF (the upcoming, ‘The Origins of
Iris’ which also features LGBTQ characters).
I imagine it’s quite a chore to mention all of the many LGBTQ+ writers there are! I have a paranormal mystery series, or urban fantasy depending on the genre, with a large LGBTQ+ cast. As a trans author myself, I wanted to write the representation that I didn’t see too often in the genre.
I’m not seeing C.J. Cherryh or Jane S Fancher on there – they should on the SF list