LGBTQ Literature

From Christopher Isherwood's enduring 20th-century classic Goodbye to Berlin to contemporary titles like Janet Mock's Redefining Realness, the titles in this study guide collection explore a range of ideas, issues, genres, and forms that speak to the LGBTQ community.

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Identity: Language

Tags Romance, LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction

IntroductionCall Me By Your Name by André Aciman is a piece of literary fiction in the subgenres of romance literature and queer literature. Published in 2007, the novel became a bestseller, received positive critical reception, and won the 2008 Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction. The 2017 film adaptation of Call Me By Your Name, directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer, won, among other accolades, the Academy Award for Best Adapted... Read Call Me By Your Name Summary


Publication year 2012

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags Classic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature, Fantasy, LGBTQ

Carmilla is a Gothic novella in which a young woman named Laura details her relationship with a vampire in the form of a young woman named Carmilla. The first event that Laura details in the novella is an episode from her childhood: a six-year-old Laura is attempting to sleep when she is visited by a mysterious young lady (later revealed to be the vampire Carmilla, or at least a representation of Carmilla) who bites her... Read Carmilla Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Parody, LGBTQ, Class, Education, Love / Sexuality, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction

Published in 2015, Rainbow Rowell’s young-adult fantasy novel Carry On: The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow is a spinoff of her young-adult novel Fangirl (2013) and the first book of the Simon Snow trilogy. Other works by this author include Slow Dance, Eleanor and Park, and Landline.Carry On, which was awarded a place on the Rainbow Project Book List in 2016, examines themes of love, power, and free will. Simon Snow is the Chosen... Read Carry On Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Gender

Tags LGBTQ, Fantasy, Grief / Death, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Diversity, Religion / Spirituality, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance


Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Colonialism

Tags Colonialism / Postcolonialism, LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism

Cereus Blooms at Night (1996) is the first novel-length work of fiction written by Shani Mootoo, a Canadian author who was born in Ireland and grew up on the island nation of Trinidad. The novel was originally published in Canada and received critical acclaim there and internationally. It was a finalist for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize and the Giller Prize and was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize. Mootoo is also a visual artist... Read Cereus Blooms At Night Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Fame, Society: Community, Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Satire, LGBTQ, Black Lives Matter, Business / Economics, Grief / Death, History: U.S., Incarceration, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Social Justice, Fantasy


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Community

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, History: World, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1816

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Natural World: Place, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Beauty

Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Love / Sexuality, LGBTQ, Religion / Spirituality, Romanticism / Romantic Period, British Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Gothic Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a key figure in the British Romantic Era of poetry wrote the Gothic narrative poem “Christabel” in two parts, the first in 1797, and the second in 1800. Though it was still unfinished, “Christabel” was published in 1816.“Christabel” is Coleridge’s longest poem, at almost 700 lines. It is also the least edited of Coleridge’s work. Most of the poem contrasts the innocent piety of Christabel with the experience and supernatural abilities of... Read Christabel Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ, Fairy Tale / Folklore


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Romance, Action / Adventure, Class, Love / Sexuality, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Grief / Death

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2007) is the first in the Mortal Instruments series of young adult urban fantasy novels, followed by City of Ashes. The book follows a seemingly ordinary 15-year-old girl as she learns she is descended from an ancient race of demon hunters. City of Bones is a New York Times bestseller and inspired several media adaptations, including a graphic novel of the same name (3rd World... Read City of Bones Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Romance, LGBTQ, Relationships, Depression / Suicide, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness


Publication year 1976

Genre Poem, Fiction

Tags Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, African American Literature, LGBTQ


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Education, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Relationships, LGBTQ, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1949

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Masculinity

Tags LGBTQ, Japanese Literature, Asian Literature, History: World

Confessions of a Mask is a novel by Yukio Mishima, first published in Japan in 1949. The novel takes place during and immediately after World War II and centers on the struggles of a young man named Kochan. It has significant elements of the coming-of-age (bildungsroman) and queer literature genres, as Kochan is a closeted gay man trying to navigate his complex inner life and sexuality in contrast with his carefully controlled outer persona. The... Read Confessions of a Mask Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Class, Incarceration, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Social Justice, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, History: World


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Society: Politics & Government, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Romance, LGBTQ, Irish Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Conversations with Friends is Irish writer Sally Rooney’s debut novel, published in 2017. Rooney wrote the novel when she was 25 and followed it up quickly with Normal People in 2018 and Beautiful World, Where Are You in 2021. All three works have garnered award nominations and the first two have been adapted into television series. Conversations with Friends tells the story of Frances and Bobbi— college students, best friends, and former girlfriends—and Nick and... Read Conversations with Friends Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, LGBTQ, Romance


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, LGBTQ

Darius the Great Is Not Okay is a coming-of-age novel by Iranian American writer Adib Khorram. Originally published in 2018 by Dial Books, the novel echoes Khorram’s experiences growing up in a multiethnic family with a history of mental illnesses. The book, which is Khorram’s first, won the William C. Morris YA Debut Award in 2019 and is a popular BookTok read. A sequel entitled Darius the Great Deserves Better was published in August 2020. Content... Read Darius the Great Is Not Okay Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman