Indie author and blogger Tessa Hastjarjanto tells us why she prefers reading queer fantasy and shares some of her favorite queer indie reads for which you can find Goodreads and Amazon (affiliate) links at the end.
Since I started reading indie books, queer stories and authors have taken over my (digital) shelves. I even prefer them. While I thought at first that I didn’t belong on the LGBTQ+ spectrum, things changed as I learned more about demisexuality, which is part of the asexuality spectrum. I still wouldn’t call myself queer but I don’t feel as much as a spectator anymore. Reading stories about people and couples that fit outside of the norm taught me a lot. About the world, my friends, and myself. It’s not just seeing all the different preferences represented (which is hugely important, especially in children’s and teen literature), it’s also about a different kind of stories being told. I’ll keep reading queer fantasy and I always try to recommend more queer books to anyone I can.
Breaking Gender Roles
This one is obvious. Queer books break traditional gender roles far more often. When you have a same-sex couple, it’s tough to have a “housewife” and “man of the family”. Yes, they can still take up those roles but it can’t be the implied default, something created by our current society. Even with the slight changes in these views, I still see it a lot in the media around me. And I’d like that to be less.
“I’d rather see characters struggling with other things than fitting in a box created by society.”
With queer characters, it’s more about who they are, what they want, and non-gendered expectations, than it is to have two kids, a dog, and a white picket fence. (The 1950s American dream is dead, and has been dead for a long time.) I’d rather see characters struggling with other things than fitting in a box created by society. Let them fight their origins, their nature, the king’s army, the wizard’s minions.
Another thing that I learned was that I like vulnerable men. With vulnerable I mean the ones who talk about their feelings and show their flaws. Kara Jorgensen’s The Reanimator’s Heart made me realise that but I’ve liked them since Dragon Age: Origins came out (Hi, Alistair). Maybe that’s why I enjoy the occasional contemporary dual PoV romance as well. We see how a man falls in love, what they’re feeling, and how they handle their own emotions.
Queer characters (especially those written by queer authors) seem more in touch with themselves. Or at least part of themselves. Thinking and discovering your sexuality and gender requires a certain level of introspection. They’re more aware of who they are at their core. And I think that’s beautiful.
More out-of-the-box thinking
The most unique worldbuilding and stories I’ve seen in queer books. I don’t know if there’s a reason for it, but it’s significant enough to mention it.
Between the Lines by D. Hale Rambo has a world set in a book. Every domain is a different page, and the people who travel between them are called turners (from page turners). She draws on real-world history and mythology but the (queernormative) worldbuilding and voice are incredibly immersive.
Merchants of Knowledge and Magic by Erika McCorkle has several planes in her Pentagonal Dominion universe with unique races and cultures. Erika has created 88 sapient races for this world and I’m sure I could read all her currently published books and not find all of them yet. If you’re into dark fantasy, you should definitely check out Erika’s work.
The last one I want to highlight is The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies. The twelve domains all have their own races and culture, and Chime is at the heart of it all, the centre of the clock face. There’s so much to explore I just want more. The Cruel Gods trilogy is completed now with the release of The End of Time but I have ideas for a fanfic. The Chime universe will be revisited, either by Trudie or me.
It’s not just the worldbuilding that’s unique though. It’s the characters as well. All three authors and their books feature diverse characters, filling archetype roles with contrary characters or even creating whole new archetypes, like my favourite, the disaster bi. You know things will go wrong when the disaster bi enters the stage (I’m looking at you, Jack Valentine from Josie Jaffrey’s May Day).
Different Perspective
Being raised in a heteronormative patriarchy has taught me certain things I’ve always taken as truth, but queer fantasy has changed my way of thinking.
The most obvious one is to not make assumptions. Just wait until information is revealed. Trust the author to tell you what you need to know when it plays a part. This helps with expectations as well. The less you have, the less the author can disappoint you.
This goes for characters as well as worldbuilding. Let yourself be surprised, appreciate the journey of discovery as you read. This is the kind of wonder we tend to let go of in our teens but I do my best to bring it back in my life (and that of others).
Another shattered belief is about love and attraction. Relationships. Dynamics between people. In queer fantasy you’ll see a ton of different types of relationships and sexual orientations. Some love interests might even be non-human people (vampires, shapeshifters, or just terrifying monsters like Shenshenshen in Someone You Can Build A Nest In by John Wiswell). It’s nice to read about all of these with such intimacy without the feeling of intrusion.
I highly suggest you pick up books with queernormative worlds if you’ve never read one before. Reading builds empathy and reading something about people who identify differently from you will make you more empathetic. Not just to those who share identities with the characters but to everyone. The different perspectives will make it easier for you to see what troubles another person and you’ll be able to understand more about their motivation or feelings.
While all of these elements can be commonly found in queer fantasy, it doesn’t mean you can’t find them in non-queer books. I just know that when I pick up a queer fantasy book, I’ll likely find more things that surprise me.
Tessa’s Queer Fantasy recommendations
The Reanimator’s Heart, by Kara Jorgensen
Between the Lines, by D. Hale Rambo
Merchants of Knowledge and Magic, by Erika McCorkle
The Thirteenth Hour, by Trudie Skies
May Day, by Josie Jaffrey
Someone You Can Build a Nest In, by John Wiswell
Check out some of Tessa’s Books
Tales of Lunis Aquaria
Undine’s Blessing
About Tessa Hastjarjanto
Tessa Hastjarjanto is a Dutch/Indonesian writer from the Netherlands. She writes speculative fiction, and blogs at narratess.com about books, fountain pens, and writing.
From a young age, she imitated popular stories and games in creating her own worlds. This love eventually led to a master’s degree in media and game studies at the University of Utrecht. However a mundane desk job was enough to inspire her to follow her creative passion. The first fanfics were written in lunch breaks and soon original fiction followed.
With the support of her husband, she now focuses on her writing career while battling chronic pain. Swiss white shepherd, Shiro, acts as a therapy dog to keep her healthy and reduce stress through extensive cuddle sessions.
Tiny Elf Arcanist 
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