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Gay historical novels

If you’ve ever set up yourself thinking, "Why isn’t there more queer representation in historical fiction?"—you’re not alone. I’ve been searching for stories that not only capture the richness of the past but also center LGBTQ+ voices that've too often been erased from it. Over the years, I’ve read some astonishing LGBTQ+ historical novels that have stuck with me, whether because of the unforgettable characters, the emotional depth, or the way they spotlight queer lives in eras that often tried to silence them. This list of the best LGBT historical fiction includes a mix of newer releases and older standouts—some I’ve study and loved, and a few that are still waiting patiently (or not-so-patiently) on my TBR. From slow burns and forbidden romances to stories of resilience and chosen family, these books bring the past to life through a beautifully homosexual lens. If you’re looking to grow your reading list or discover a hidden gem, you’re in the right place. Let’s dive in!



It’s Pride month, which means I get to unapologetically talk up queer booksall month (as if I don’t do that 12 months of the year). For me, Pride has always been about honoring the past as much as celebrating the submit. So it’s no surprise that Pride has got me thinking about queer historical fiction. There’s definitely not enough queer historical fiction in the world. You might think, given the general lack of queer characters in historical fiction, that queer people sprang into existence sometime in the late 1960s. Obviously, this is not the case. And while we desperately need more historical fiction staring queer people, there are, happily, some delightful books out there that center queer stories from centuries past. Not all of these books have happy endings, although many of them do. The homosexual characters in them have entire, complicated, sometimes joyful, sometimes heartbreaking lives. In short: they are human. Yes, there is gay suffering in many of these books, but there is also queer resilience and joy. These books are a testament to the fact that queer people have been here all along. We might not ever grasp their true names and stories, but we do

Queer historical fiction where nothing terrible happens
April 19, 2018 7:30 AM   Subscribe

I'm looking for books set before 1950 where the A or B plot follows homosexual characters who live, function, fall in love etc. and where I am better able to realize what being queer would look like in this historical context and where NOTHING SUPER TERRIBLE HAPPENS TO THE CHARACTERS.


I just finished White Houses (Love story of Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok) by Amy Bloom and I really enjoyed it. I also enjoy Sarah Waters. I want to read more books with queer characters set in not-the-present-day where nothing particularly terrible happens to them because of their gender or sexual orientation, but where I am competent to better understand what being gay/lesbian/queer/loving people of your own gender looked like in this moment period.

I don't care what the day period is or the exact form that the not-straight-ness takes as elongated a) it's not now, b) nothing too terrible happens e.g. no sexual violence directed at the characters, c) the writing is pretty good, d) the historical context matters to the story and life experiences of the characters.

Whaddya got for me!

posted b

Gay love stories in historical fiction

What was it like to be a same-sex attracted man in Paris in 1870? While researching my novel The Beasts of Paris, I couldn’t find much in 19th-century writing about homosexual love, and even later there are strangely several literary, queer, period-set love stories (shout outs to Sarah Waters and Mary Renault), so I’m pushing the boundaries of both ‘love story’ and ‘historical’ here. All I found in 19th-century accounts is an occasional minor personality – e.g. in Zola’s Nana – or documentary reports of police raids, or porn (thank you, Jack Saul). I delved into novels, paintings and photographs as successfully as history. And if my historical period stretches from Ancient Greece to the early 1950s – well, you take what you can get.

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Maurice by E.M. Forster

The daddy of all queer love stories. Although written in 1913, Forster’s book was not published until after his death, in 1971. He was inspired to write it after meeting the author and activist Edward Carpenter and his long-term partner George Merrill. It’s a deeply sympathetic picture of a male who experiences intense passion, first with his closeted foremost friend Clive, and then, after Clive’s marriage,