Welcome to AfterElton.com!

Enter your AfterElton.com username.
Enter the password that accompanies your username.
News, Reviews & Commentary on Gay and Bisexual Men in Entertainment and the Media

AfterElton's 50 Greatest Gay Books Poll

Books? Do people still actually read books?

Gay and bisexual men do. And why wouldn’t we? For decades, while the movie and television industry actively ignored us (or, worse, openly maligned and libeled us), we gay and bisexual men could turn to books for accurate information, for entertainment, or simply to see ourselves reflected in a more fair and honest way.

To be sure, there have been plenty of books critical of gay and bisexual folks over the years (Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask), anyone?). No one ever went broke telling audiences exactly what they want to hear: that they’re right to keep their anti-gay prejudices firmly intact.

But given their lower production costs, gay books didn’t need mass numbers of heterosexual readers to be “successful.” The medium has allowed us gay folks, and the people sympathetic to us, to have our own say.

And so we did. Brilliant authors like Truman Capote, Paul Bowles, and Gore Vidal were raising gay issues as far back as the forties, with James Baldwin, William S. Burroughs, Christopher Isherwood, John Rechy, and Allen Ginsberg chiming in shortly thereafter.

Soon the floodgates opened. In the years after Stonewall, gay and bisexual authors like John Murphy, Arthur Bell, and Donn Teal turned out landmark non-fiction, while Larry Kramer, Edmund White, Patricia Nell Warren, Andrew Holleran, Armistead Maupin, and David Leavitt found major success writing novels and short story collections with unapologetically gay protagonists.

When no one was talking about AIDS in the 1980s, gay writers like Paul Monette and Randy Shilts were.

It was only a matter of time before the gates of genre fiction would be stormed. Mary Renault and Maria McCann made gay history come alive. Gay-themed mystery and suspense books appeared from the likes of Joseph Hansen and Michael Nava, Richard Stevenson with his Donald Strachey books, and Patricia Highsmith with her Mr. Ripley books. Samuel Delany and Mercedes Lackey brought gay people into the realms of fantasy and science fiction. And gay humorists like Joe Keenan, Stephen McCauley, and Robert Rodi made us laugh at our lives, while young adult authors were bringing us gay teens decades before Jack made his first appearance on Dawson’s Creek.

After all that books have given the GLBT community, why wouldn’t we gay and bisexual folks be loyal in return? In recognition of the ongoing contribution of books, AfterElton.com is pleased to announce that voting begins today for our reader poll of the 50 Greatest Gay Books.

What is a “gay” book anyway? As with our recent reader poll of the 50 Greatest Gay Movies, we leave that for you to decide. Non-fiction or novel? Genre or literary? That’s for you to decide too. Hey, why not a picture book?

So get your butt off to the library or local gay bookstore. And then vote below!


Note: Please submit this form only once. Only the last form submission from each individual IP address will be recorded. Voting is open until October 31st and the results will be published in November.

 

Dennis Ayers's picture

Comments / Recommendations

Care to share your selections with other readers?
starlight70's picture

My Choices

Almost Like Being in Love by Steve Kluger

The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren

The Brothers Bishop by Bart Yates

Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez

Boy Meets Bot by David Levithan

 

 

Inukumaru's picture

Selection

My selection is Sodom's X. I came this very nice novel called Sodom's x a song for the end by K.R.COLUMBUS a while ago. The autor was almost beaten to death when he first published this book a few years back. Mind you the books has in it more than 3 gay characters in it and they are all unique oh and it has great sex scenes
check the plot - As predicted by Isaac Newton the second coming happened and as the world waited to see what was about to happen an appointed man was sent to meet God, hours later God had vanished and the man came out immortal; no apocalypse, no destruction and no salvation. This gave birth to a chain of holy wars that almost chattered Earth's civilizations and so giving birth to a mass colonization of planets to ensure peace by separation. Thousands of years later all was at peace by until Endings were born; humans connected to their planets in such a way that they are capable of destroying them should they wish it. Now Earth's Ending has been born and the day to pass judgment draws near.
it can be found here

http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/sodoms-x--a-song-for-the-end-/7182389

Apart from that it is very hard to find if you think this inportant please pass it on, post it on a blog or something...or just tell a friend that cares.
Glenn's picture

Glamourpuss by Christian

Glamourpuss by Christian McLaughlin

Metes and Bounds by Jay Quinn

Hero by Perry Moore

Almost Like Being in Love by Steve Kluger

Harlan's Race (I love this more than The Frontrunner. Yeah, I know...blasphemy!)

giovannif7's picture

My book choices

Tales Of The City by Armistead Maupin

The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren

And The Band Played On by Randy Shilts

A Boy's Own Story by Edmund White

City Of Night by John Rechy

Average (1 vote):
see individual ratings
TheFabulousThomasJ's picture

Here's the Top 5 I Keep Coming Back To:

The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren

The Catch Trap by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Tales of The City by Armistead Maupin

Buddies by Ethan Mordden

The David Kopay Story by David Kopay & Perry Deane Young

WyGuy's picture

My choices are...

'Tales Of The City' by Armistead Maupin

'Last Summer' by Michael Thomas Ford

'I'm Your Man' by Timothy James Beck

'The Front Runner' by Patricia Nell Warren

'Almost Like Being in Love' by Steve Kluger

Claire's picture

My top 5:

As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann

The Persian Boy by Mary Renault

Dream Boy by Jim Grimsley

The Vintner's Luck by Elizabeth Knox

The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren

I wanted to say:

As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann
As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann
As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann
As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann
As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann

for the impact that novel had on me, but that would just be childish. ;)

Tess's picture

I felt a bit like that about

I felt a bit like that about The Vintner's Luck. I didn't stop thinking about that book for weeks.
afhickman's picture

I've got a little list

afhickman

"The mountain has wings."

On first thought, my selections are:

1. Thomas Spanbauer, "The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon"

2. Jean Genet, "Our Lady of the Flowers"

3. Thomas Mann, "Death in Venice"

4. Alan Hollinghurst, "The Line of Beauty"

5. Rose Tremain, "Sadler's Birthday"

But I'm going to savor this list a while before voting. That way, if I've left anything important out, I can rectify the situation. I wanted to include "Brokeback Mountain," for instance, but it probably only qualifies as a short story. I also like Gilbert Adair's "Love and Death on Long Island," although the movie was even better than the book, and Samuel Park's "Shakespeare's Sonnets," but I'm not prepared to place Park alongside Genet and Mann! Tom Spanbauer's place on my list is secure; no one has given me greater pleasure in reading. I'd like to include all his titles.

Tess's picture

Mine

Maurice - E. M. Forster

The Vintner's Luck - Elizabeth Knox

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay - Michael Chabon

Boy Meets Boy - David Levithan

The Line of Beauty - Alan Hollinghurst

Average (1 vote):
see individual ratings
Aussie54's picture

My Favourites

The Charioteer by Mary Renault

The Catch Trap by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Dave Brandstetter Series by Joseph Hansen

Raised by Wolves by W A Hoffman

The Vintner's Luck by Elizabeth Knox.

I hope my selection's counted, as I wasn't logged in when I voted.

Average (1 vote):
see individual ratings
Ellwood's picture

Voting

I'd login and vote again if I were you.
tremontaine's picture

Ellen Kushner's

Ellen Kushner's Swordspoint. Though I wouldn't call that gay, more like pansexual ;) Bit like Torchwood.
Average (1 vote):
see individual ratings
Synnerman's picture

Kushner!!!

I love her books. I submitted "The Priviledge of the Sword" for one of my picks.

Kushner's work is a delicous view of a genre where "peacock" and "butch" can be used to describe characters with impeccable manners, and deadly blades, whether they be steel or tongue. 

Smartypants's picture

Y'all have to check out Jamie O'Neill

Best gay novel I've ever read is his book, "At Swim Two Boys".

Other favorites in no particular order:

Tales Of The City (the entire series) by Armistead Maupin

The Persian Boy by Mary Renault

The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren

Becoming A Man: Half a Life Story by Paul Monette

Could we make this a little easier by splitting up into separate fiction and non-fiction lists? Please?  There are so many great books out there. 

If there was space,  I'd also include Middle Ground by Ursula Zilinsky, a powerful story about a love affair between a Nazi Concentration Camp officer and a young Jewish inmate.

Reaching far back into the past,  a 1933 classic by Richard Meeker called "Better Angel".   I discovered this one in college and it blew me away with its frank and positive take on gay love in the 1920s.  The author, whose real name was Forman Brown, went on to become an internationally reknowned puppeteer and passed away in 1996 at age 95.

TrentYork's picture

Top 50 books

So many books: Here is my journey:

Mark by Lonnie Coleman.

All the Dan Valentine/Clarisse Lovelace Mysteries.

 The Nightrunner Series by Lynn Flewelling.

Putting on the Ritz by Joe Keenan.

The Catch Trap by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

All Richard Stevenson @Donald Stachey Mysteries.

 All Mark Manning Mysteries, by Michael Craft.

 The Persian Boy by Mary Renault.

 Tales of the City.

Michael Tolliver Lives by Armistead Maupin, a true classic, I lived it. I am Michael.

This is a very short list. Books are my guides. I own over 100 gay books and they hold a very special place in my 50 years as a gay man!!!!!!

torontomame's picture

Awesome list!  I love the

Awesome list!  I love the Nathan Aldyne books.  Yay, Dan and Clarisse!  And I still laugh out loud each time I read the Joe Keenan books.  Good selections there.
VioletFemme's picture

My Picks

How I Paid for College by Marc Acito

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

Call Me by Your Name by Andre Acimen

The Commitment: Love, Sex, Marriage, and My Family

The Line of Beauty by Allan Hollinghurst

 

 

If By Gay You Mean Totally Freaking Awesome, Then Yeah, I Guess It's Pretty Gay

--Des Ark

 

 

David Ehrenstein's picture

Here's my list

"A La Recherche du Temps Perdu" by Marcel Proust

 

"Two Serious Ladies" by Jane Bowles

 

"Sheeper" by Irving Rosenthal

 

"Billy Budd" by Herman Melville

 

"Our Lady of the Flowers" by Jean Genet

David Ehrenstein's picture

Other Great gay Books --

"Concerning the Eccentricities of Cardinal Pirelli" by Ronald Firbank

 

 

"Dahlgren" by Samuel R. Delaney

 

 

"Death in Venice" by Thomas Mann

 

 

"A Single Man' By Christopher Isherwood

 

 

"Myron" by Gore Vidal

 

 

"Norman's Letter" by Gavin Lambert

 

 

"The Sacred Font" by Henry James

 

 

"City of Night" by John Rechy

 

 

"To the Friend Who Would Not Save My Life" by Herve Guibert

 

 

"My Loose Thread" by Dennis Cooper

 

 

"Les Caves du Vatican" by Andre Gide

 

 

"I Am Elijah Thrush" by James Purdy 

John's picture

The 50 Greatest Gay Books Poll

My 5 best are:

 1. Brokeback Mountain - Annie Proulx.

 2. The Charioteer - Mary Renault

3. Look Down in Mercy - Walter Baxter

4. Giovanni's Room - James Baldwin

5. Holding The Man - Timothy Conigrave

I forgot about Maurice - EM Forster - which should be #4, and I should have left off Conigrave. Grrr

Campion's picture

Just finished

Just finished Holding The Man this morning. (Stayed up all night reading it). Loved it.

Really, this poll needs to be broken down into two polls, Fiction and NonFiction, at the very least.

 

Joseph's picture

So happy to hear the love for The Vintner's Luck!

The Elizabeth Knox novel was my #1 choice. The other four:

The Celluloid Closet by Vito Russo

Strangers: Homosexual Love in the 19th Century by Graham Robb

The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk by Randy Shilts

The Spell by Alan Hollinghurst

Check out my blog: http://radicalsexy.blogspot.com/

michaelsobe's picture

My 5

http://web.mac.com/michaelmicha

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin ( I think I have read this one at least 20 times over the years)

 A boy's own story by Ed White

Maurice by E.M. Forester

 Line of Beauty by Hollinghurst

Glove Puppet by Neal Drinnan

Jamie's picture

So many to choose from....

Five I voted on:

  1. Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris
  2. The World of Normal Boys - K.M. Soehnlein
  3. A Home At The End of the World - Michael Cunningham
  4. Running With Scissors - Augusten Burroughs 
  5. The Book of Joe - Jonathan Tropper (maybe a stretch but I think it fits the definition, and it's a great book!)

Other Favorites:  Plain and Normal, How I Paid for College, Candy Everybody Wants, The Benjamin Justice series of books by John Morgan Wilson, BandFags, Sex Toys of the Gods, 35 Cents, Dry, You Can Say You Knew Me When, I Am Not Myself These Days, Geography Club, A Density of Souls, A Very Fine Prom Mess, A Boys Own Story, How The Homosexuals Saved Civilization, Exile In Guyville

Average (1 vote):
see individual ratings
François Peneaud's picture

An impossible choice... 10

An impossible choice...
10 best books would have been easier :)
Anyway, here's my very subjective list:
Renault, Mary - The Persian boy
O'Neill, Jamie - At Swim, two boys
Grimsley, Jim - Dream Boy
Bram, Christopher - The Father of Frankenstein
Bartlett, Neil - Ready to catch him should he fall

François
---------------
http://gaycomicslist.free.fr

Randommer's picture

Maurice, The Line of Beauty,

Maurice, The Line of Beauty, A Density of Souls, At Swim, Two Boys, and Regeneration. I would have nominated the whole Regeneration trilogy, but ran out of space.
Wheeler's picture

'Picture books'

Given that picture books are allowed, I'm giving my vote to Howard Cruse's civil rights comic, Stuck Rubber Baby. Alan Moore's Mirror of Love - more literally a picture book - also deserves some acclaim.I'm surprised to see no mention yet of Brideshead Revisited or The City and the Pillar in the comments. The former is a truly great work, and I found the latter tremendously affecting.
db's picture

Gay Books

1. A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood 2. Dream Boy by Jim Grimsley 3. Blue Heaven by Joe Keenan 4. Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin 5. Maurice by E.M. Forster These are also books I tend to re-read every few years. I also tend to read the Keenan and Maupin books in order--I would group them but just chose the first one instead.
Synnerman's picture

My Picks..

1. "Magic's Pawn" by Mercedes Lackey

2. "B Boy Blues" by James Earl Hardy

3. "The Lord Won't Mind" by Gordon Merrick

4. "The Privilege of the Sword" by Ellen Kushner

5. "Homosexuality and Civilization" by Louis Crompton

Joseph's picture

I love the Crompton book

Homosexuality and Civilization is a terrific book; I almost put it on my list, but felt compelled to include a second novel (The Spell thoroughly encapsulates the early-mid 90s for me).

Check out my blog: http://radicalsexy.blogspot.com/

Synnerman's picture

I checked Homosexuality and Civilization our from the library

...and after one read through, I was utterly convinced that I absolutely had to own it. Of my non-fiction books, it is easily the most important part of my library.

I'm loving these posts. I'm compiling a list of books to buy and check out from the library even as I type this.

Cheers everyone! :)

Smartypants's picture

When this is over

Please post the full list of all nominees.  I'm an avid reader and this is bringing back lots of fond memories and filling up my reserve list at the local library. 

The don't necessarily qualify as "great" books, but here are a few more recommendations.

For those of you who enjoyed the Nathan Aldyne mysteries, check out the Dave Brandstetter series by Joseph Hansen, or "The Glory Hole Murders" and other books by Tony Fennelly.  Joe Keenan fans will also enjoy the Fennelly books -- they're hilarious.  Another good mystery/comedy series starts with "Best Performance By A Patsy" by Stan Cutler.

If you're interested in history, "Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality" was a breakthrough book by John Boswell that is a true classic in gay studies.  Martin Duberman is another great scholar who is gay and often tackles gay subjects in his books.  He's written so many good books, but "Cures" or "About Time:Exploring The Gay Past" are good places to start.   Finally, Ned Katz's book "Gay American History" was a shocking book back in 1976, documenting that same-sex love has existed in America since the country's earliest days.  

Must stop now.  This could keep me busy for a week.

 

Average (1 vote):
see individual ratings
db's picture

Gay new York

Another great nonfiction book. There are so many great books it was hard to narrow them down.
Insideguy's picture

Tough Choices in tough times

The great thing about growing older is that you can savor life more and have more time to read. This was tough because there are far to many to limit it to just five.

A BOY'S OWN STORY by Edmund White

DANCER FROM THE DANCE by Andrew Holleran

THE FRONT RUNNER by Patricia Nell Warren

CITY OF NIGHT by John Rechy

MYSTERIOUS SKIN by Scott Heim

Then there are such titles as

OTHER VOICES OTHER ROOMS bt Truman Capote

CITY AND THE PILLAR by Gore Vidal

THE PERSIAN BOY by Mary Renault

BOYS ON THE ROCK by John Fox

THE BEST LITTLE BOY IN THE WORLD by John Reid

NEBRASKA by George Whitmore

IRREVERSIBLE DECLINE OF EDDIE SOCKET by John Weir

MAURICE by E. M. Forster

LIKE PEOPLE IN HISTORY by Felice Picano

LIFE DRAWINGS by Michael Grumley

THE FAMILY OF MAX DESIR by Robert Ferro

DREAM BOY by Jim Grimsley

LEAVES OF GRASS by Walt whitman

these are just the ones off the top of my head. and does not include some sleazier titles that in some way contributed to forming myself as a gay man. Like the Short Stories of Aaron Travis and the works of Jhn Preston.

INSIDEGUY

Markie27's picture

lobbying for mystery novels

i really love john morgan wilson's work! i could have put three of his Benjamin Justice Series but "THE LIMITS OF JUSTICE" blew me away.... "JUSTICE AT RISK is such a powerful and sexy novel as well....

2. HOSTAGE - R.D. Zimmerman - another greay mystery novel from his Tod Mills mystery series.

3. Barbary Lane - the whole collection of Tales of the City is such a gem! a true work of art.

4. Gay fairy and Folk Tales - Peter Cashorali - this is my guilty pleasure - not to ruin the book but i do hope people would turn this into a mini series (i think robert gant's production company is thinking about it) such a fun book

5. Geography of the Heart - i wasn't able to finish Borrowed Time by Monnette so i really cannot say that this novel by Fenton Johnson is the best of the aids memoir but i was really really touched by his candor and the raw emotion he conveyed thru this book is so heartbreaking.

Ann Rose's picture

Top Five and a bitch about spelling

Here are my top five:1. Randy Shilts, And the Band Played On.2. Kenny Fries, Body, Remember.3. Paul Monette, On Borrowed Time.4. Samuel R. Delany, Times Square Red, Times Square Blue.5. Joe Phillips, For the Boys.

It's often misspelled, but, please, it's Samuel R. Delany, no E after the N.

Michael Jensen's picture

Thanks!

Fixed that one.
rojoangel's picture

Top 5 Books

1 - Tales of the City - Maupin

2 - Blackbird - Larry Duplechan

3 - Eight Days a Week - Larry Duplechan

4 - B-Boy Blues - James Earl Hardy

5 - Magic's Pawn - Mercedes Lackey

Maybe not making the top five, but oh, my -

6 through 10 - the rest of the James Early Hardy books with Pookie and Raheim

11 and 12 - the rest of the 'Magic' trilogy by Lackey

dback's picture

My top 5

1. "The Front Runner"--a gorgeously written love story, and a publishing success to boot. 2. "Buddies"--Ethan Mordden's brilliant collection of stories about his New York friends and their adventures. Sexy, funny, romantic, heartbreaking. 3. "The Celluloid Closet"--Vito Russo's biting examination of gays onscreen. Now dated, but still essential reading for its time. 4. "Naked"--David Sedaris mines comic gold from everyday humiliations and frustrations. 5. "The Name of Love"--a collection of clasic gay poems from a variety of authors and sources.
Average (2 votes):
see individual ratings
bensonboy's picture

Sacrament- Clive Barker

If there was ever a gay book to be read it is definitely Sacrament, by Clive Barker, published in 1996. The book deals with Extinction, Love, Life, Identity, the Plague. It's life changing.

peace,

 Just

François Peneaud's picture

If you've read other books

If you've read other books by Barker, can you recommend any with gay characters? It's been years since I read any of his books (I've read the Books of Blood), so I think I'll try Sacrament. Thanks for the recommendation.

François
---------------
http://gaycomicslist.free.fr

rantboi's picture

My Top Five

1. Mysterious Skin by Scott Heim

2. A Home at the End of the World by Michael Cunningham

3. Geography Club by Brent Hartinger

4. Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

5. The Year of Ice by Brian Malloy

Moi's picture

My list: Fellow Travelers by

My list:

1. Fellow Travelers by Thomas Mallon

2. City and the Pillars by Gore Vidal

3. At Swim, Two Boys by Jamie O'Neill

4. Celluloid Closet by Vito Russo

5. Mayor of Castro Street by Randy Shilts

I will definitely be looking into the books listed by everyone else.

Larry Duplechan's picture

Thank you, rojoangel!

... for nominating not one, but two of my books. I am very flattered. Have you read my brand-new novel, "Got 'til it's Gone"? (Yeah, shameless plug -- gimme a break, I'm still working in a law firm ...) And hey, AfterElton: What's a fella have to do to get his new novel reviewed on here? Hmmm?
rojoangel's picture

'Got 'til it's Gone'

Are you kidding me? Another Johnny Ray book? I'd stopped looking for more way too long ago. I found Blackbird at JUST the right time and JRR felt like me. "Telling my whole life with his words" indeed! Thank you!

Gotta go. B&N closes before too long.

Gravity81's picture

Phew...

...there are too many good books (can you believe it!)...No one's mentioned Screening Party or Misadventures in the (213) yet. Yes, those books might not be high-art or anything but they are really good! They made me laugh out loud and that's something! Dennis Hensley rocks!My other faves: The Front Runner (P. Nell Warren), Thinking Straight (Robin Reardon), The Fancy Dancer (P. Nell Warren), Lost Language Of Cranes (David Leavitt - best author *ever*), Tales Of The City (You know that one, don't you? *g*)
Average (1 vote):
see individual ratings
Sascha62's picture

Mystery Novels

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Michael Nava yet, and his seven Henry Rios novels. These were just delightful and I was really disappointed when Nava chose to stop writing them. I agree with those who like Joseph Hansen's Dave Brandstetter mysteries (I always really liked the world-weariness of Dave Brandstetter). Nathan Aldyne's were fun; as were Tony Fennelly's, but not in the same class as Hansen or Nava, really. John Morgan Wilson's novels are really good, too.
Scandinavian Guy's picture

At Swim two boys

I was doubtful at first, and the language was a bit hard, but by the time you get into it, well it will change you! It is that good! Someone needs to make a movie of this -S