October Books: Gay Fictions About Growing Up and Coming Out Gay

Both the Acito and Kilmer-Purcell books were written for laughs. A better, and more serious, take on gay adolescence is The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second by Drew Ferguson (Kensington Books; $15.00). Written in the form of journal entries, “The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second” is the story of Charles James Stewart II, who is nerdy, awkward, uncertain, and almost incapable of fitting in.

Charlie can’t seem to get along with his dad, Charles the First - a candidate for State Attorney – his Mom, his teachers, his friends (even his best friend “Bink”) or his soccer team mates. He can’t pass a driving test, write a college entry essay that satisfies him, control his libido (he is a chronic masturbator) or even his love life, all of which probably make him a more typical representative of modern gay youth than the celebs in training who star in the Acito and Kilmer-Purcell novels.

Drew Ferguson

Set in the present, The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second is not a coming out story in the sense that the hero has to come to terms with his homosexuality: Charlie the Second is openly gay and that is that. And while homophobia rears its ugly head now and then, it often backfires on its perpetrators. Most of Charlie’s problems come from within or have little to do with his sexual orientation.

Though the use of journal entries to tell a story has been the downfall of many a novel, it seems to work here, since it allows us to go into the mind of a young misfit and introvert. It also allows us to see the world through the eyes of a 17-year old.

Ferguson’s narrative is quite vivid if rather explicit, especially when he writes about Charlie’s masturbatory and other sexual experiences. (Not that there is anything wrong with that.) Charlie even finds first love, with a new boy on his soccer team whose mother is dying.

All this makes Charlie the Second an adult novel about a gay teen, not a gay book for teens. With that said, most gay men will find a bit of their younger selves in The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second. It is this year's finest contribution to the gay youth genre.

Another book that deals with gay youth – but in a completely different format – is Boy Meets Hero by Chayne Avery & Russell Garcia (Bruno Gmunder; $30.99). Boy Meets Hero is a “graphic novel,” what we used to call an adult comic in a hardcover book form. More precisely, it is a collection of the popular Boy Meets Hero series that achieved cult status among gay comic fans when it first appeared online.

It is the story of the hunky and heroic Blue Comet who, along with his female partner Sunstar, bravely defends Golden Bay City against various nefarious supervillains. But not even Blue Comet’s amazing powers can protect his heart from Justin, the boy who enters his life and turns it upside down.

In Boy Meets Hero, life partners/authors/artists Chayne Avery and Russell Garcia try to make up for the lack of gay characters in DC and Marvel comics by giving us a superhero that we can call our own. Those of us who, as kids, fantasized about Aquaman or Green Lantern or the dudes in the Legion of Super Heroes will enjoy the adventures of Boy Meets Hero.

Just let there be a sequel.

A panel from Boy Meets Hero