AfterElton’s 50 Best Gay Books!

17. The Persian Boy by Mary Renault

What does it mean that Oliver Stone barely touched upon the sexuality of Alexander the Great in his 2004 film Alexander — and was harshly criticized anyway — while way back in 1972 Mary Renault managed to write and publish this acclaimed story of the passionate love between the ancient Greek king and his male slave? That the readers of books are more open-minded than many moviegoers? Whatever the case, Renault’s book rightfully went on to become a classic, and finally helped reclaim the genre of historical fiction for us gay folks.

18. The Amazing Adventure of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon

Chabon showed promise with his gay-themed novels The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (1988) and Wonder Boys (1995), but even many of the author’s fans were blown away by his 2000 masterpiece about two Jews, a straight artist named Joe and a gay writer named Sam, and their “adventures” working in the golden age of comic books. Many of the events in the book are based on the real-life struggles faced by early comic book creators, several of whom were Jewish and some of whom were gay. In addition to a host of other honors, the book won a very well deserved Pulitzer.

19. Running With Scissors: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs

There are memoirs, and then there is Running With Scissors, a 2002 book about Burroughs’ insane mother and the bizarrely dysfunctional foster family he is sent to live with (and where, as a young teenager, he was involved in a relationship with a much older man). The real foster family said it was all fiction (though their lawsuit was settled mostly in Burroughs’ favor). In any event, Burroughs’ shocking, audacious book changed the genre of the memoir for good.