AfterElton’s 50 Best Gay Books!

20. Mysterious Skin by Scott Heim

When a book becomes a terrific movie, sometimes the film overshadows its source material. That’s a mistake in the case of this 1995 novel, which is every bit as powerful as the well received 2004 movie. As young boys, Neil and Brian were both abused by their baseball coach — an event that pushed the boys in very different directions. Brian thinks he was abducted by aliens, and Neil has ended up a prostitute. Only when they meet again as young adults can the truth finally penetrate the mysterious skin that surrounds them both.

21. A Boy's Own Story by Edmund White

22. The Charioteer by Mary Renault

23. Dream Boy by Jim Grimsley