Gay Characters in Sci-Fi & Fantasy?

Sarah Monette's series, Melusine and The Virtu so far, features a gay man as one of the main characters. The story is told by 2 brothers, one of whom is gay.
 
The Fool was most certainly gay. Re-read his discussion with Fitz in the second book concerning this. And yes, there was no doubt in my mind he was male.

Two of the 'boy soldiers' in Pratchett's Monsterous Regiment were gay, although they were only moderately important characters.

Needless to say, many of the characters- including the narrator- of the Kushiel trilogy by Jacqueline Carey were either gay or bisexual (which is what you would expect from a fantasy land with the commandment of "love as thou wilt."
 
Elizabeth A. Lynn's Chronicles of Tornor trilogy contains a lot of bisexual characters. Most have had relationships with the opposite as well as their own sex, it's more a matter of falling in love with a person rather than a gender. The great thing about it is that in her world, sexuality isn't such an issue as it is here, there's even a case of two brothers Kel and Kerris in the second book Dancers of Arun, where Kel is ten years older than Kerris and they've been raised apart, and when they meet as adults have a sexual relationship. It's just the brilliance of Elizabeth A. Lynn's writing that keeps one from going *eeewwww* over the incest.

Sadly the entire trilogy, i. e. Watchtower, The Dancers of Arun and The Northern Girl are out of print. It's a very good read, though, if your mind is open enough to enjoy it.
 
Many of the main baddies in Jack Vance's Lyonesse are bisexual. All of the heros seem to be comfortably hererosexual, so I guess it's Vance's old-fashioned stance showing up a little (I nevertheless recommend the series).

The first novel also features a transexual fairy in a very small role, I seem to remember.
 
manephelien said:
Elizabeth A. Lynn's Chronicles of Tornor trilogy contains a lot of bisexual characters. Most have had relationships with the opposite as well as their own sex, it's more a matter of falling in love with a person rather than a gender. The great thing about it is that in her world, sexuality isn't such an issue as it is here, there's even a case of two brothers Kel and Kerris in the second book Dancers of Arun, where Kel is ten years older than Kerris and they've been raised apart, and when they meet as adults have a sexual relationship. It's just the brilliance of Elizabeth A. Lynn's writing that keeps one from going *eeewwww* over the incest.

Sadly the entire trilogy, i. e. Watchtower, The Dancers of Arun and The Northern Girl are out of print. It's a very good read, though, if your mind is open enough to enjoy it.
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I do believe that there is a reissue here in the US. Don't know about the rest of the world.
 
Well, if it's available in the US, you can order it from Amazon. May be a bit more expensive, but at least it's available.
 
Hal Duncan's Vellum (which came out a little over a year ago I believe) has a gay character absolutely central to the book (hes the brother in the brother and sister pair that the novel is based around). Its also just a damn fine book in its own, nominated for a world fantasy award etc, so if you want extremely good speculative literature and a gay character, go for it. The sequel comes out the 27th of february and I'm quite excited^_^
 
Thanks for all the replies! I've got a lot of reading to do...though, I suspect some of these won't satisfy my (sophisticated?) palate. Just kidding...thanks again. As far as fantasy goes, I have not read a whole lot. The lord of the rings, as a child, of course, which was fantastic. I read the WoT series, but stopped recently. Seems I grew up while it was in progress, and just found it boring as an adult more concerned with my (shrinking) spare time. I was always disappointed with the utter lack of gay characters. I mean, 5000 pages? and not one single gay character (unless you count some mild female-on-female stuff with the Aiel, I seem to recall). Anyhow, thanks again for the suggestions
 
disagree that the fool was gay. as he said, it's just plumbing. to me he was bisexual. he loved people because he loved them, their body wasn't important to him. while being gay implies that you ONLY have sexual feelings for someone of the same gender. teh fool clearly loved fitz for being fitz, that he was male just wasn't that important. it wasn't the attraction, as it would be if he was gay
 
the_faery_queen said:
disagree that the fool was gay. as he said, it's just plumbing. to me he was bisexual. he loved people because he loved them, their body wasn't important to him. while being gay implies that you ONLY have sexual feelings for someone of the same gender. teh fool clearly loved fitz for being fitz, that he was male just wasn't that important. it wasn't the attraction, as it would be if he was gay
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I might be willing to agree with you there...although there was a clear physical attraction on the fool's part. When Fitz told him he would never think of the fool in that fashion, he was clearly heartbroken.
 
There's Shard by Jane Senese, got lots of gay characters in it.
 
yeah but if the fool was bi, then he would be physically attracted to fitz.

and i dunno, sometimes if you really love someone, as a person, you become physically attracted to them.

but to be honest, i didn't see it as physical attraction. he found him attractive, he clearly did to carve a boat to look like him, but i always saw the fool as more spiritual. that he found fitz beautiful on the outside because he loved him on the inside and sex would have been an expression of that love. while for other people i think it's they find someone attractive outside, then get to know them and love them on the inside, and the sex attraction is there at teh start. while for the fool i think it grew as part of the whole love thing.
 
Delia Sherman's Through a Brazen Mirror has a significant plot thread revolving around a woman-posing-as-a-man and a king who falls in love with her male persona. Excellent book.

The two main male characters in Chaz Brenchley's Outremer books are also gay. Very sweet sort of adolescent love in that one.
 
K. Riehl said:
Ethan of Athos by Lois Bujold. An entire book with the main character a gay man leaving an entire world of gay men to try and interact for the first time with the outside universe. A great action oriented, intelligent, thoughtful story about the advances of medical science leading to societies that can be self sustaining in whatever form or function we choose.
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Oh, I loved this book!
 
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