List of SF featuring queer women as protagonists

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Queer women in SF
Characters & works: Protagonists Protagonists (YA) Characters Specific characters & stereotypes: Evil/dead lesbian cliché
Writers & other people: Writers Other creators SF people
See also: Female characters Female authors Oppressions & intersections Women Make SF
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Encyclopedia of Female Characters
Issues in characterization: Identities, representation, stereotypes Roles, relationships, & character arcs
Indexes of female characters: notable female characters ... by occupation ... by ethnic, sexual, other identity ... by skill or ability ... by series or work
Comprehensive: A-G ... H-P ... Q-Z browse index

Contents
Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

This is a list of works featuring lesbian protagonists.

Need character names for most of these works:

A

• Laura Adams, Night Vision (Naiad, 1997)
• Judith Alguire, Zeta Base (Naiad, 1991)
• Dorothy Allison, "Demon Lover" (in Trash, 1988)
• Dorothy Allison, "Ounces" in Swords of the Rainbow

B

• Babylon 5 character "Susan Ivanova" (bisexual)
• Gael Baudino. Gossamer Axe (1990) (woman from ancient Ireland fights the Sidhe for her lesbian lover with an all-woman heavy metal band)
• Sandy Bayer. The Crystal Curtain (psychic lesbian)
• --. The Crystal Cage (Alyson, 1991) (sequel to The Crystal Curtain)
• R. C. Brojim, Cognate (2000) (Dani Forrest is captain of a military vessel)
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Willow Rosenberg, (first with Tara then Kennedy)
• Octavia Butler. Fledgling

C

• Karen Cadora. Stardust Bound
• Jacqueline Carey. Santa Olivia (Loup Garron, lesbian daughter of a genetically engineered man)
• Raphael Carter. The Fortunate Fall
• Suzy McKee Charnas. Motherlines (second book in the Holdfast Chronicles tetralogy; all-women world)
• --. The Furies, (third book in the Holdfast Chronicles tetralogy.
• --. The Conqueror's Child, fourth book in the Holdfast Chronicles tetralogy.
• Deborah Christian. Mainline (1996)
• Fiona Cooper. I Believe in Angels - selected short stories have magical real or psychic elements ...
• Ouida Crozier. Shadows After Dark (Rising Tide Press, 1993, New York) 1-883061-50-4

D

• Dark Angel (Original Cindy isn't exactly the protagonist but as the protagonist's best friend is a central figure in several episodes)
• Lauren Wright Douglas. In the Blood

E

• Catherine Ennis. To the Lightning (Naiad, 1988)

F

• Zoe Fairbairns. Benefits (1979)
• Sheila Finch. Infinity's Web (1985) (Four women in alternate worlds are somehow linked. One of them is a lesbian.)
• Jane Fletcher. The World Celaeno Chose (Dimsdale: London, 1999)
• Katherine V. Forrest. Daughters of a Coral Dawn (1995).
• -- . Dreams and Swords. (1988). (collection of stories)

G

• Ellen Galford. The Dyke and the Dybbuk. Friendly Jewish lesbian dybbuk (demon) haunts / possesses a modern London cab-driving dyke, inducing her to a wildly inappropriate crush.
• --. The Fires of Bride. A series of dyke relationships, among an artist, an heiress who may be a witch, a local archaeologist.
• Sally Miller Gearhart. The Wanderground. Lesbian separatism; world consisting entirely of women.
• Nancy Tyler Glenn. Clicking Stones (1989, Naiad Press)
• Leona Gom. The Y Chromosome (1990). Lesbian separatism but nobody's complaining (well, except the few poor put-upon males lurking about)
• Jewelle Gomez. The Gilda Stories. Black lesbian vampire.
• Gormglaith (Separatism)
• Hiromi Goto. The Kappa Child (2001)
• Camarin Grae. Paz (lesbian romantic adventure story; lesbian who can control people's minds)
• Nicola Griffith, Slow River
• --. Ammonite
• Carol Guess. Switch (magic realism)

H

• Sandi Hall. Wingwomen of Hera (Spinsters/Aunt Lute: 1987)
• Anne Harris. Accidental Creatures
• --. The Nature of Smoke
• Bertha Harris. Lover. Early 70s psychedelic surrealistic lesbianism.
• Cecelia Holland. Floating Worlds (protagonist is a bisexual anarchist who initiates a lesbian affair with a Black woman)
• B. L. Holmes, Mega (1991: Mother Courage Press, Racine, Wisconsin) (lesbian adventure in a totalitarian and homophobic future, where the megalopolises are enclosed against a polluted earth, law-breaking citizens (guilty of offenses such as homosexuality) are monitored, and psychic powers are developed ... )
• Tanya Huff. Sing the Four Quarters (protagonist is bisexual, in a non-monogamous long-term relationship with a woman)
• --. Fifth Quarter, No Quarter (the protagonist Vree is bisexual, as are most of the other characters; co-protagonist Karlene is lesbian)
• --. Long Hot Summoning

J

• Gwyneth Jones. Kairos
• --. Divine Endurance (1984) (the two central female characters' significant relationship is with each other)

K

• Pam Keesey. Dark Angels: Lesbian Vampire Stories
• --. Daughters of Darkness: Lesbian Vampire Stories
• Ellen Klages. "Time Gypsy" - Time-travelling dykes. Scientist dykes. Gay 50's San Francisco.
• Melissa Kwasny. Modern Daughters and the Outlaw West (Spinsters Book, San Francisco, 1990). A small Wyoming town is infested with quirky lesbians, ghosts, and politics.

L

• Diana Lee. A Taste for Blood (2003) [lesbian vampires in an historical epic]
• Ursula K. Le Guin. The Telling (2000)
• Stephen Leigh. Dark Water's Embrace. A lesbian from former times; a modern woman who may be a lesbian or may be something else.
• Anna Livia. Minimax
• --. Bulldozer Rising
• Frances Lucas. Cathy IV. A naive young lesbian is shipwrecked on another planet, and becomes embroiled in their slave economy.
• Catherine Lundoff. "El Tigre" (in Best Lesbian Erotica 1999, edited by Tristan Taormino and Chrystos; Cleis Press, 1999) (historical lesbian vampire sm porn)
• Elizabeth A. Lynn. The Northern Girl. Third in the "Chronicles of Tornor" trilogy.
• Linda Lyons. Priorities (1990)

M

• Linda Mannheim "Love, Trouble, and Time" in New Amazons, edited by Margaret Weis, 2000.
• Laurie Marks. Dancing Jack (1993)
• --. Fire Logic, Earth Logic, and Water Logic.
• Paula Martinac. Out of Time
• Gwen M'Clatchey. "Short Skirts and Patriarchs" in Dangerous Women edited by S. G. Johnson (lesbian terrorists)
• Claudia McKay. Promise of the Rose Stone (New Victoria Publishers, 1986) ISBN 0-934678-09-X - a Federation rules Earth, with the assistance of a perhaps-enslaved mysterious satellite-sized being. Our protagonist Isa, a mountain warrior, travels to a Federation village, and then is sent to the satellite where women are bred for unknown purposes ...
• Karen Marie Christa Minns. Bloodsong. Bluestocking Books, Irvine, CA; 1-887237-08-9, April 1997. (lesbian vampire; sequel to Virago)
• --. Virago (Naiad, 1990) - lesbian couple threatened by a lesbian vampire ...
• Lorna Mitchell. The Revolution of Saint Jone
• Pat Murphy. Nadya
• Merril Mushroom. Daughters of Khaton (Lace Publications, 1987) (All-woman world.)

P

• Severna Park. Speaking Dreams (Firebrand, 1992); The Hand of Prophecy
• Steve Perry. Matadora (1986) A Black martial artist ends up in another martial arts school. She has a long-term lesbian love affair with another martial artist. Later she ends up in a three-way relationship with a man and a woman. No gay male sex, but Perry isn't pulling any punches with the lesbianism: the women love one another, have no shame, and nobody is dissing them for it. Racism not an issue, homophobia not an issue; everybody is just fighting the good fight together. The protagonist doesn't seem to have a sexual identity, and is behaviorally bisexual; but her love affair with Geneva is a very important part of the novel.
• Tamora Pierce. Circle Universe books. The Fire in the Forging, Cold Fire, Will of the Empress. Daja is only co-prag of the latter, her lesbianism is not brought up in the former two.
• Teresa Plowright. Dreams of an Unseen Planet (1986) (situational lesbianism b/w 2 women?)
• Rachel Pollack. Godmother Night; Temporary Agency
• Cherry Potts. Mosaic of Air (1992, Onlywomen Press, London) (short story collection; not all sf or fantasy)

R

• Diana Rivers. --. Daughters of the Great Star: Book 57 of the Hadra Archives, as recorded by Taxmirrel of Nemanthi under the guidance of Alyeeta the Witch (Lace Publications, 1992) (Hadra 1)
• --. The Hadra: Book 57, Part 2, of the Hadra Archives, as Recorded by Tazzil of Zelindar for Alyeeta the Witch (Lace Publications, 1995) (Hadra 2)
• --. Journey to Zelindar: The Personal Account of Sair of Semasi: Book 986 of the Hadra Archives (Lace Publications, 1987) (Hadra 3) (A country of lesbian separatists, the Hadra, is protected by the Goddess in a patriarchal society. Sair of Semasi escapes her country after a rape and is taken in by the Hadra.)
• Joanna Russ. The Female Man Takes place in part on Whileaway, a world of only women.
• --. "When It Changed" (first story published about Whileaway) (initially published: 1972, in Again, Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison)
• Geoff Ryman. The Child Garden
• --. The Warrior Who Carried Life.

S

• Jessica Amanda Salmonson, with Jules Remedios Faye. Wisewomen & Boggy-boos: A Dictionary of Lesbian Fairy Lore (1992: Banned Books, Austin, Texas) (lesbian fairy "dictionary" with amusing stories, puns, parables)
• Melissa Scott. Trouble and Her Friends (1994).
• --. Night Sky Mine.
• --. Mighty Good Road (1990).
• "Sick Girl" (Showtime's Masters of Horror series, dir. by Lucky McKee in 2005)
• Rochelle Singer. The Demeter Flower (1980). All-women world.
• Jacqui Singleton. Heartstone & Saber (Rising Tide Press, 1994) (lesbian fantasy sword-and-sorcery)
• Jean Stewart. Return to Isis (nominated for 93 Lambda) ISBN 0-9628938-6-2 (The year is 2093; sword-and-sf; Amazon dykes vs. evil patriarchs.);
• --. Isis Rising
• --. Warriors of Isis
• --. Winged Isis
• --. Wizard of Isis.
• Susan Stinson. Martha Moody (1995) (Western magical realism)
• Charlotte Stone. Cheon of Weltanland: Book I: The Four Wishes (1983). Lesbian S/M sword-and-sorcery.

T

• Cecilia Tan . The New Worlds of Women (subtitled: Sapphic SF Erotica) (1996)

V

• Vicki. Sleeping Beauty: A Lesbian Fairy Tale (chapbook) (Sojourner Truth Press, Atlanta, Georgia)

W

• Sarah Waters. Affinity (1999, UK) (victorian sapphism, or is it only romantic friendship?)
• Brenda Weathers.. The House at Pelham Falls
• Lindsay Welsh. Second Sight (lesbian superhero)
• Karen Williams. Love Spell (ISBN 0-9628938-2-X) "erotic and humorous love story with a magical twist" ... "blend of fantasy and reality"
• Monique Wittig. Les Guérillères (1971)
• Chris Anne Wolfe. Aggar series (Fires of Aggar (1994) and Shadows of Aggar)
• Jack Womack. Random Acts of Senseless Violence (1993)

X

• "Xena: Warrior Princess" - see Xena-Gabrielle relationship for subtext discussion

Z

• Molleen Zanger. The Year Seven

See also

• List of queer SF anthologies
• List of lesbian characters in SF
• List of media SF with dykes