Nonbinary gender in fiction: Difference between revisions

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    *Min Lee in the ''Under My Skin'' series by A. E. Dooland is nonbinary and accepts [[he/him]] or [[she/her]] pronouns, depending on the situation. Furthermore, the author has said that "She doesn't really like [[they/them]] (because she feels in many cases it draws too much attention to her gender), but in an event where someone used those pronouns, she'd prefer you just went along with it, too. [...] Min ''does'' typically prefer male-gendered words, such as 'boyfriend' and 'husband' etc."<ref>{{cite web|title=Anonymous asked: What pronouns does Min prefer?|date=July 19, 2019|url=https://asynca.tumblr.com/post/186394898034/what-pronouns-does-min-prefer}}</ref>
    *Min Lee in the ''Under My Skin'' series by A. E. Dooland is nonbinary and accepts [[he/him]] or [[she/her]] pronouns, depending on the situation. Furthermore, the author has said that "She doesn't really like [[they/them]] (because she feels in many cases it draws too much attention to her gender), but in an event where someone used those pronouns, she'd prefer you just went along with it, too. [...] Min ''does'' typically prefer male-gendered words, such as 'boyfriend' and 'husband' etc."<ref>{{cite web|title=Anonymous asked: What pronouns does Min prefer?|date=July 19, 2019|url=https://asynca.tumblr.com/post/186394898034/what-pronouns-does-min-prefer}}</ref>
    *In the fantasy books ''Divided Worlds'' and ''The Ascension of Lark'', by Jennifer Ridge, the character Lark is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns. There is an author's note at the end of ''Divided Worlds'' which specifically describes Lark as "non-binary and androgynous". Note: In ''The Ascension of Lark'' there is some misgendering, homelessness, and physical abuse in the flashbacks to Lark's younger days. Their [[deadname]] is redacted in the text.
    *In the fantasy books ''Divided Worlds'' and ''The Ascension of Lark'', by Jennifer Ridge, the character Lark is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns. There is an author's note at the end of ''Divided Worlds'' which specifically describes Lark as "non-binary and androgynous". Note: In ''The Ascension of Lark'' there is some misgendering, homelessness, and physical abuse in the flashbacks to Lark's younger days. Their [[deadname]] is redacted in the text.
    * Sal in ''Mask of Shadows'' and ''Ruin of Stars'', by Linsey Miller, is genderfluid.
    * In ''The Way of Thorn and Thunder'' fantasy series (also called ''The Kynship Chronicles''), by [[Two-Spirit]] author Daniel Heath Justice, there is a race called the Kyn, who recognize three genders: he-Kyn, she-Kyn and zhe-Kyn. These are specifically [[gender]]s, not [[sex]]es, according to reviewer [[Bogi Takács]].<ref name="kynship">{{Cite web |title=QUILTBAG+ Speculative Classics: The Way of Thorn and Thunder by Daniel Heath Justice (Part 1) |authorlink=Bogi Takács |last=Takács |first=Bogi |work=Tor.com |date=21 May 2019 |access-date=24 July 2020 |url= https://www.tor.com/2019/05/21/quiltbag-speculative-classics-the-way-of-thorn-and-thunder-by-daniel-heath-justice-part-1/ }}</ref>
    * ''Once & Future'', by Amy Rose Capetta & Cori McCarthy, has a nonbinary side character.<ref name="readsrainbow">{{Cite web |title=Book Recs: Twitter's Favourite Trans Books |author= |work=Reads Rainbow |date=13 May 2020 |access-date=2 November 2020 |url= https://readsrainbow.wordpress.com/2020/05/13/book-recs-twitters-favourite-trans-books/}}</ref>
    * ''Once & Future'', by Amy Rose Capetta & Cori McCarthy, has a nonbinary side character.<ref name="readsrainbow">{{Cite web |title=Book Recs: Twitter's Favourite Trans Books |author= |work=Reads Rainbow |date=13 May 2020 |access-date=2 November 2020 |url= https://readsrainbow.wordpress.com/2020/05/13/book-recs-twitters-favourite-trans-books/}}</ref>
    * ''Fool for Love'', by Lisa Lees, is "A young adult coming of age / [[coming out]] romance with [[intersex]] and genderqueer main characters and a happy ending." ''A Triangular Attraction'' is the 2012 sequel, a "mystery novel with intersex, trans and genderqueer characters." Both can now be read free online in HTML or EPUB format on [https://lisalees.com/ll/books/index.html the author's website].
    * ''Fool for Love'', by Lisa Lees, is "A young adult coming of age / [[coming out]] romance with [[intersex]] and genderqueer main characters and a happy ending." ''A Triangular Attraction'' is the 2012 sequel, a "mystery novel with intersex, trans and genderqueer characters." Both can now be read free online in HTML or EPUB format on [https://lisalees.com/ll/books/index.html the author's website].
    * ''The Vela'', a multi-author serially-published space opera, has a nonbinary character named Niko who uses [[they/them]] pronouns. There are other nonbinary characters as well. Yoon Ha Lee, one of the authors, revealed that in the original drafts "Niko was originally a [[cisgender]]ed male character named Oskar".<ref name="Hadi_thevela">{{Cite web |title=Unveiling ‘The Vela’: An interview with Becky Chambers, S. L. Huang and Yoon Ha Lee (Part 1) |last=Hadi |first=Shana E. |work=The Stanford Daily |date=6 March 2019 |access-date=7 November 2020 |url= https://www.stanforddaily.com/2019/03/06/unveiling-the-vela-an-interview-with-becky-chambers-s-l-huang-and-yoon-ha-lee-part-1/}}</ref>
    * ''The Vela'', a multi-author serially-published space opera, has a nonbinary character named Niko who uses [[they/them]] pronouns. There are other nonbinary characters as well. Yoon Ha Lee, one of the authors, revealed that in the original drafts "Niko was originally a [[cisgender]]ed male character named Oskar".<ref name="Hadi_thevela">{{Cite web |title=Unveiling ‘The Vela’: An interview with Becky Chambers, S. L. Huang and Yoon Ha Lee (Part 1) |last=Hadi |first=Shana E. |work=The Stanford Daily |date=6 March 2019 |access-date=7 November 2020 |url= https://www.stanforddaily.com/2019/03/06/unveiling-the-vela-an-interview-with-becky-chambers-s-l-huang-and-yoon-ha-lee-part-1/}}</ref>
    * ''Jack Long and the Demon Deal'', by L. J. Hamlin, has a nonbinary side character.<ref name="jacklong">{{Cite web |title=Cover Reveal: Jack Long and the Demon Deal by L. J. Hamlin |author= |work=Let's Fox About It |date= |access-date=8 November 2020 |url= https://letsfoxaboutit.com/cover-reveal-jack-long-and-the-demon-deal-by-l-j-hamlin/ }}</ref>
    * ''Jack Long and the Demon Deal'', by L. J. Hamlin, has a nonbinary side character.<ref name="jacklong">{{Cite web |title=Cover Reveal: Jack Long and the Demon Deal by L. J. Hamlin |author= |work=Let's Fox About It |date= |access-date=8 November 2020 |url= https://letsfoxaboutit.com/cover-reveal-jack-long-and-the-demon-deal-by-l-j-hamlin/ }}</ref>
    *In the children's book (ages 8-12) ''The Moon Within'', by Aida Salazar, Marco is genderfluid. Content note: Part of the plot involves main character Celi getting her first period.
    * In the novel ''Anger is a Gift'', by [[Mark Oshiro]], the main character has a nonbinary friend.<ref name="AngerGift">{{Cite web |title=Interview with Mark Oshiro, Author of ANGER IS A GIFT |last=Sridhar |first=Priya |work=BOOK RIOT |date=30 May 2018 |access-date=4 March 2021 |url= https://bookriot.com/mark-oshiro-interview/}}</ref>
    * The Micah Grey trilogy, by Laura Lam, stars Micah, an intersex nonbinary teen who runs away from home to join the circus.


    ====1993====
    ====1993====
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    ====2004====
    ====2004====
    *''River of Gods'', a sci-fi novel by Ian McDonald, is set in India in the year 2047. The novel includes subplots about [[Hijra]]. The pronoun "yt" is used for genderless characters.
    *''River of Gods'', a sci-fi novel by Ian McDonald, is set in India in the year 2047. The novel includes subplots about [[Hijra]]. The pronoun "yt" is used for genderless characters.
    ====2005====
    * In ''The Way of Thorn and Thunder'' fantasy series (also called ''The Kynship Chronicles''), by [[Two-Spirit]] author Daniel Heath Justice, there is a race called the Kyn, who recognize three genders: he-Kyn, she-Kyn and zhe-Kyn. These are specifically [[gender]]s, not [[sex]]es, according to reviewer [[Bogi Takács]].<ref name="kynship">{{Cite web |title=QUILTBAG+ Speculative Classics: The Way of Thorn and Thunder by Daniel Heath Justice (Part 1) |authorlink=Bogi Takács |last=Takács |first=Bogi |work=Tor.com |date=21 May 2019 |access-date=24 July 2020 |url= https://www.tor.com/2019/05/21/quiltbag-speculative-classics-the-way-of-thorn-and-thunder-by-daniel-heath-justice-part-1/ }}</ref>


    ====2008====
    ====2008====
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    *''Crooked Words: A Collection of Queer, Transgender and Womanist Writings'' by K. A. Cook has several short stories about characters who are explicitly said to be nonbinary. The character Chris cultivates an androgynous appearance, and asks to be called by [[Pronouns#they|"they" pronouns]]. Chris is in the short stories "Blue Paint, Chocolate and Other Similes" and "Everything In A Name."<ref>K. A. Cook, ''Crooked Words.'' Unpaged.</ref> In "The Differently Animated and Queer Society," the queer-identified characters Pat and Moon go by "[[Pronouns#Ze|ze, hir]]" and "[[Pronouns#Ou|ou]]" pronouns, respectively.<ref>K. A. Cook, "The Differently Animated and Queer Society." ''Crooked Words.'' Unpaged.</ref> In "Misstery Man," the self-described nonbinary character Darcy asks to be called by "[[Pronouns#Ey|ey and eir]]" pronouns.<ref>K. A. Cook, "Misstery Man." ''Crooked Words.'' Unpaged.</ref>
    *''Crooked Words: A Collection of Queer, Transgender and Womanist Writings'' by K. A. Cook has several short stories about characters who are explicitly said to be nonbinary. The character Chris cultivates an androgynous appearance, and asks to be called by [[Pronouns#they|"they" pronouns]]. Chris is in the short stories "Blue Paint, Chocolate and Other Similes" and "Everything In A Name."<ref>K. A. Cook, ''Crooked Words.'' Unpaged.</ref> In "The Differently Animated and Queer Society," the queer-identified characters Pat and Moon go by "[[Pronouns#Ze|ze, hir]]" and "[[Pronouns#Ou|ou]]" pronouns, respectively.<ref>K. A. Cook, "The Differently Animated and Queer Society." ''Crooked Words.'' Unpaged.</ref> In "Misstery Man," the self-described nonbinary character Darcy asks to be called by "[[Pronouns#Ey|ey and eir]]" pronouns.<ref>K. A. Cook, "Misstery Man." ''Crooked Words.'' Unpaged.</ref>
    *At the end of ''Freakboy'', the main character, Brendan Chase identifies themselves as [[genderfluid]]. The book is primarily about their transition, and does end on a depressing note regarding their gender.
    *At the end of ''Freakboy'', the main character, Brendan Chase identifies themselves as [[genderfluid]]. The book is primarily about their transition, and does end on a depressing note regarding their gender.
    * The Micah Grey trilogy (''Pantomime'' 2013, ''Shadowplay'' 2014, and ''Masquerade'' 2017), by Laura Lam, stars Micah, an intersex nonbinary teen who runs away from home to join the circus.


    ====2014====
    ====2014====
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    * ''Raven Stratagem'', by Yoon Ha Lee, has nonbinary side characters.<ref name="readsrainbow" />
    * ''Raven Stratagem'', by Yoon Ha Lee, has nonbinary side characters.<ref name="readsrainbow" />
    * In ''The Tiger's Watch'' by Julia Ember, the protagonist Tashi is [[genderfluid]] and uses [[they/them]] pronouns. The author notes that "Being [[Misgendering|misgendered]] and forced to change their appearance in order to hide is a source of conflict in the novel. It is not the central plot conflict, though."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.goodreads.com/questions/738992-this-sounds-like-an-awesome-story-i-m|title=Shade asked: This sounds like an awesome story! I'm confused by the use of 'their' instead of 'her' or 'him' though.}}</ref>
    * In ''The Tiger's Watch'' by Julia Ember, the protagonist Tashi is [[genderfluid]] and uses [[they/them]] pronouns. The author notes that "Being [[Misgendering|misgendered]] and forced to change their appearance in order to hide is a source of conflict in the novel. It is not the central plot conflict, though."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.goodreads.com/questions/738992-this-sounds-like-an-awesome-story-i-m|title=Shade asked: This sounds like an awesome story! I'm confused by the use of 'their' instead of 'her' or 'him' though.}}</ref>
    * Sal in ''Mask of Shadows'' (2017) and ''Ruin of Stars'' (2018), by Linsey Miller, is genderfluid.


    ====2018====
    ====2018====
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    * The protagonist of ''Baker Thief'', by Claudie Arseneault, is [[bigender]] and [[aromantic]].<ref name="Simkiss">{{Cite web |title=Author Interview: Xan West |author=Simkiss, Ceillie |work=Let's Fox About It |date= |access-date=5 October 2020 |url= https://letsfoxaboutit.com/author-interview-xan-west/}}</ref>
    * The protagonist of ''Baker Thief'', by Claudie Arseneault, is [[bigender]] and [[aromantic]].<ref name="Simkiss">{{Cite web |title=Author Interview: Xan West |author=Simkiss, Ceillie |work=Let's Fox About It |date= |access-date=5 October 2020 |url= https://letsfoxaboutit.com/author-interview-xan-west/}}</ref>
    * ''Sing for the Coming of the Longest Night'', by Katherine Fabian & Iona Datt Sharma, has a genderqueer protagonist and genderqueer side characters.<ref name="readsrainbow" />
    * ''Sing for the Coming of the Longest Night'', by Katherine Fabian & Iona Datt Sharma, has a genderqueer protagonist and genderqueer side characters.<ref name="readsrainbow" />
    * In the novel ''Anger is a Gift'', by [[Mark Oshiro]], the main character has a nonbinary friend.<ref name="AngerGift">{{Cite web |title=Interview with Mark Oshiro, Author of ANGER IS A GIFT |last=Sridhar |first=Priya |work=BOOK RIOT |date=30 May 2018 |access-date=4 March 2021 |url= https://bookriot.com/mark-oshiro-interview/}}</ref>


    ====2019====
    ====2019====
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    * ''Why We Fight'', by T.J. Klune, has a bigender protagonist.<ref name="readsrainbow" />
    * ''Why We Fight'', by T.J. Klune, has a bigender protagonist.<ref name="readsrainbow" />
    * Lelia in ''The Lost Coast'', by Amy Rose Capetta, is a nonbinary gray-asexual, and described as such in the text.
    * Lelia in ''The Lost Coast'', by Amy Rose Capetta, is a nonbinary gray-asexual, and described as such in the text.
    *In the children's book (ages 8-12) ''The Moon Within'', by Aida Salazar, Marco is genderfluid. Content note: Part of the plot involves main character Celi getting her first period.


    ====2020====
    ====2020====
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