Rob and I know each other causally because we have overlapping interests and friends. We often get the chance to exchange a few words at the ALAN Workshop if we don't run into each other at NCTE (Oh, those were the days, my friends.) I have always enjoyed his thoughtful comments on the state of YA literature. He is also clear minded about when the field is being inclusive enough and when it isn't. Last year (April of 2020) I invited Rob to take the month and select the Weekend Picks. He did a wonderful job and introduced me and others to several books that we might not have otherwise picked up. This week Rob has a full post and once again he has done a topnotch job and provides some suggests that we should all be looking into--that is if you haven't already.
You can find Rob's previous Weekend Picks at this link. Just scroll down to April and you will find them.
You can find Rob's previous Weekend Picks at this link. Just scroll down to April and you will find them.
Space: A New(ish) Queer Frontier
Gays in Space in YAL
Rob Bittner
I really enjoy science fiction stories, particularly those set in space. Give me Star Trek, Star Wars, Alien—what I love is the possibility of looking beyond our earth-bound limitations and exploring whole new worlds. I’ve been watching these stories set in space since I was a little kid. But when I came out as gay and started thinking about LGBTQ+ representation in the media I consumed, I began to notice the absence of gay characters more and more. I couldn’t believe that in entire solar systems—entire galaxies!—there were no people like me to be found. So many people on starships and space quests and other planets, and no gay people anywhere. I felt alone and othered and as though someone like me wouldn’t exist in the future. People were trying to populate other planets or colonize space, and I guess gay people were unnecessary. It was incredibly disheartening. It was as if the vacuum of space somehow degayified people! (though that would have been very unfortunate for Sally Ride and her partner if that were true.)
But I digress. I’m here to talk about books, and ones that, like newer franchises such as Star Trek: Discovery, Killjoys, and The Expanse, acknowledge gender and sexual diversity elsewhere in the galaxy (and not just through a 0.5 second on-screen kiss between secondary characters. *cough* Star Wars *cough*).
But I digress. I’m here to talk about books, and ones that, like newer franchises such as Star Trek: Discovery, Killjoys, and The Expanse, acknowledge gender and sexual diversity elsewhere in the galaxy (and not just through a 0.5 second on-screen kiss between secondary characters. *cough* Star Wars *cough*).
Gays in Space in Young Adult Literature
Looking back at the history of LGBTQ+ young adult literature, it is clear that there has been a strong focus for many decades on realism. More recently, LGBTQ+ history has become the focus of a number of YA authors (just look at Like a Love Story by Abdi Nezemian, among other recent works.) And while LGBTQ+ YA has diversified into fantasy, mystery, horror, and many other genres over the years, one area where queer and trans characters don’t have a long history is in the realm of sci-fi, or more specifically, in space. So, I would like to highlight some books that feature LGBTQ+ characters in space or in relation to space travel. While the majority do feature male gay or bi characters, I have done my best to find and include representation beyond gay male individuals.
I also believe these texts offer teaching possibilities, and in particular, they offer the possibility to give young readers hope for a queer future—a future where LGBTQ+ people can thrive not only on earth and in reality, but in dreams and utopias. Jose Esteban Muñoz, in Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity, looks at the future through the concept of a “concrete utopia,” or a future that is “relational to historically situated struggles” (p. 3). He notes that “Utopia is not prescriptive; it renders potential blueprints of a world not quite here, a horizon of possibility, not a fixed schema” (p. 97). So while these YA texts are not necessarily setting up realistic futures, they do allow educators and youth readers to see potential in what the future can hold for LGBTQ+ people, including themselves, whether on earth, or out among the stars.
Without further ado, here we go!
I also believe these texts offer teaching possibilities, and in particular, they offer the possibility to give young readers hope for a queer future—a future where LGBTQ+ people can thrive not only on earth and in reality, but in dreams and utopias. Jose Esteban Muñoz, in Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity, looks at the future through the concept of a “concrete utopia,” or a future that is “relational to historically situated struggles” (p. 3). He notes that “Utopia is not prescriptive; it renders potential blueprints of a world not quite here, a horizon of possibility, not a fixed schema” (p. 97). So while these YA texts are not necessarily setting up realistic futures, they do allow educators and youth readers to see potential in what the future can hold for LGBTQ+ people, including themselves, whether on earth, or out among the stars.
Without further ado, here we go!
Space Battle Lunchtime (Natalie Riess, 2016)
Peony is a baker on earth, who is called upon to be part of the Universe’s hottest reality TV show, Space Battle Lunchtime. She agrees to be a part of the show, but later learns that the show is filmed on location, in a spaceship. As she gets further into the competition, she realizes that her competitors are not beyond bending a few rules to get their way. Throughout the narrative, Peony has to ask herself if she is up to the challenges and the backstabbing. There is also a beautiful queer love story at the center this delicious graphic novel series that will make get readers’ hearts all aflutter.
Peony is a baker on earth, who is called upon to be part of the Universe’s hottest reality TV show, Space Battle Lunchtime. She agrees to be a part of the show, but later learns that the show is filmed on location, in a spaceship. As she gets further into the competition, she realizes that her competitors are not beyond bending a few rules to get their way. Throughout the narrative, Peony has to ask herself if she is up to the challenges and the backstabbing. There is also a beautiful queer love story at the center this delicious graphic novel series that will make get readers’ hearts all aflutter.
On the Edge of Gone (Corinne Duyvis, 2016)
A comet is on its way to earth and Denise and her family are assigned a temporary shelter, but they might not reach the shelter in time. A last-minute change in their journey leads them to a generation ship scheduled to leave earth, but will Denise, who is autistic, be able to prove her worth to the crew? Trans and queer secondary characters show the possibilities of a queer future in space, even if the majority of the narrative is grounded on planet earth.
A comet is on its way to earth and Denise and her family are assigned a temporary shelter, but they might not reach the shelter in time. A last-minute change in their journey leads them to a generation ship scheduled to leave earth, but will Denise, who is autistic, be able to prove her worth to the crew? Trans and queer secondary characters show the possibilities of a queer future in space, even if the majority of the narrative is grounded on planet earth.
The Disasters (M.K. England, 2018)
Nasir “Nax” Hall wants to be a space ship pilot. A really good one. But he’d somehow managed to fail his entrance exam, making his dream a lot less plausible than he’d hoped. But then the academy gets attacked and Nax and a group of “intergalactic wash-ups” because the only hope to save the universe from disaster. England’s novel is a delightful mix of science fiction, mystery, and adventure that features a cast of characters representing a number of genders and sexualities, all of which also intersect with race, class, and ability, among other components of identity. A story that goes beyond coming out tropes or struggles for acceptance.
Nasir “Nax” Hall wants to be a space ship pilot. A really good one. But he’d somehow managed to fail his entrance exam, making his dream a lot less plausible than he’d hoped. But then the academy gets attacked and Nax and a group of “intergalactic wash-ups” because the only hope to save the universe from disaster. England’s novel is a delightful mix of science fiction, mystery, and adventure that features a cast of characters representing a number of genders and sexualities, all of which also intersect with race, class, and ability, among other components of identity. A story that goes beyond coming out tropes or struggles for acceptance.
Hullmetal Girls (Emily Skrutskie, 2018)
Representing ace, trans, and pansexual experiences, this novel follows Aisha Un-Haad as she tries to protect her family and the Fleet (the name given to the collective of starships they all live on.) Meanwhile Key Tanaka, who is from the privileged section of the Fleet, wakes up as a cyborg soldier with little recollection of how she got there. Together, they must unite to stop a potential uprising.
Representing ace, trans, and pansexual experiences, this novel follows Aisha Un-Haad as she tries to protect her family and the Fleet (the name given to the collective of starships they all live on.) Meanwhile Key Tanaka, who is from the privileged section of the Fleet, wakes up as a cyborg soldier with little recollection of how she got there. Together, they must unite to stop a potential uprising.
On a Sunbeam (Tillie Walden, 2018)
A hard-to-describe, but absolutely phenomenal graphic novel about a group of teens who make up a reconstruction crew that travels through space to restore crumbling buildings. It may sound strange, but it works so well, and the sexual and gender diversity throughout the cast of characters is a beautiful sight to behold. Mia’s journey is central to the narrative, from falling in love with Grace, another girl at her all-girls boarding school, to losing her, and the ways that this loss affects her relationships with others in the present. This is a sensational and complex graphic novel that fans of sci-fi and fantasy will very much appreciate.
A hard-to-describe, but absolutely phenomenal graphic novel about a group of teens who make up a reconstruction crew that travels through space to restore crumbling buildings. It may sound strange, but it works so well, and the sexual and gender diversity throughout the cast of characters is a beautiful sight to behold. Mia’s journey is central to the narrative, from falling in love with Grace, another girl at her all-girls boarding school, to losing her, and the ways that this loss affects her relationships with others in the present. This is a sensational and complex graphic novel that fans of sci-fi and fantasy will very much appreciate.
The Weight of the Stars (K. Ancrum, 2019)
Ryann wants to travel through space but coming from a trailer park means she is unlikely to realize her dream. When she meets Alexandria and the two become more than friends, they spend their days trying to catch radio signals from Alexandria’s mother, who has embarked on a one-way trip to the edge of the solar system. Though not set in space, this narrative touches on intersections of race, class, and sexuality and the power of connection when it comes to a loved one flying off into space to seek possibilities for the future of humanity.
Ryann wants to travel through space but coming from a trailer park means she is unlikely to realize her dream. When she meets Alexandria and the two become more than friends, they spend their days trying to catch radio signals from Alexandria’s mother, who has embarked on a one-way trip to the edge of the solar system. Though not set in space, this narrative touches on intersections of race, class, and sexuality and the power of connection when it comes to a loved one flying off into space to seek possibilities for the future of humanity.
The Gravity of Us (Phil Stamper, 2020)
This first one is cheating a bit because it doesn’t actually include space travel, but it does take place at NASA. So rather than “gays in space,” Stamper’s novel is more “gays talking about space.” Cal is a social media influencer with a lot of followers, who ends up heading to NASA with his parents, when his father is selected as a pilot for a mission to Mars. But when Cal meets Leon, another “Astrokid,” the two hit it off even as they discover some unfortunate truths about the Mars mission and have to sort out who to tell. A debut well worth exploring!
This first one is cheating a bit because it doesn’t actually include space travel, but it does take place at NASA. So rather than “gays in space,” Stamper’s novel is more “gays talking about space.” Cal is a social media influencer with a lot of followers, who ends up heading to NASA with his parents, when his father is selected as a pilot for a mission to Mars. But when Cal meets Leon, another “Astrokid,” the two hit it off even as they discover some unfortunate truths about the Mars mission and have to sort out who to tell. A debut well worth exploring!
A Complicated Love Story Set in Spaceamzn.to/37dhRNs (Shaun David Hutchinson, 2021)
Noa wakes up in space, floating outside a ship called the Qriosity—which, of course, is about the explode—and he has no idea how he got there. Another boy named DJ is also aboard the ship, and he also can’t seem to remember how he arrived. The two boys find a girl named Jenny and together they work to figure out how they got into space, where they are, and how to get back home. Nothing is simple, and as they get closer to one another, Noa and DJ develop a connection deeper than friendship, but can it last? With his signature flair for the bizarre and the outlandish, Hutchinson’s novel is one that will both surprise and delight readers of all ages.
Noa wakes up in space, floating outside a ship called the Qriosity—which, of course, is about the explode—and he has no idea how he got there. Another boy named DJ is also aboard the ship, and he also can’t seem to remember how he arrived. The two boys find a girl named Jenny and together they work to figure out how they got into space, where they are, and how to get back home. Nothing is simple, and as they get closer to one another, Noa and DJ develop a connection deeper than friendship, but can it last? With his signature flair for the bizarre and the outlandish, Hutchinson’s novel is one that will both surprise and delight readers of all ages.
The Darkness Outside Us (Eliot Schrefer, 2021) [Coming in June]
Ambrose and Kodiak find themselves on a ship called the Coordinated Endeavor, on their way to rescue Ambrose’s sister from Titan. But things aren’t adding up. There seems to have been strangers on board at some point, and Kodiak is hiding away in a remote corner of the ship. Not only that, but Ambrose can’t remember getting onto the ship in the first place, and for some reason the ship’s computer is voiced by his mother. The boys need to survive the mission to Titan, but in order to do so, they need to work together, and in doing so they just might end up falling for each other.
Ambrose and Kodiak find themselves on a ship called the Coordinated Endeavor, on their way to rescue Ambrose’s sister from Titan. But things aren’t adding up. There seems to have been strangers on board at some point, and Kodiak is hiding away in a remote corner of the ship. Not only that, but Ambrose can’t remember getting onto the ship in the first place, and for some reason the ship’s computer is voiced by his mother. The boys need to survive the mission to Titan, but in order to do so, they need to work together, and in doing so they just might end up falling for each other.
| Rob Bittner has a PhD in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies (SFU), and is also a graduate of the MA in Children’s Literature program at The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC. He loves reading a wide range of literature, but particularly stories with diverse and intersectional depictions of gender and sexuality. You can read his work in The ALAN Review, Queer Studies in Media and Popular Culture, Bookbird, and The Journal of LGBT Youth, among other journals. You can find out more about him on his website (docrob.ca) or on Twitter (@r_bittner). |  Photo Credit: Sonia Sones |
Until next week.
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