Lately I’ve found myself with a real craving for F/F romance in fantasy and sci-fi settings that I can devour in one go, and I couldn’t find a handy list anywhere, so I decided to make one myself. (If anyone knows of another such list I’d love to see it, though!) Thank you to everyone who suggested things on Twitter!
These are all ones that I have read myself, but if you know of any I’ve missed off, don’t hesitate to add them and I’ll reblog. I’ll probably also add new entries to this list periodically, so if you get through them all and want more, check back!
A couple of these are technically novelettes, and one or two of them are getting towards novel length, but all of them are longer than a super-quick short story and shorter than a full-length novel, and available to buy as ebooks on their own rather than as part of an anthology.
(If you’d like content notes for any of these, they’ll all eventually get full reviews, but feel free to send me a message or an ask if you have questions about the ones without reviews posted yet.)
Beauty, Glory, Thrift, by Alison Tam – This smart and evocative space adventure is almost impossible to explain – you just have to read it – but it involves an unusual relationship between a goddess and a thief.
Cinnamon Blade: Knife in Shining Armor, by Shira Glassman – In this witty and steamy story, crime fighter Cinnamon Blade just wants to get through a whole date with cute, nerdy Soledad without having to save the city from aliens or vampires.
The Cybernetic Tea Shop, by Meredith Katz – This is a warm and atmospheric tale of a romance between a sentient robot stuck in the past and a human technician afraid to put down roots.
The Disastrous Début of Agatha Tremain, by Stephanie Burgis – My review notes when I reread this recently were just “KISS GIRLS SMASH THE PATRIARCHY!!!” and if that’s your jam you’ll love this kickass, uplifting 19th-century fantasy.
Dynama, by Ruth Diaz – A sweet and hot superhero story following undercover metahuman TJ as she tries to juggle kids, work, saving the day, and her evil ex escaping from supervillain prison, with the help of her incredibly competent nanny Annmarie.
The Flamebringers, by Charley Clarke – A lush and romantic high fantasy story with awesome dragons – Astraea, the leader of her people, finds herself drawn to Mal, an outcast refugee.
Gale, by Lyssa Chiavari – This atmospheric and creepy dystopian retelling of The Tempest features the beginnings of a sweet romance between Miranda and Ferda, a girl she meets in her dreams who tells her stories of another world.
Gretel: A Fairytale Retold, by Niamh Murphy – An intriguing and romantic twist on a familiar tale, with Gretel stepping out from her brother’s shadow when she falls for a mysterious woman in the woods.
Humanity for Beginners, by Faith Mudge – Gloria may have accidentally started a halfway house for lesbian werewolves but it is DEFINITELY not a pack and she is DEFINITELY not the Alpha. Totally charming with lovable characters and a gorgeous romance.
The Masked Minotaur, by Chace Verity – A super-cute fantasy romance that features a candy shop, a marriage of convenience and a masked vigilante. Plus, in a stroke of sheer genius, the ebook comes with two versions – one with a sex scene and one without, so you can choose your preferred flavour!
Moon-Bright Tides, by RoAnna Sylver – An absorbing and lovely story of the relationship between a lost mermaid and a lonely sea witch struggling under the weight of a duty that she bears alone.
Passing Strange, by Ellen Klages – A beautiful, immersive tale of magic, love, art and queer community in 1940s San Francisco.
Romancing the Inventor, by Gail Carriger – A hot and sweet slow-burn romance in a steampunk vampires-and-werewolves setting, featuring a butch inventor and a maid with a secret talent for mathematics.
Safety Protocols for Human Holidays, by Angel Martinez – This fun and satisfying story explores cultural misunderstandings and communication on a multi-species space vessel – can Growlan Raskli figure out what’s bothering Human Jen?
Seven: A Lesbian Snow White, by Jennifer Diemer – A creepy and lovely fairytale retelling in a richly imagined world.
Sparks Fly, by Llinos Cathryn Thomas – OK, maybe this is cheating because I wrote this one, but consider checking it out if you want to read a quick rivals-to-lovers romance between two teachers at a performing arts school on a space station.
The Terracotta Bride, by Zen Cho – A witty and bittersweet tale of first love and self-discovery in the Chinese afterlife.
QUEER LATINA WITCH?? Well, bruja to be exact. This beautiful book is about a girl named Alex who is a bruja and she basically has to travel to this Latinx-y Wonderland type world to save her family, and there’s an adorable girl love interest, wonderful Latinx representation/mythology and awesome magic!
Now I know some of you adorable little nerds enjoy science fiction, might even be Trekkies or future Trekkies…and if you like your Clexa fan fiction AUs, you just might enjoy (Space) The Final Frontier by breezered.
The story is a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine AU, though set on a new space station, with Lexa as its Trill (!) Commander, Clarke as her chief medical officer (the only MO, actually), Anya her Vulcan first officer and the rest of the usual suspects, including Raven as, of course, the foul-mouthed chief engineer.
It’s really well-done, reads like a classic DS9 episode. Go have a read if that’s your cup of tea.
why are wlw books so angsty and deep all the time like where is my casual wlw romcom or my fantasy lesbians, space bis and trans princesses like not every wlw has some lost love in some town in the middle of nowhere
I live for posts like this, because there are soooo many good f/f books out there that don’t get the attention they deserve because of the way wlw are marginalized. So!
Here are some recs for casual/feel-good f/f representation! All links are to my reviews.
Promises, Promises – parody of LotR/D&D starring three lesbians on a quest for magical stuff
Everything Leads to You – Hollywood f/f YA about a young set designer who falls for a girl she meets under mysterious circumstances
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet – ensemble-cast “crew of a spaceship” story. Mostly just random adventures, includes a f/f couple who survive the book.
Roller Girl – contemporary f/f romance about trans woman who joins a roller derby team
Not fluffy, but the angst is SFF-stress rather than “living under homophobia/biphobia” stress:
Ascension– queer disabled ladies fighting Big Pharma in space–you wanted space bi’s, come get your space bi’s (actually, if you want more space bi’s also check out the anthology Fierce Family.)
Chameleon Moon – review is of an earlier edition and I hear the new one has even more great representation. Trans woman superhero with two female partners living in a dystopian city that’s on lockdown from the government after everyone develops mutant powers in response to a wonderdrug.
Not Your Sidekick – in the future, what happens when your parents are superheroes but you never developed powers? You intern for the baddie, of course! MC is bi and ends up in a f/f relationship, and the sequel will star her trans bestie.
Hope this helps. Feel free to browse my “lesbian books” tag for more recs (there are bi/pan girls in some of those recs, too.)
Chapters: 11/? Fandom: The 100 (TV) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Octavia Blake/Lincoln, Clarke Griffin/Lexa Characters: Clarke Griffin, Lexa (The 100), Octavia Blake, Raven Reyes, Finn Collins, Bellamy Blake, Lincoln (The 100), Jasper Jordan, Monty Green, Abby Griffin, Marcus Kane Additional Tags: Summer Camp AU, sunshine and flowers and nothing hurts Summary:
Clarke Griffin doesn’t want to think at all this summer. The plan is simple. Have fun, draw, make friends with the kids, and maybe soak up the sun for a while. Then she meets Lexa and her summer only stands to improve – especially if the campers get their way and manage to get their two favourite counsellors to smooch.
A funny, charming story, worth waiting for if you decide to return to it. Really sweet characterisations.
Alex Ryan lives a simple life. She has her farm in the Scottish countryside, and the self-imposed seclusion suits her until a crime that has haunted her for years tears through the calm and shatters the fragile peace she’d finally managed to find.
Lori Hunter’s greatest love is the mountains. They’re her escape from the constant hustle and bustle of everyday life. Growing up was neither traditional nor easy for Lori, but now she’s beginning to realise she’s settled for both. A dead-end relationship and little to look forward to. Her solution when the suffocation sets in? Run for the hills.
A chance encounter in the mountains of the Scottish Highlands leads Alex and Lori into a whirlwind of heartache and a fight for survival as they build a formidable bond that will be tested to its ultimate limits.
(Since queer representation remains relatively scarce in this genre, note that while many of these books DO discuss queer themes at length — and that all contain at least one queer character — a few do not revolve around said character(s) and/or are not centered around queer themes.)
In addition, goodreads.com has shelves for just about everything; one look at its Queer, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender ones can uncover some of the many books I couldn’t fit on this one post!
Enjoy!
One of the most consistently powerful writers out there is @coeurdastronaute – if you’re not aware of her work, please give it a go and read someone who really knows how to spin a tale. Just finished Heart II – splendid, moving (all her work is, really) and put me in mind of my own experiences living in and out of hospitals, with family members who have gone through similar procedures (including a cousin now in his 22 year after a heart transplant) and so much rings true. Hope there is more of this story in the future (actually, I hope that about all her stories).
She also has a sponsor page where she is ‘creating the opposite of Bury Your Gays.’
Not an advert, just a big fan wanting to show some fan fic author appreciation.
PS, too – the link to Heart II on the main page doesn’t seem to be working, but I’ve posted the link above.
The Doctor Is Out 
