Created: 15/02/2026 - Last updated: 18/02/2026
I've enjoyed reading Asian queer literature in the past few years, so I thought I would start a recommendation page about this topic!
How I chose to define Asian queer literature here is as follows:
A note about languages: I read books mostly in English, but if I read a book in a different language and that it hasn't been translated in English, then I will write about it in the language that I read it in.
A note about author's origins: the way I chose to describe authors (eg. "Chinese-Canadian", "Asian-American") rarely reflect their legal, citizenship status, but attempts at describing the various cultures which define them and/or, in case I have access to this information, the way they describe themselves. Although this style feels cold and devoid of nuance to me, I decided to choose it over long and winded descriptions which would feel both overly scientific and yet still lacking, such as "born in China but moved to the United States as a child", "4th generation immigrant" or "born in France from a French mother and a Vietnamese first generation immigrant father", etc.
A note on the diversity of books presented here: Although I read mostly East-Asian stories (the large majority also written by authors living in the West), I'm actively looking for stories written by people living in Asia, and in other regions of Asia than the East. If you have recommendations, let me know!
Asian: scifi retelling of medieval Chinese history | Chinese-Canadian author Queer: polyamory (F/M/M) | the MC has gender feelings | non-binary author Literature: novel, fiction, scifi
2021 | Book (Penguin Books) | read 03.2024 Tags: mechas, aliens, revolution, female rage, disability
This story is set in Huaxia, a country resembling medieval China except for the fact that people in huge mechas fight constant attacks from the Hunduns, mysterious alien invaders. The mechas (Chrysalises) are piloted by young men and women, but while the men are celebrated throughout the land, the women - or "concubines" - are quickly forgotten after they give their lives to power up the mechas. Wu Zetian, a peasant girl, enlists as a concubine to avenge her elder sister who was killed by a Chrysalis pilot, but she is soon discovered to have entraordinary qi levels, meaning she represents a danger for the male pilots, and thus for the entire country...
Wu Zetian my love!! Ah... this is the book that made me fall hard into Chinese culture! It's a pretty wild retelling of Wu Zetian's ascend to power, and like her most characters are inspired by real Chinese historical figures. Reading this won't teach you anything about Chinese history, but it might make you want to learn more about it. There are so many things I love about this book, but in no particular order I have to mention Wu Zetian, Wu Zetian, Li Shimin, Wu Zetian... and also the unique world building, which masterfully blends medieval China and modern technology, the good political stances (which become more radical and explicit in the sequel), the great romance and the very engaging plot!
Asian: set in an alternative Beijing, China | includes Chinese mythology references | Chinese-American author Queer: the two MC are men in a romantic relationship | non-binary author Literature: novella, fiction, magical realism
2020 | Book (Stelliform Press) | read 06.2025 Tags: disability, climate change, dragons, slice of life
Kai is splitting his time between working in a bar which organizes dragon fights, and looking for small stray dragons endangered by the Beijing drought. Eli is an introverted exchange student whose dark skin and perfect Mandarin mark as a curiosity. When they meet, things get tense as Eli realizes Kai has shaolong – throat scorch, a terminal illness caused by the city’s pollution. Shy friendship slowly transforms into a budding romance, as the two young adults try to navigate their love life in the midst of illness, as well as cultural and class differences.
I found this book really beautiful and touching, like a small jewel I accidentally stumbled upon. The story felt almost meditative at times, the author really took the time to write beautiful descriptions about the city to make the readers fully immersed – I could smell the warm evening air when the characters chatted on the balcony, and sometimes had to re-read descriptions several times because I thought the writing was so amazing! The approach to the many complex subjects in the story was nuanced, neither feeling like a lecture nor like it was quickly brushed aside – we saw the difficulty of coming out, the hardship of facing diagnosis and accepting care for terminal illnesses, the power of love in the midst of it all, and the complicated position of having several cultures at once, never fully belonging to either. It was somewhat lacking in editing, but if you can overlook a few typos, I would highly recommend it!
Asian: set in a fictional, medieval East-Asia setting | Asian-American author Queer: non-binary MC, other queer characters | queer author Literature: novella, historical fiction
2020 | Book (Tor.com) | read 04.2024 Tags: cleric, historical records, court intrigues
Chih is a cleric from the Singing Hills abbey, who decides to go investigate the legendary Lake Scarlet palace, where the Empress In-yo spent most of her life in seclusion. There, Chih meets Rabbit, Empress In-yo's former maid, who slowly unravels the secrets of the Lake Scarlet and its Empress, revealing both daily life and scandals which could shake the Empire.
I really liked the way this story was told, without everything being very explicit, and gathered in small bites around objects that Chih discovered in the palace. I also loved how the mundane parts of the story were more interesting to me than the court intrigue!
Asian: wuxia world | Malaysian author Queer: all-queer cast, both in terms of sexuality and gender Literature: novella, wuxia, historical fantasy
2020 | Book (Tor.com) | read 02.2026 Tags: bandits, nuns, found family, governmental repression
When Guet Imm's shift at the coffeehouse gets disrupted by bandits and she ends up getting fired, she decides to join them. They identify as "contractors" rather than bandits, but either way, they're smuggling goods accross the land and away from the government's eyes. As they travel together, the eclectic group starts to get closer, and secrets are slowly revealed...
Even though the plot was short (this being a novella after all), the world and character building was still rich and entertaining! I loved this queering of the wuxia genre, and I would love to read more about this universe!
Asiatique: inspiré par la vie de l'auteur Franco-Vietnamien Queer: inspiré par la vie de l'auteur trans masculin Literature: poésie, auto-biographie
2024 | Livre (Cambourakis) | lu 02.2026 Tags: transition, mtf, dysphorie, solitude, relations familiales
Dans ce recueil de poésie auto-biographique, Noah Truong nous parle de sa transition FtM, de sa douleur, de son impatience, de ses espoirs, mais aussi de ses amours, de sa solitude, de sa communauté, et de la relation compliquée qu'il a(vait) avec sa mère.
J'ai trouvé les poèmes de Noah très beaux, parfois douloureux, parfois difficile à affronter, mais toujours beaux. Je me suis reconnu.e dans beaucoup d'entre eux, que ce soit au niveau du désir de transition ou dans la façon dont sa relation avec sa mère reflétait beaucoup la mienne. C'est sûrement un livre auprès duquel je retournerais régulièrement.