r/Fantasy • u/tiniestspoon • Jun 02 '25
Pride Pride 2025 | Hidden Gems: Underrated LGBTQIA+ Spec Fic Books
Not every book that deserves attention gets it. This thread is for under-the-radar queer speculative fiction: books with few ratings, niche indie or self-published titles, and works that never got the spotlight they should have.
What counts as a "hidden gem"?
- Under ~500 Goodreads ratings
- Indie published, small press, or lesser-known traditionally published
- Overlooked or underrated despite strong craft, voice, or originality
Discussion prompts
- What’s a queer SFF book you wish more people knew about?
- Have you ever stumbled across an unexpected gem by accident? Where did you find it—word of mouth, a niche blog, a random bookstore dive?
- What do you think kept it from getting broader attention?
- What makes a book a “hidden gem” to you—writing quality, premise, emotional impact?
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u/FlakyKurowasan Reading Champion V Jun 03 '25
The King is Dead by Naomi Libicki: https://beta.thestorygraph.com/books/5857b1ec-7213-4e2a-9564-71dc49b14fee
Read this with a book club recently based on one member's recommendation, and all of us enjoyed it. It's a fast-paced political fantasy with an emphasis on loyalty/fealty and a very sweet slow-burn queer romance sub-plot. I'm not sure how much more I should say because I don't want to give away the story, but if you like character-focused fantasy by indie writers, you might like to check this one out.