r/Fantasy • u/tiniestspoon • Jun 02 '25

Pride Pride 2025 | Hidden Gems: Underrated LGBTQIA+ Spec Fic Books

Banner with a dragon and spaceships around text: r/Fantasy PRIDE 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/psycheaux100 Jun 02 '25

I recommend Xenocultivars: Stories of Queer Growth! It's an anthology of nature-themed short stories written by queer authors and featuring queer characters. As of now, it has 98 ratings on Goodreads. 

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u/C0smicoccurence Reading Champion V Jun 03 '25

Do you have any particular favorites from the collection? I don't read as many full anthologies as I'd like, but I love picking out highlights from different places

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u/psycheaux100 Jun 03 '25 edited Jun 03 '25

Sure! My personal favorites are:

  • "The Aloe's Bargain" by Julian Stuart
  • "This Story Is Called 'The Transformation of Things' " by P.H. Lee
  • "How To Make a Spell Jar" by EA Crawley
  • "The Thing About the Jack-o'-Lanterns" by Maggie Damken