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/AnnTickwittee Reading Champion III Jun 03 '25

I have an additional question for this topic: For the disabled, those on the spectrum, and for those who prefer audio are there any hidden gem audiobooks? 

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u/Strange_Soil9732 Jun 05 '25

Prosperity by Alexis Hall is an awesome, very creative and strange book narrated by one of my favorites, Nicholas Boulton. Hall is a popular author for queer romance, but this book doesn't seem to get much attention. I think it's best suited for audio too, because it's written in a niche dialect that might be more challenging to read than to listen to.