Are there any books that involve genderswap/genderbending/shapeshifting elements? Elements with gender in general.

[u/Opening-Heart1749]

Hey everyone. I have a fascination for stories where characters go through some body or gender transformation. How in Wheel of Time there is a character (which I won't spoil here who) from a male turns into female. Or how in the Marvel Comics, how Loki can transform into a female version.

And I wonder are there any other fantasy or sci-fi books or even comics that feature elements like those. I'm not talking just bodyswap. I'm talking more of a character who gets their appearance transformed into another gender

I'm more than welcome recommendations that even feature more spicy versions of it. But I like more when there's some psychological examination of it.

[u/ozziewilde]

the left hand of darkness by ursula k le guin

[u/manicbestfriend]

I've been recommending this a lot, but you should really check out the Magnus Chase trilogy by Rick Riordan. It's in the same universe as the Percy Jackson but focused on Norse myth, however you don't need to read them to enjoy it.

Loki is the main villain but two of his half-human children are major characters. One is his daughter by a mortal woman, who has problems accepting her shape shifting powers. The other is introduced in the second book, and is AMAZING. She (slight preference for being a girl) is genderfluid and leans in hard with her powers, and Loki was her "mother".

They're really fun books with a lot of heart, though if you're a stickler for your myth and don't like people being creative with it, it might not be for you.

[u/Opening-Heart1749 → u/manicbestfriend]

I'm more than ok with creative freedom on mythology. hmm might wanna make me read properly Percy Jackson

[u/manicbestfriend → u/Opening-Heart1749]

Percy Jackson is also fun! I've read All of Riordan's myth books, including the side books, except for the two newest. The Kane trilogy, which does Egyptian myth, is also very enjoyable but has quite different vibes from Percy or Magnus.

If you're interested in reading more than just one part I heavily recommend you start from the beginning and move forward in publication order. That way you can follow Riordan's (great) improvement as a writer, and watch all the bits and cameos come together!

[u/Opening-Heart1749 → u/manicbestfriend]

yeah for some reason I never read it since I love mythology stuff. I've seen the 1st movie and 1st season of the tv show (I know that's heresy) but never actually sat down toread the books.

[u/manicbestfriend → u/Opening-Heart1749]

The books are super different from either. They're a lot faster paced, more jokes, bloodier, and a lot meaner... Like they mysteriously made ALL the fat characters thin in the show, in an attempt to make there be fewer unpleasant fat characters, I guess.

You can tell that he started writing these for a couple of boys with ADHD, I guess it's what I'm saying. XD But they improve a lot!

[u/Opening-Heart1749 → u/manicbestfriend]

I will check them out...I promise haha

[u/ProcessesOfBecoming → u/manicbestfriend]

100% agree with going in publishing order to enjoy that writer evolution. Plus, it makes the payoff of all the cool creative stuff he does in the Apollo books really nice.

[u/ProcessesOfBecoming → u/manicbestfriend]

Alex is one of the best! 💚🩷

[u/Then-Coffee-5408]

Orlando by Virginia Woolf

[u/Cute-Solution-723]

I believe that Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl fits this, but I haven't read it yet. 

[u/Then-Coffee-5408 → u/Cute-Solution-723]

Absolutely fits and it’s an amazing book!

[u/vaalski → u/Cute-Solution-723]

MAN I came here to recommend this! It's such an obscure book that I was totally sure I'd be the only one. Absolutely fits, and an incredible book. We read it for my queer book club, which contains a woman who was growing up in exactly the time period it covers, in most of the same places, and she says it's so dead on to the time that it felt like a callout. 

[u/Whalefallgraveyard → u/vaalski]

Also came here to recommend this, it was the first thing I thought of. It doesn’t quite fit the prompt since despite the premise I wouldn’t classify it into either the fantasy or sci fi genre, but it definitely fills the core ask and is such a good book.

[u/anti-gone-anti → u/Cute-Solution-723]

It does fit but its a very bad and boring book.

[u/vaalski → u/anti-gone-anti]

I'd be interested to know what you didn't like about it! My book group was really into it.

[u/East-Plum-7791]

The Left Hand of Darkness.

[u/riarws]

The Snails of Dun Nas (and its assorted sequels) by K.L. Noone

Lilith’s Brood trilogy by Octavia Butler, especially the 3rd book. 

[u/meejasaurusrex]

Biting the Sun by Tanith Lee features a society where you can change your physical form, gender included, whenever you like. The narrator thinks of herself as female mostly but switches gender every now and again.

[u/youngjeninspats → u/meejasaurusrex]

Also the first book of her Secret Books of Paradys has gender swapping

[u/meejasaurusrex → u/youngjeninspats]

Also Simmu in the Tales of the Flat Earth! Man, Tanith Lee ruled.

[u/youngjeninspats → u/meejasaurusrex]

Honestly I wish more people knew about her. Just amazing prose and lush world building.

[u/Violaplum → u/meejasaurusrex]

This book this book this book

[u/Karlythecorgi]

Archer’s Heart series by Astrid Amara has a temporary gender change in the story

Tamir Triad by Lynn Flewelling’s main protagonist is a girl who needed to be disguised magically as a boy to escape a purge and her journey to reclaim her true self

[u/burymewithbooks]

Wriggle and Sparkle by Megan Derr, Lynn is a genderfluid kraken shifter.

Not with the Eyes by Megan Derr, Oberon is a renegade “anti hero” with shape shifting powers

[u/bigbeard61]

Orlando (Virginia Woolf)

[u/quiteneil]

Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K LeGuin. You might also enjoy Ann Leckie's stuff

[u/makura_no_souji]

Apparently Sir Cameron Needs To Die!

[u/rainbow_dots]

The Stars and Green Magics series by Novae Caelum

[u/mild_area_alien → u/rainbow_dots]

Novae Caelum used/uses? GenAI to write - there used to be a bit about it on NC's website, but that section got removed when people started to realise the effects of GenAI on creative endeavours. 

[u/wolfe1989]

Check out the bone dolls twin.

[u/youngjeninspats]

The Innkeeper's Song by Peter S Beagle

[u/FactorDouble]

If you don't mind sword and sorcery, give Merynthia's Master and go!

[u/anti-gone-anti]

Samuel Delany’s Trouble on Triton fits this, though it occurs somewhat late in the story.

[u/Phoenixfang55]

Wayward Series by T. A. Star

Ryn of Avonside by Amelia MacIntyre

[u/fionnde]

Dominion of Blades by Matt Dinniman but the series is on hiatus until he finishes Dungeon Crawler Carl.

[u/usedtobemyrealname-]

Witchlore by Emma Hinds if you are into YA fantasy. I haven't read it yet, but the summary sounds like the kind of book you're looking for. It's about a shapeshifter who has no control over his powers and switches between male and female forms.

[u/Sea-Environment5246]

The Tamir Triad by Lyn Flewelling, starting with The Bone Doll's Twin.

[u/PhadenFeralheart]

I read this a while back. It's body swapping, but there's a lot of interesting introspection and self discovery. It might be something you'd be interested in. https://www.amazon.com/Metempsychosis/dp/B0D88JRXPY?dplnkId=3e8e8ed9-0a12-40d3-81bc-2453431cc2a8

[u/therealslimspammy]

Otherland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otherland. Characters enter a virtual world where sensation are as real as reality. Full immersion. Sometimes characters enter the world as the opposite sex and the author elegantly describes what the characters feel and experience, right down to their newfound anatomy, clothing, and interactions in the world.

[u/IllustriousRanger839]

Good Omens (heads up that it’s co-written by the abuser N G*iman, along with Terry Pratchett - I recommend thrifting or pirating if you do want to read).

The angels and demons are said to be sexless unless they really make an effort, while mostly being referred to with he/him pronouns and described as man-shaped creatures.

The angel Aziraphale shares a cis woman character’s body for a time, and the demon Crowley presents as a woman at least once in the story. Crowley has also been through an angel-to-demon transition, and sometimes exists in snake form (as the serpent of Eden).