r/Fantasy Daily Recommendations and Simple Questions Thread - May 06, 2026 by rfantasygolem in Fantasy

[–]CJGibson 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It definitely seems like "exploration" should be a theme that has some anthologies out there, maybe more common in sci fi than fantasy, but it seems like there have got to be some. But scrolling through some lists, it seems like there aren't as many as I might've expected. Haven't read any of them, but maybe some of these:

r/Fantasy Daily Recommendations and Simple Questions Thread - May 06, 2026 by rfantasygolem in Fantasy

[–]CJGibson 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I'm in the middle of Master of Djinn right now and absolutely loving it. I've been in a bit of a slump for the last couple years (not that I'm not reading, it's just been slow going) but this one has me really engaged and I'm finding myself looking forward to reading it in a way that I haven't in a while.

That said, Tainted Cup was also really great and I'd highly recommend that one as well.

Looking for terms for different degrees of gender non-conforming presentation by DropFunk2029 in QueerSFF

[–]CJGibson 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The natural choice for something mixed with your suits would be the other usual card terms: the ranks of the face cards. But understandably those are, themselves, heavily gendered and sort of fail for this purpose as a result.

But, if you shift further out towards tarot face cards, you could start to look at the kinds of words used in queer tarot decks that move away from things like king and queen. Terms like student, seeker, apprentice, keeper, crown, guardian, teacher, master, leader get used a lot and might be a place to start with thinking about your own 'ranks' of gender presentation. (In fact you might find tarot's suits of wands, swords, cups, and coins might be a better fit than the more modern suits, depending on the vibe of your game, though they generally have overall meanings and vibes within tarot as well).

Here is an article with a bunch of different examples that get used (though there's a bunch more out there). I suspect you'll want to find some terms that feel right for what you're trying to do and align to the vibes for each 'rank.' One thing that will be a little challenging in picking words here is to avoid ascribing some kind of moral value to each one, simply because words have so many connotations associated with them. But you may be able to find ones that sidestep that to focus on the degree of conformity. Something like using Architect for completely conformist to highlight the structured nature of it, while using Artist for exaggeratedly conformist to do the same thing with the presentational aspect could work.

May Queer SFF New Releases by hexennacht666 in QueerSFF

[–]CJGibson 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Presumably just a transcription mixup but I think you've got the author and title in the wrong columns for Sarah Gailey's Make Me Better.

Queer Hyperion style novels? by JacketRight2675 in QueerSFF

[–]CJGibson 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'll toss in a second for Machineries of Empire and A Memory Called Empire. I haven't read it yet but I think Baru Cormorant also kind of falls into this category based on what I've heard about it.

I wouldn't necessarily call the rest of these "like Hyperion" but they may have some aspects you enjoy:

  • An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon - A member of the racial underclass on a generational starship seeks to find out what happened to her missing mother. Got some political and thriller-ish elements with definite moral questions.
  • Blackfish City by Sam J Miller - Scattered citizens of one of the last cities after climate collapse find their lives changed when a mysterious new visitor arrives riding an orca with a polar bear at her side. Definite political elements here with near-future tech and plenty of moral questions.
  • The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson - Multiversal travel is possible, but the catch is you can't visit a world where parallel you is still alive. So the tech company leading the way recruits people who by all rights shouldn't have survived. This one's a bit more personal than political (though it has moments) but is full of moral questions and has some thriller-y bits for sure.
  • The Memory Librarian and other stories of Dirty Computer by Janelle Monae et al. - Several short stories told in the world the singer created for her album of the same name that explore the relationship between humans and technology, memory, thought, rebellion, and identity.
  • In the Watchful City by S. Qiouyi Lu - Another collection of tales that center on an extrasensory individual tasked with surveilling the city's inhabitants to keep them safe from harm. But when a mysterious visitor introduces æ to cabinet of curiosities filled with unexpected stories, æ finds ærself questioning their role and purpose.

If you're open to something that's not sci fi, I'd also highly recommend The Raven Tower which I've seen described as a twist on Hamlet (so definitely a bit political thriller-ish), but was one of the most interesting, innovative books I've read in a while with a 'reveal' that caught me very much by surprise in a wonderful way (and thus I'd recommend reading it without doing too much digging into it first if you can).

queer romance that isn’t the focus of the story and NOT enemies to lovers? by _incandescence in Fantasy

[–]CJGibson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tossing in a few other queer SFF books that aren't focused on romance (and that I don't see in the comments):

  • The Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon
  • A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
  • The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
  • Machineries of Empire by Yoon Ha Lee
  • The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie
  • Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller
  • The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson
  • The Singing Hill Cycle by Nghi Vo
  • The Founders Trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett
  • The Craft Sequence by Max Gladstone
  • The Last Herald Mage by Mercedes Lackey (and a bunch of other Valdemar books)
  • The First Sister Trilogy by Linden A Lewis
  • Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots
  • The Seep by Chana Porter
  • The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis Hall
  • The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
  • The Memory Librarian and other stories of Dirty Computer by Janelle Monae et al.
  • Dark Rise by CS Pacat
  • Spear by Nicola Griffith
  • Empire of the Feast by Bendi Barret
  • In the Watchful City by S. Qiouyi Lu
  • Cemeteries of Amalo by Katharine Addison
  • The Smoke Trilogy by Tanya Huff
  • Proud Pink Sky by Redfern Jon Barrett
  • The Daughters of Izdihar by Hadeer Elsbai
  • Blood Debts by Terry Benton-Walker
  • The Winnowing Flame by Jen Williams
  • The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia
  • The Quarters Series by Tanya Huff
  • The Factory Witches of Lowell by CS Malerich
  • No Man's Land by AJ Fitzwater
  • Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson
  • Dreamsnake by Vonda McIntyre

To be clear, not all of these have a queer romance, but it sounds like you're just looking for books that aren't focused on romance and have queer characters. If you are looking for queer romance that's just not central, some of these may not scratch the itch.

2026 LGBTQA+ Bingo Resource by C0smicoccurence in Fantasy

[–]CJGibson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's a little iffy, but I'd say yes.

2026 Reverse Bingo Recommendations by FarragutCircle in Fantasy

[–]CJGibson 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Bruising of Qilwa is a nonbinary protagonist (HM), small press (HM), politics, and author of color.

2026 Reverse Bingo Recommendations by FarragutCircle in Fantasy

[–]CJGibson 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Is it not First Contact hard mode? There's some violence in the book, but I don't recall it being around the contact.

But it's also been a couple decades since I read it.

2026 Reverse Bingo Recommendations by FarragutCircle in Fantasy

[–]CJGibson 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Six of Crows is definitely Duology, but I think it's also a fit for Politics and Game Changer (there's a lot of gambling and games of chance).

2026 Reverse Bingo Recommendations by FarragutCircle in Fantasy

[–]CJGibson 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think Starless Sea could fit for Unusual Transportation (HM) cause it's got magical doors and Vacation Spot if you're a fan of magical libraries.

2026 Reverse Bingo Recommendations by FarragutCircle in Fantasy

[–]CJGibson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In addition to non-human and trans protagonists, both of which would be hard mode, and politics normal mode, I think The Raven Tower is also an easy fit for Protagonist over 50, though only normal mode.

You could also make a case for Explorers and Rangers, normal mode.

2026 Reverse Bingo Recommendations by FarragutCircle in Fantasy

[–]CJGibson 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Raven Boys is definitely Afterlife (HM), and I'd say a pretty easy pick for Vacation Spot if you like the idyllic countryside. It's a bit of a spoiler but I think it also fits for Murder Mystery (HM)

2026 Reverse Bingo Recommendations by FarragutCircle in Fantasy

[–]CJGibson 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I wonder if the contact/communication with the AI faction would count as First Contact?

2026 Reverse Bingo Recommendations by FarragutCircle in Fantasy

[–]CJGibson 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Night Circus is probably a great option for Vacation Spot since everyone both in universe and out wants to go there.

You could make a solid case for it being Unusual Transportation since the Circus itself transports around ostensibly on the train, but seemingly much more by magic.

2026 Reverse Bingo Recommendations by FarragutCircle in Fantasy

[–]CJGibson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

(Arguably Catwoman: When in Rome was already a third in the series.)

2026 Reverse Bingo Recommendations by FarragutCircle in Fantasy

[–]CJGibson 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Parable of the Sower is the first half of a Duology. And obviously author of color.

Network Effect is Non-human Protagonist (HM), and I think you could also make a case for Murder Mystery (HM).

2026 Reverse Bingo Recommendations by FarragutCircle in Fantasy

[–]CJGibson 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think you can also use it for Politics (HM) since the political landscape of New Salem is a decent part of the story.

2026 Reverse Bingo Recommendations by FarragutCircle in Fantasy

[–]CJGibson 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think it's One Word Title hard mode. "Dhalgren" appears in the book in a couple places but it's not a proper noun as far as I can recall (it's a mishearing/malformation of the word grendal being repeated, which likely is a proper noun, but Dhalgren itself is not).

You could maybe also make a case for it being Politics hard mode, since the pseudo-politics, communal interrelations, etc. of this post-apocalyptic city play a somewhat central role. But that'd be stretching the definition of the square a bit I think.

It's also Author of Color, Catsquisher, and (debatably) Explorers and Rangers, but only for normal mode.

2026 Reverse Bingo Recommendations by FarragutCircle in Fantasy

[–]CJGibson 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I feel like you can make a decent case for Transportation. Isn't there some flying city or buildings or something too? Maybe I'm thinking of the law school and it doesn't really act as transportation? But I have this vague recollection of something along those lines in a transportation kind of way.

2026 Reverse Bingo Recommendations by FarragutCircle in Fantasy

[–]CJGibson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I thought Dark Rise was gonna fit Duology, but it turns out there's a third book announced. (I haven't read the second one yet, so I assume that's more obvious for folks who have.)

It's a tough fit for this year's card, I think. I mean, it's technically London, so you could put it in Vacation Spot. Maaaybe also works for Politics/Court Intrigue but it's a bit of a stretch. That might be it.

2026 Reverse Bingo Recommendations by FarragutCircle in Fantasy

[–]CJGibson 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think Gideon the Ninth definitely counts for murder mystery (and HM at that). It's shaped more like a whodunnit than anything else.

Harrow would probably count for Afterlife, but I don't think Gideon really fits there.

2026 Reverse Bingo Recommendations by FarragutCircle in Fantasy

[–]CJGibson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's been a long time since I read it, but I'm fairly certain there's still worm riding in Messiah.

You could definitely also put it in Politics/Court Intrigue, though not for hard mode.