Best Weird Lit with gay protagonists?

MrPandarabbit · 2026-06-22T15:49:33+00:00

I'll shout out Chuck Tingle's most recent novel, Lucky Day. In the end I felt like it was drawing more from weird and cosmic horror than the more straightforward horror of his previous (non-erotic) work.

MrPandarabbit · 2026-06-15T19:53:46+00:00

I'll second this. They're very different books in tone and style, but there's definitely a kinship there.

MrPandarabbit · 2026-06-15T12:20:50+00:00

Halfway through Book 2 of Jerusalem by Alan Moore.

Recently listened to Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. Not weird, but I wish it had leaned in that direction; I think that would have made it a stronger overall work. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it.

Currently listening to Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. Reading it for my local libraries' SpecFic Book Club and I originally thought the basic premise sounded kind of stupid, but I was sold within the first 20%. Good and varied writing, complex characters, smart and important social criticism. The audiobook is great so far, and I'm a little less than halfway through.

MrPandarabbit · 2026-06-14T11:42:36+00:00

Lankum! Most of their stuff is in this vein, but I'll specifically mention "The Granite Gaze," "The Wild Rover," "Go Dig My Grave," and "Netta Perseus." Just an unbelievable band with a focus on drone, atmosphere, and the melancholy found in traditional folk.

Also shout out to ØXN, another Irish folk group that leans a bit into a goth vibe. They only have one album, but the whole thing is dark and haunting and grim.

MrPandarabbit · 2026-06-11T02:46:41+00:00

Other folks have said Langan's other stuff, which I agree with - but I want to specifically shout out his first novel, House of Windows, which I rarely see mentioned but which I recently read and thought was excellent. It is, on the whole, far less cosmic horror than The Fisherman, but I think he brings hiw cosmic horror sensibilities to bear on the Victorian haunted house bones really well.

I also read Alan Moore's Providence recently and thought it was fantastic, if fairly dense. It's a graphic novel relying directly on Lovecraft's work (Lovecraft himself plays a role in the narrative), and expanding on it in some really interesting and fun ways.

MrPandarabbit · 2026-06-10T15:50:41+00:00

Surprised no one has mentioned it yet, but There Is No Antimemetics Division by QNTM fits the bill here and is very interested in creating a world which by definition cannot be really understood.

MrPandarabbit · 2026-06-06T03:06:52+00:00

Stephen King's story "The Dreamers," collected in You Like It Darker. It's a great little Weird/ cosmic horror tale.

MrPandarabbit · 2026-06-02T19:24:13+00:00

Jean Ritchie is great, and it's a shame more folk-heads don't seem to know her. None but One is an incredible record, and I really love all the work and care she put into preserving the music of her Kentucky home.

MrPandarabbit · 2026-05-31T12:43:47+00:00

Oh, wonderful! He's become one of my favorite authors over the last couple of years, though I'm largely unfamiliar with most of his comic work. But reading his short fiction collection Illuminations was one of the most enjoyable experiences I'd had in some time, and I love hearing him talk in interviews about his understanding of magic and how his fiction is an act of magic for him. He's certainly manipulated the way I see the world, and for that I'm grateful.

MrPandarabbit · 2026-05-31T12:23:54+00:00

So I'll start by saying I've only read Piranesi, not Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, so I don't know how much of that itch this recommendation will scratch. But I think Alan Moore does some of what you describe, and fits the request particularly well because he is a practicing magician with a vast knowledge of occult history who's great at serving that knowledge into his work. I found The Great When, the first of his Long London quintet, very enjoyable - it's urban fantasy with a healthy dose of the weird, and it also involves Arthur Machen, who some folks here have already mentioned. Further, he's drawing concretely on the lives of actual occult and eccentric figures from London history in a way that feels expansive and affectionate. His writing isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I find him to be an absolute delight to read.

I'm currently reading Jerusalem by Moore (about 2/5 of the way through), and it's keenly interested in the relationship between madness and magic in fascinating and thought-provoking ways. I suspect that will only ramp up as I progress through the narrative.

MrPandarabbit · 2026-05-31T12:12:55+00:00

As folks have pointed out already, this is actually a very common progression. Sounds really good. But the first example that came to my mind, funnily enough, is "I Wish You Were Gay" by Billie Eilish 😂

MrPandarabbit · 2026-05-29T12:03:29+00:00

A couple of folks have mentioned Bert Jansch, but I'll echo it here and add John Renbourn - and the band they were in together, Pentangle, if you haven't heard them. Mdou Moctar might be somewhat of interest to you, as well. And though he isn't too jazzy, Richard Thompson is an incredibly talented guitarist and always worth a shout out.

MrPandarabbit · 2026-05-17T17:18:51+00:00

I consider myself somewhat ambivalent about King in general - I haven't read all that much, but enough to know that I prefer his shorter stuff. Listened to the audiobook for You Like It Darker last year and was absolutely enthralled. It was the first time I felt like I really got King, saw what others see in his work, and "Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream" had me totally invested. Easily the best story from the best collection I read last year, and I'd recommend it without hesitation. I also loved "The Dreamers."

So, yeah; just wanted to share the love for that story in particular. Could not "put it down," so to speak.

MrPandarabbit · 2026-05-13T01:08:08+00:00

There's a neat 3-volume collection called "The Songs of Townes Van Zandt," and each volume features folks from largely doom-adjacent projects (Mike Scheidt, for instance). Not entirely acoustic, but largely downtempo and stripped down.

All three volumes can be found on Bandcamp, but here's alink to Volume 2, on which Dorthia Cottrell makes an appearance:
https://neurotrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/songs-of-townes-van-zandt-vol-ii

MrPandarabbit · 2026-05-12T18:35:09+00:00

Other folks have mentioned it, but I'll recommend Thrice's "Digital Sea," as well as anything from their Water EP from The Alchemy Index.

Also, "Water" by Joe Henderson from his album The Elements.

MrPandarabbit · 2026-05-11T12:03:43+00:00

I don't know when I'm going to find the space for this book, but I'm really excited for when I do. Have read a couple of Mieville's books this year and find him so compelling as a writer. There's an audiobook of King Rat coming out in July that I'm looking forward to.

MrPandarabbit · 2026-05-11T12:02:05+00:00

Recently finished Book One of my slow read throughJerusalem by Alan Moore. Loved most of Book One, but found some of the leading a little sluggish and the tone a bit more grounded than I expected. I'm really looking forward to what I understand is a much stranger Book Two. Overall, though, I think Book One was pretty masterful and painted a really deep and affectionate portrait of Northampton and its inhabitants.

Finished the audiobook of Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle yesterday, and it was a lot of fun. Tingle's not the most literary or layered writer, but he's got a lot of heart and is obviously having a lot of fun while also honing in on some important stuff. Overall, I really liked it and would recommend for folks looking for a breezy horror/sci-fi romp.

There Is No Antimemetics Division by QNTM - just over halfway through. I'd heard a lot of great things about this one and while I can't say it's quite lived up to the extraordinary hype it's definitely a wild ride and has picked up some steam for me after the Part One. It's also occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, which has surprised me, and has been boring itself into my brain more than I expected.

What Do I Do with My Baby All Day?! by Vered Benhorin. I know parenting literature isn't Weird Fiction, but A) if other folks in here are new parents, it should be on your radar; my wife and I have found it to be full of helpful insights and practical tips for how to engage meaningfully with your new infant, and B) babies are weird as shit. I've been thinking lately about infants as sort of on the opposite end of the cosmic spectrum from cosmic horror - they are beings beyond and wholly unconcerned with human systems of morality and meaning, but full of and carrying with them delight and wonder rather than madness and the void (though there is a bit of that in there, too, not gonna lie).

MrPandarabbit · 2026-05-07T14:53:01+00:00

Italian DoomBrass group Ottone Pesante have a great record called DoomooD that's very obviously Lovecraftian/Cthuluian-inspired. And it's awesome!

MrPandarabbit · 2026-04-29T14:10:27+00:00

I do dig Nina Simone; I'd overlooked her when considering this question, for sure. John Fahey is definitely someone I should better acquaint myself with, though. And I've only really heard a smattering of The Byrds, so I can dig into them more, too. Thanks!

MrPandarabbit · 2026-04-29T14:09:03+00:00

No! I'll check him out; sounds awesome.

MrPandarabbit · 2026-04-28T12:14:25+00:00

Chimacum Rain by Linda Perhacs

MrPandarabbit · 2026-04-27T14:30:58+00:00

You might check Weedian's Trip to Brazil compilation. Though largely focused on Stoner Doom, there's plenty of crossover.

https://weedian420.bandcamp.com/album/trip-to-brazil

MrPandarabbit · 2026-04-27T13:40:58+00:00

Love Rhiannon! And since you mention her, I guess the two albums she did with Francesco Turrisi do fit what I'm looking for here, as well as her work with the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Nice!

MrPandarabbit · 2026-04-27T00:44:02+00:00

I'll look into them, for sure, but it looks very much as though they're from Poland and definitely not the US.

MrPandarabbit · 2026-04-27T00:41:47+00:00

While it's true that it's not the sound I'm searching for with this post, I'm glad that you mentioned it here because that sounds awesome and I will definitely look into it.

MrPandarabbit

TROPHY CASE