Asexuality and Asexual Characters in Books & Comics - a Collection

[Claire-123]

Is Love the Answer? by Uta Isaki is a manga with a lot of great LGBTQIA+ representation in. The main character is aromantic ace exploring her asexuality. It's so beautiful! 

[Malcolm]

Phantom Tales of the Night, a manga written under the nom de plume Matsuri belongs on the manga/graphic novels list.

[Tystie]

On 10/11/2022 at 10:01 PM, LizCat said:

Hey all. So obviously Ace and Aro representation in media right now is scarce. But I was curious if anyone has found any representation in adult fiction books.

I've only been able to find YA novels with Aro and/or Ace characters (which is fantastic and I love reading those too). However, as someone in my late 20s, I'd like to read about adult experiences as well. Especially since I discovered my own sexual/romantic identity in adulthood.

Thanks!

@LizCatasked this question a while ago but I was going to post here anyway, and my post ties in to your question.

 

Friends Without Benefits, by Evelyn Fenn

Full disclosure here. I wrote this one. And, yes, this is the one with more ‘older’ age rep. The main character is in her 40s. Most other ace characters are in their 20s and 30s.

 

Other books I’ve come across.

 

Ace of Hearts, by Lucy Mason

Hesper is asexual.

I think this would count as contemporary new adult.

 

Franklin In Paradise, by John Patrick

Character Patrick is demisexual.

Set in a world recognisably like our own where most humans are wiped out by disease. There is a lot I love about this book. The world building is amazing, for one thing. I wasn’t wholly convinced by Patrick’s demisexuality, however. For someone who needs to forge a strong bond before developing attraction, he seemed to develop it remarkably quickly. Maybe that’s what living through an apocalypse does to you, though.

 

Havesskadi, by Ava Kelly

It’s about dragons. Good world building again, but as a personal preference I like my ace rep to be human. Still, ace characters, so deserves to be on the list.

 

All available from the publisher, NineStar Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc etc.

 

[FJO8]

Not explicitely ace, but aroace-questioning and including a gay couple: This golden Flame by Emily Victoria

I added it to the Fantasy list

[Old Maid Librarian]

Science Fiction/Fantasy: 

 

5 book series: Dreamhealers by M.C.A. Hogarth

1st book in series is Mindtouch    ISBN:   9781490450339

Set in multi-species utopian future, it covers the developing platonic love between a member of an asexual species (they reproduce in vitro) and a member of a telepathic and therefor highly touch adverse species who avoid sex as much as possible.

 

Note: Hogarth's other books are good, but do have various levels of sex and violence. This is her only sex-free series that I know of.

[David XH]

New favourite piece of Ace representation in fiction - The Meister of Decimen City by Brenna Raney. Come for the romantic asexual representation (the protagonist) and talking dinosaurs, stay for the searingly heartbreaking interpersonal relationships and incredibly stupid puns. 10/10

[DemiGreyQuestioning]

On 5/11/2023 at 12:12 PM, David XH said:

New favourite piece of Ace representation in fiction - The Meister of Decimen City by Brenna Raney. Come for the romantic asexual representation (the protagonist) and talking dinosaurs, stay for the searingly heartbreaking interpersonal relationships and incredibly stupid puns. 10/10

Ooh, this looks fun!

 

[asexual_kitten]

Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp. The main character is ace but it’s not a major plot point

[MinnieMouse]

Maybe this book is already mentioned in the thread, otherwise I hope it can't be mentioned too much.  I've just finished reading "Tash Hearts Tolstoy" by Kathryn Ormsbee. It's a well-written YA novel with an asexual heteroromantic main character. Microlabels are never mentioned, but the asexual character is very clear about not being able to compromise with sex, and as a sex-repulsed romantic asexual I could relate a lot to her. 

[ace of spaces]

Does anybody know any good books that focus on asexual people? It does not need to be the main focus but I would like there to be focus on it.

[Simulacrum]

Loveless by Alice Oseman is great! It's all about a girl realising she's aroace. If you were thinking alloromantic asexual, I've heard of Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann, but I haven't read it.

[Guest]

Yep, can't recommend Loveless enough! There's also Radio Silence by Alice Oseman, which includes a demi-sexual character. Never Been Kissed by Timothy Janovsky is a gay romance, also with a demi-sexual character. And I loved Let's Talk About Love! That one is pretty much all about Alice's (the MC) asexuality, and it's handled in such a great way! The romance is so sweet! And, Alice is a black woman! While any ace rep is welcome, it was really great to see an asexual, bi-romantic woman of color represented. There's also Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe. It's a graphic novel memoir, focusing mostly on gender stuff (duh), but e also discusses eir asexuality. Heads up for that one though, it can be a little graphic if you're sex-repusled. 

[thylacine]

The Invisible Orientation is very good - I forget the name of the author, but the book is excellent.

 

[bare_trees]

I recently read a novel in verse called Dear Medusa by Olivia Cole.  The protagonist is not asexual, but her best friend is, and there are a lot of great conversations in the book about that.  CW though--the book is about how the protagonist copes with having been sexually abused by her teacher in high school.  So it's not an ace novel exactly, but my ace soul really appreciated it.

[ace of spaces]

On 7/17/2023 at 8:12 AM, bare_trees said:

I recently read a novel in verse called Dear Medusa by Olivia Cole.  The protagonist is not asexual, but her best friend is, and there are a lot of great conversations in the book about that.  CW though--the book is about how the protagonist copes with having been sexually abused by her teacher in high school.  So it's not an ace novel exactly, but my ace soul really appreciated it.

Thank you

 

On 7/16/2023 at 5:49 PM, Sandpiper Spade said:

Yep, can't recommend Loveless enough! There's also Radio Silence by Alice Oseman, which includes a demi-sexual character. Never Been Kissed by Timothy Janovsky is a gay romance, also with a demi-sexual character. And I loved Let's Talk About Love! That one is pretty much all about Alice's (the MC) asexuality, and it's handled in such a great way! The romance is so sweet! And, Alice is a black woman! While any ace rep is welcome, it was really great to see an asexual, bi-romantic woman of color represented. There's also Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe. It's a graphic novel memoir, focusing mostly on gender stuff (duh), but e also discusses eir asexuality. Heads up for that one though, it can be a little graphic if you're sex-repusled. 

 Thanks

[Guest]

17 hours ago, ace of spaces said:

 Thanks

Of course! Happy reading!

[fuzzipueo]

On 4/8/2023 at 4:24 AM, Tystie said:

Friends Without Benefits, by Evelyn Fenn

Full disclosure here. I wrote this one. And, yes, this is the one with more ‘older’ age rep. The main character is in her 40s. Most other ace characters are in their 20s and 30s.

I just read this one last month. Thank you for an enjoyable read!

[Tystie]

44 minutes ago, fuzzipueo said:

I just read this one last month. Thank you for an enjoyable read!

You’re very welcome! Glad you enjoyed it! :) You’ve made my day.

[Pack-rat]

Upside down by N.R. Walker is one of my favourite books. It’s about a young man who has just discovered the term asexual and is trying to figure out where he fits in.

 

Vanilla by Billy Merrell is about 2 boys in a relationship, one wants sex but the other one doesn’t. This book is written like poetry, so if you like poetry you should check it out. I’m not really into poetry myself but i still enjoyed reading it.

[fuzzipueo]

On 7/16/2023 at 2:40 PM, ace of spaces said:

Does anybody know any good books that focus on asexual people? It does not need to be the main focus but I would like there to be focus on it.

Friends Without Benefits by Evelin Fenn in which all of the characters are on the ace-spectrum in some way.

 

His Quiet Agent, Merlin in the Library & Agents of Winter - Ada Maria Soto

 

Dread Nation duology - Justine Ireland

 

Royal Rescue - Alex A. Logan

 

Legacy of the Vermillion Blade - Jay Tallsquall

 

The Perfect Assassin - A.K. Doore

 

Happenstance and Bron trilogy - R.L. King

 

An Unkindness of Ghosts - Rivers Solomon

 

Blank Spaces & Finding Your Feet - Cass Lenox

 

[ace of spaces]

9 hours ago, fuzzipueo said:

Friends Without Benefits by Evelin Flynn in which all of the characters are on the ace-spectrum in some way.

 

His Quiet Agent, Merlin in the Library & Agents of Winter - Ada Maria Soto

 

Dread Nation duology - Justine Ireland

 

Royal Rescue - Alex A. Logan

 

Legacy of the Vermillion Blade - Jay Tallsquall

 

The Perfect Assassin - A.K. Doore

 

Happenstance and Bron trilogy - R.L. King

 

An Unkindness of Ghosts - Rivers Solomon

 

Blank Spaces & Finding Your Feet - Cass Lenox

 

Thanks

 

On 7/16/2023 at 5:34 PM, Simulacrum said:

Loveless by Alice Oseman is great! It's all about a girl realising she's aroace. If you were thinking alloromantic asexual, I've heard of Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann, but I haven't read it.

Thanks

[LeChat]

@ace of spaces (Below is an official, green, mod message.)

 

Hi! I'm just letting you know I've merged your ace book recommendation thread from the Off-A forum to AVEN's main, ace book recommendation thread in the World Watch forum.

 

 There are lists of fiction and non-fiction books on the first few posts, at the beginning of this thread.

I hope this helps!

 

LeChat,

Welcome Lounge, Announcements, and Alternate Language moderator

[Tystie]

20 hours ago, fuzzipueo said:

Friends Without Benefits by Evelin Flynn in which all of the characters are on the ace-spectrum in some way.

 

 

Just in case you go for this one, it’s by Evelyn Fenn.

 

(Thanks for including it in your recs. @fuzzipueo)

[fuzzipueo]

1 hour ago, Tystie said:

Just in case you go for this one, it’s by Evelyn Fenn.

 

(Thanks for including it in your recs. @fuzzipueo)

My apologies! I will fix.

[Toff]

Chuck Tingle was mentioned years ago in this thread.  Are any of his actually any good?  Funny?

 

He has a whole category of stories described as "no sex tinglers," which have also been bundled in Not Pounded By Anything volumes 1-3. However, I'm skeptical given the majority of his output being so clearly sex-oriented!  But maybe I'd be surprised?

[-Lexa-]

Anger is a gift by Mark Oshiro has 3 side characters who are ace, though it is not a main focus of the book

 

[DeepSeaAce]

Aces Wild by Amanda DeWitt has all ace main characters pretty much and is about a heist

[Ahimsa_Raven]

Just finished Loveless by Alice Oseman! I really like it. I really should've read it before now.

[LateToAce]

@TystieFriends Without Benefits, by Evelyn Fenn

“Full disclosure here. I wrote this one. And, yes, this is the one with more ‘older’ age rep. The main character is in her 40s. Most other ace characters are in their 20s and 30s.”
 

i just finished this and really enjoyed it! Thank you so much for writing it. It’s hard to find ace centric books that aren’t genre fiction, so this was a particular treat! 

[Tystie]

2 hours ago, LateToAce said:

@TystieFriends Without Benefits, by Evelyn Fenn

“Full disclosure here. I wrote this one. And, yes, this is the one with more ‘older’ age rep. The main character is in her 40s. Most other ace characters are in their 20s and 30s.”
 

i just finished this and really enjoyed it! Thank you so much for writing it. It’s hard to find ace centric books that aren’t genre fiction, so this was a particular treat! 

Thank you. That means a lot.