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Asexuality and Asexual Characters in Books & Comics - a Collection


CosineTheCat

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Forgive me if it's been mentioned here already (I didn't see it posted anywhere), but I recently found a manga series titled "I Want to be a Wall" by Honami Shirono. It's about a platonic marriage between an aroace woman and a gay man. I've only read the first three chapters of volume 1, but it's pretty good so far!

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I hate to post twice, but I found another one. There's a children's fantasy novel called "Every Bird a Prince" by Jenn Reese, which features an aroace protagonist. I'm about halfway through it now; it's not my first choice in literature, but it's not bad, either! I can appreciate the main character's struggle with feeling forced to choose someone to have a "crush" on just to fulfill social obligations, despite not actually feeling anything towards that person. That's a very common aromantic experience!

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I just finished reading Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao, a book about two aroace women in college. They both have anonymous online relationship advice columns and clash a bit over those, while in real life they meet and become friends. It's a dual POV book, which I liked, although it got a bit confusing since the chapters were really short, so I kept getting the two women mixed up. I did enjoy it overall though, particularly since the author is only 22, I'm looking forward to reading her future books. 

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I recently read "Stuck in Her Head" by Kylie Wang and Liana Tang. The authors were teens when they wrote the book, and it has a bisexual and aro/ace character.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/194019803-stuck-in-her-head

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All For the Game series by Nora Sakavic has a canon demisexual main character. I didn't see it on the list but forgive me if it was mentioned before.  The character is named Neil Josten and he is a very loved and adored character among the fandom. Him being demisexual is also very apparent in the book and it is not just subtle hints either.

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I don’t think this has been mentioned. Tara from the queer horror novel Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle. She is the best friend of the protagonist, is aroace, and she talks about being aroace a few times. She points out asexual erasure when it happens. A fantastic character who is absolutely vital to the plot. She also always dresses fabulously. 
 

Category: Book (queer horror sci-fi)
Author or Source: Chuck Tingle
Title: Bury Your Gays
Date: published July 2024
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195790870-bury-your-gays

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On 10/21/2024 at 3:10 PM, Shard Frostheart said:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18626414-this-song-is-not-for-you

This Song Is (Not) For You by Laura Nowlin

It has a polyamorous relationship and one of the characters is asexual!

I read this one too! But it's been a few months and I don't recall much other than I enjoyed it. 

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Not sure if it's been posted here or not. I probably should go back through and check, but I don't have the time or energy for that. 😂

 

I've been (obsessively) reading the Criminal Intentions series by Cole McCade, and in the fifth book, It's Witchcraft, one of the protagonists, Seong-Jae, is revealed to be on the asexual spectrum. 🥹 It meant a lot to me because I'm still trying to figure out where I fall myself, but the way he described himself resonated with me a lot.

 

Quote

“My place on the asexual spectrum is…complicated, and my understanding of it often shifts. However, I believe my last boyfriend described me as ‘gay gray-ace with demi sprinkles.’” His nose wrinkled. “I do not understand that description. I am not a confection. I do not require sprinkles.”

Quote

“It is not that I am incapable of or repulsed by sex, Malcolm. Some asexuals are sex-averse. I am not. I simply do not contextualize my feelings toward others in terms of sexual attraction very often. That does not mean I am not capable of feeling pleasure or arousal, or experiencing moments of great passion and desire.”

Quote

“I suppose the most concise way to put it would be that I am capable of sex, but not driven by sex.”

 

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Oh, and I should mention another character is on the aromantic spectrum!!! :D

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The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste has an aro ace character, it's the protagonist's sister, Janus. She uses "aro ace" to describe herself in the beginning of the book, and later on when they talk about family legacy, Janus corrects her uncle that there will no offspring to be expected from her.

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I don't know if anyone has mentioned "Blank Spaces" by Cass Lennox anywhere on this thread.  It's been out there for a while now, and is a MM romance featuring a main character who I really identify with.  He realizes halfway through the book that he identifies with being an ace or gray ace, and yet is attracted to another man who is basically a nymphomaniac. :)  What I really liked about the Vaughn character is that he does not judge others based on their sexual identity; even though he identifies as being asexual himself, he is accepting of others having the need to be more sexual on any level at all, that could be anywhere on the overall spectrum.  

 

 

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The main character in 'Don't Let The Forest In' by CG Drews (gothic horror, YA, pub Oct 2024) is asexual.

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Hi there! I also wanted to add to this great list of ace books :) How to be a Normal Person and also How to be Movie Star both by TJ Klune have ace and demi main characters! They are so funny and just plain wonderful! Highly recommend!  Also, In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune has an ace main character. Enjoy!! Happy to be part of this community! 

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