Asexual Bookshelf

[drakalor]

what about The Dwarf?

The main character (the dwarf) isn't neccesarily asexual but he hates the humans love to each other and other similar behaviours/feelings/etc.

lol

[Declaro]

Yes, it was George B. Shaw...I am not particularly familiar with his ouevre...

hm, the only title of his that comes to mind readily is Pygmalion. i hesitate to speculate on asexual characters...the wonderfully irascible Prof. Higgins, perhaps... ;) Higgins claims he has no interest in dallying with women, as none match up to his mother.

Oedipus complex, much?

No, seriously, Higgins is most likely asexual or celibate...at least in Pygmalion. I think he should at least get an eyebrow raising.

EDIT: Have just recently seen My Fair Lady, to boot. Even there, I think he's A.

[TeddyMiller]

I'm reading You've Got Murder, the first of Donna Andrews' mystery novels featuring Turing Hopper, and that series basically has an asexual main character, since Turing is an artificial intelligence on a computer. She's very smart and knowledgeable, can make moral and ethical decisions, has emotional reactions and friendships and so on, but she doesn't feel sexual urges or understand sex.

[Wallach IX]

Androgyny, drakalor, TeddyMiller, Declaro: thank you for your nominations! :D <now incorporated into the master list>

The main character (the dwarf) isn't neccesarily asexual but he hates the humans love to each other and other similar behaviours/feelings/etc.

the number of misanthropic characters in literature who dislike affection and/or sex without necessarily being asexual is quite high i would think, so i'm raising the motion to only add particularly interesting standouts in the eville department. :) also, adding too many misanthropes might cast a shadow on non-misanthropic people who just don't fancy the horizontal tango. there's bound to be a few interesting characters in that department as well...

it would also be nice to see some more non-fiction in both the "interesting" and "asexual" categories. how's the AVEN book coming along, i wonder...

[Wicked Freemartin]

There's a story in the latest Writers of the Future XXII anthology, available in most major chain bookstores in North America, featuring an asexual character and a sexual character who becomes asexual. The story's called "The Bone Fisher's Apprentice".

-Wicked

[Flour Confessor]

Bridge to Terabithia (Katherine Paterson) is one of my favorite books. The friendship between Leslie and Jess is a perfect example of platonic love without any unnecessary romantic garbage tacked on, although the characters probably aren't asexual (probably too young to be anything yet, heh).

[spoonsfromdenmark]

E.M. Forster's "A Room with a View" features two pretty obvious asexual characters - Mr. Beebe and Cecil Vyse. Forster describes Cecil as a being more like a Gothic statue than a Greek one (more austere than sensual) and being "the type of man who wouldn't wear another fellow's cap." When Mr. Beebe learns that Cecil is engaged he is concerned because recognizes Cecil's incompatibility to that state. Even though they're both minor characters their portrayal is fascinating and very deep.

[Adm_Twister_JCOM]

I'm writing some military fiction books and have a couple asexual characters who are worthy of being mentioned here. "Operation Hurdler" and "Operation Outside Hitter" by Michael Bilka (me) each introduce a female character who is asexual and the two happen to be sisters, but it isn't until the new book that has yet to be published that their views are fully expressed. They just had to evolve to the point where they needed to express their beliefs. Believe me when I say that those two ladies come out swinging and are extremely vocal about it. They are in the Army so they have a tendency to press hard until they win.

I use an independent publisher so the books can only be bought at the site: www.lulu.com/bilka

[lisa pizza]

I went to a panel on Alternative Sexualities in YA Lit at a convention last weekend, hoping to get some asexual book recs. Unfortunately, there is a serious lack of asexual characters in YA books. I recommended the Farsala Trilogy by Hilari Bell though. The main girl character never comes out and calls herself asexual, but she is. The ending of the books made me really happy, since it so rarely works out that way in YA books.

Also got a chance to talk to Tamora Pierce about Kel from the Protector of the Small books. Kel dates a boy at one point, and has a couple of crushes, but she never has sex and is never fully interested in having a relationship. She's always been a role model to me because of all this. Anyway, someone asked Tammy if Kel was ever going to get married, and Tammy said she would see where the story took her, etc etc etc. I made a point of letting her know how much it meant to me (and other readers, I'm sure) that Kel is leading a happy, full, successful, NORMAL life, and that marriage just isn't a part of it.

[Fitzr]

Bone Dance by Emma Bull features a protagonist named who is physically androgenous and completely asexual. Sparrow passes as a man or a woman, depending on which is more advantagious.

I think it's out of print :( , but you can get a used copy from sellers on Amazon, and I've seen it at public libraries. It's well worth reading even if you don't care about having an asexual character.

The manga Yokohama Shopping Log has a least one asexual character (who says "I just don't get the whole man-woman thing"). I read the english translation of this online somewhere - I have no idea where to get it in print. (It's one of only three mangas that I've ever read). It's not going to be to everyone's taste, so you might want to look for a review of it before you invest your time.

[Pitapitacup]

Consider that the links are now broken... Any good aromantic book recs?

I'm okay with sex, just no romance please. A lot harder to find than you think!

[sonofzeal]

Consider that the links are now broken... Any good aromantic book recs?

I'm okay with sex, just no romance please. A lot harder to find than you think!

Wow, I should go through and fix those one of these days.

Aromantic books on my book shelf... from my memory, "Into Thin Air", "Ender's Game", "The Name of the Rose", "The Godmakers", "The Whipping Star", "Good Omens" (for the most part), "Sophie's World", "The Telling", "The Disposessed", most books by Terry Pratchett, "Frankenstein", "The Difference Engine", and "A Wizard of Earthsea" are all more or less aromantic. There's a number I haven't read in ages though, so I could be forgetting things.

[Pitapitacup]

That's enough to keep me occupied for ages!

Thank you!

[Sciatrix]

I went to a panel on Alternative Sexualities in YA Lit at a convention last weekend, hoping to get some asexual book recs. Unfortunately, there is a serious lack of asexual characters in YA books. I recommended the Farsala Trilogy by Hilari Bell though. The main girl character never comes out and calls herself asexual, but she is. The ending of the books made me really happy, since it so rarely works out that way in YA books.

Also got a chance to talk to Tamora Pierce about Kel from the Protector of the Small books. Kel dates a boy at one point, and has a couple of crushes, but she never has sex and is never fully interested in having a relationship. She's always been a role model to me because of all this. Anyway, someone asked Tammy if Kel was ever going to get married, and Tammy said she would see where the story took her, etc etc etc. I made a point of letting her know how much it meant to me (and other readers, I'm sure) that Kel is leading a happy, full, successful, NORMAL life, and that marriage just isn't a part of it.

Yeah, but IIRC the main reason Kel doesn't have sex with Cleon is that he wanted to wait until marriage and she didn't want to marry him (and knew that, for economic reasons on his part, she couldn't anyway). I got the feeling that she would have if he'd been able to let go a little more. I absolutely love Kel as a character, but I wouldn't call her asexual; more very focused on her duty and ambitions.

Elizabeth Bear's Dust features an unambiguously asexual main character, Sir Perceval. The book has two protagonists, Perceval and Rien, but while there's some sex between Rien and another character there really isn't very much romance. The book does deal with types of love, which is one of the things I enjoy about it. It's got a sequel, Chill, coming out soon. Definitely sci-fi as far as genre goes.

[ColBrandon]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but is it possible that no one has mentioned Graham Greene's The End Of The Affair? Staid Henry Miles is faced with his wife Sarah's infidelity with the unpleasant Maurice Bendrix, essentially because her sexual needs are not being met at home. On revelation of the affair, Henry is less than upset. Henry seems to me the prototypical asexual spouse. I relate to his plight in ways I don't even want to discuss...

[toujours]

Can't see the three last lists :( Erased?

[Aloveroflife]

One of my all-time FAVORITE books is "On Chesil Beach" by Ian McEwan (same author who wrote "Atonement"). It is a fantastic short novel about a newly married couple who, though both virgins, have extremely different desires. (The wife is highly asexual and I relate SO MUCH to her!) Mr. McEwan's writing style is brilliant and the whole book is amazing! I can't recommend this book highly enough. The last chapter always makes me cry though, so have a tissue on hand.

[lessthanlevi]

I just finished reading a novel called "Someday this Pain will be Useful to You" by Peter Cameron. I got it out of a bargain bin, so I wasn't expecting much, but I think it may weasel its way into my top ten favorite books (and that is one tough list to crack).

the main character, James, identifies as gay, but he says that he "couldn't imagine ever doing anything intimate and sexual with another person". I'm fairly certain he's homo-romantic and the author just chose not to use/doesn't know the term. it's a unique coming of age sort of book that deals with all sorts of things I see around AVEN quite a bit, such as mental illness and impeccable articulation. anyway, I adored it and it only cost me three bucks. EPIC WIN.

[Quelly]

I was looking for textbooks online and a book was recommended to me by Amazon. I usually just ignore their suggestions (I spend enough on textbooks as it is) but this one looked interesting. It is called "Singled Out" written by Bella DePaulo in 2006.

The main focus of the book is "Singilism" which is the social and institutional discriminations and unfair practices that single individuals face. As an asexual, I have found myself relating very heavilly to what DePaulo spaeks to (I got the book this afternoon and just forced myself to put it down to get some sleep). Thusfar she has some good points about the flaws in the previous research that supports the 'get and stay married' school of thought. I have found the book to be humurous as well.

I say it's worth a read.

PS she talks about a non-profit called unmarried america. I went to their website and they recognize asexuality. :)

[outofeden]

Anyone ever read The Collector, by John Fowles? I read it a while back, and the main character, Ferdinand, I dont believe he was asexual, but he had no desire to have sex with the woman he loved, Miranda, while he was holding her hostage, and when she tried to seduce him he became disgusted with her.

I read The Collector a while ago, but it didn't occur to me that Frederick Clegg may be asexual. That may be the case or he might have some underlying sexual problem.

Spoilers in case anyone wants to read it and doesn't want to know all the details.

Scenario 1: He doesn't want to have sex with Miranda; he just wants to keep her in the cellar and stares at her like she's one of his dead butterflies.

Scenario 2: He wants to have sex with her but can't reconcile the impulses he sees as dirty and wrong with the pure, innocent object. Evidence: he takes pictures of her, sometimes when she's passed out and I think he might have masturbated to them.

Either way she's stuck in the cellar and that guy creeps me out to the max.

[Sidonie]

I think Pinky in Graham Greene's "Brighton Rock" is definately a repulsed asexual. I loved the book, but I was uncomfortable with the idea it seemed to be presenting that the character's asexuality was a feature of his socio/psychopathy rather than a separate issue.

[ExeCUTE]

I've found one with an actual, proper mention of asexual in the 'proper' use. It's a passing mention, sure, so this mightn't be the best place for this... I'll move in a minute if this is the case.

From the anthology "Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd":

(The main character is performing a monologue for her high school play audition), "And no, Adam Gunderson and I are not dating. As everyone knows, he is with Candace. I just happened to be in his bedroom on a stormy day last fall when we made popcorn and watched Twelve Angry Men.

Speaking of Twelve Angry Men, now there's a play we'll never be doing unless we get the asexual version of it, and Twelve Angry Jurors doesn't have the same ring."

[+Lee]

I've found one with an actual, proper mention of asexual in the 'proper' use. It's a passing mention, sure, so this mightn't be the best place for this... I'll move in a minute if this is the case.

From the anthology "Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd":

(The main character is performing a monologue for her high school play audition), "And no, Adam Gunderson and I are not dating. As everyone knows, he is with Candace. I just happened to be in his bedroom on a stormy day last fall when we made popcorn and watched Twelve Angry Men.

Speaking of Twelve Angry Men, now there's a play we'll never be doing unless we get the asexual version of it, and Twelve Angry Jurors doesn't have the same ring."

:o Wow, my British lit. teacher was reading that book and recommended it to us.

I don't quite get the line though, 12 angry men... why would you need an asexual version? Then again I saw the movie.

[ExeCUTE]

I've found one with an actual, proper mention of asexual in the 'proper' use. It's a passing mention, sure, so this mightn't be the best place for this... I'll move in a minute if this is the case.

From the anthology "Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd":

(The main character is performing a monologue for her high school play audition), "And no, Adam Gunderson and I are not dating. As everyone knows, he is with Candace. I just happened to be in his bedroom on a stormy day last fall when we made popcorn and watched Twelve Angry Men.

Speaking of Twelve Angry Men, now there's a play we'll never be doing unless we get the asexual version of it, and Twelve Angry Jurors doesn't have the same ring."

:o Wow, my British lit. teacher was reading that book and recommended it to us.

I don't quite get the line though, 12 angry men... why would you need an asexual version? Then again I saw the movie.

I've never read the book or seen the movie, but what it implies seems to be a good reference. (Wait, I make no sense...)

[Sciatrix]

Hang on, I just checked out that anthology from the library yesterday and read through about half of it. I'll have to go looking for that story.

[Bobandirus]

Couldnt all the robots in Asimov's stories be counted as asexual charictors? Just a thought...

[Cazz333]

I'm writing a book called "Hey" where the main male character is asexual and his long-term romantic interest is a repulsed demi-sexual- in this case repulsed being she thinks she's heterosexual and can't to think other wise).

It's sort of urban fantasy/sci-fi/ historical fiction...

[lifegoeson]

I read The Bone People when I was about fifteen and was obsessed with it for a couple of years - it basically changed my life for various reasons. I had, bizarrely, forgotten completely about Kerewin's asexuality until I stumbled on to the first page of this thread. I'm now re-reading it. It's still wonderful.

[Crazy Cat Lady]

Garp's mother in The World According to Garp is asexual. She's the main character for a good chunk of the book. It's written by John Irving.

I've borrowed this from someone in my book club, but it's long so I still haven't read it. Hopefully I'll get to it sometime soon!

[Pallas Athena]

I just posted about it in the character's thread, but whatever.

"Good Omens" by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. The characters of Aziraphale and Crowley are probably asexual. I say "probably" because they're not human (an angel and a demon, respectively) and are technically genderless, but it still counts in my mind.