“Under the Gaydar” features books you might not realize have queer content but do! And definitely belong on your radar.
This edition is dedication to YA Sci-Fi, so buckle in, yank on those space helmets, and come find some great books that are safe to bring to unsafe spaces, or just that you just might not have known were rocking the rainbow!
Proxy by Alex London – I know, it’s a little weird to be kicking off with one of the first major gay YA sci-fi titles, but! It fits! And even its sequel, Guardian, fits! So if you haven’t already devoured this action-packed sci-fi thriller duo, now’s the time!
The Disasters by M.K. England – And speaking of m/m sci-fi, this wildly fun space opera helmed by bi boy Nax and his new fellow flight school reject friend group is another safe bet in more ways than one.
Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer – And speaking of wildly fun space operas, here’s we’ve got one of the very few in YA narrated by a panThe Dis girl, the delightfully bold and brash (and pan) Alyssa Farshot. If you love books full of competition, banter, betrayal, and an understated but excellent romance, this will extremely be your jam.
Sound by Alexandra Duncan – A standalone companion to Salvage, this slightly older title (2015) stars Miyole, a research assistant on her first space voyage who gets into trouble when her ship saves a rover that’s been attacked by criminals.
That Inevitable Victorian Thing by EK Johnston – a near-future thriller with loads of rep (intersex! bisexual! polyam!) that explores what the world would look like if the British Empire never fell and the crown princess did fall…in love… (Johnston’s got more where that came from, so do check out her other work, including her Star Wars stuff!)
The Sound of Stars and The Kindred by Alechia Dow – both standalone titles, these sci-fi romances both have demisexual main characters, and the latter has a bi boy as well. Clearly your perfect go-to author for under-the-gaydar demi sci-fi!
Hotshot pilot Nax Hall has a history of making poor life choices. So it’s not exactly a surprise when he’s kicked out of the elite Ellis Station Academy in less than twenty-four hours.
All Kaeri Hawen wants is a peaceful life in the Lower Terrace. No more collecting debts. No more breaking kneecaps.
Being the kid abducted by crazy old Ms. Easton when he was four permanently set Cole’s status to freak. At seventeen, his exit plan is simple: make it through the last few weeks of high school with his grades up and his head down.
It’s winter break and Molly Monroe is content to enjoy her town’s annual Festival of Lights with her girlfriend Chelsea at her side. But almost immediately after the lights go up, the town’s children begin to act strangely, especially Molly’s own brother, Roger. When their next-door neighbors are killed in a grisly double homicide, Molly begins to suspect the incidents are linked. Now she must convince her parents and the rest of the town to take down the Christmas lights before everyone gets killed.
Teru came to Tokyo with dreams of making it big in the glam-metal visual kei scene, but three years later, all he has to show for it is a head of hot pink hair and some skill with an eyeliner pencil. He may look the part, but he doesn’t sound it, and constant bickering among his bandmates has him worried about his future. When he finds a mysterious business card in his bag, he’s willing to take any help he can get.
Hotshot pilot Nax Hall has a history of making poor life choices. So it’s not exactly a surprise when he’s kicked out of the elite Ellis Station Academy in less than twenty-four hours.