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For the purposes of this list, only characters inside a sexual canon displaying asexual traits should be counted as asexual (i.e. they have to be presented with an opportunity to display sexuality, not just 'never have sex'). Some of these characters may generally be assumed to be 'lesbian', but often that's only because they're obviously 'not straight'.
Most of them are fantasy, and are usually asexual due to magic, oaths, or utter dedication to a cause. This may reflect a stereotype of sexless women - or it may simply be that these women are more likely to be forced to declare their lack of sexual interest (almost all the titles below are written by women, if that matters).
Fantasy
Tarma in the Vows and Honor series by Mercedes Lackey
If there is any one character who is absolutely and definitely asexual, it is Tarma.
Tarma was a normal young woman, but after a raid on her tribe she dedicated herself to her Goddess is an irrevocable oath of fealty that made her one of the Swordsworn - rare and respected and utterly sexless agents of justice amongst the tribal Shin'a'in. She travels with a beautiful and very heterosexual young mage called Kethry, and is her partner in all respects save the bedchamber (Kethry later marries and they all create a school together). Set in the world of Valdemar, the later books overlap with the Heralds.
The first two books follow Tarma and Kethry on their quest for vengeance on the bandits who destroyed Tarma's tribe, and the complicated requests of the magical sword Need, while the last is a collection of short stories about the two women.
Tarma and Kethry also appear in By The Sword, training Kerowyn, Kethry's granddaughter before she sets out on her adventures.
Chandra in The Fire's Stone by Tanya Huff
The Fire's Stone is a unique story that follows a three way relationship between the three very different main characters - a repressed gay male thief, the promiscuous bisexual prince and Chandra, the asexual mage-princess who has been betrothed to the prince.
Chandra is a sorceress, a teenager, very wilful and smart - and unfortunately, her father's heir. So she's not too impressed at being bartered into marriage. She's even less impressed at the idea of losing her magic when she has sex (it's based on virginity). As she expresses no interest whatsoever in man or woman, it's not much of a sacrifice to her.
They all get bound together in a politically arranged plot to go rescue the Fire's Stone, the only thing holding back the volcano in the middle of the city. Along the way, the two men fall in love and the girl gets over herself a bit and learns to care about them.
- Note: There's slightly more focus on the romance between the men than on Chandra, this isn't really a 'romance/sex free book'
- The Fire's Stone on Amazon
- More about Tanya Huff and lesbianism in her books
Paks in The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon - Review
Paks (Paksenarrion) is often cited as for lesbian subtext, but really hasn't got any. She is a farmgirl turned mercenary, who pursues the path of justice and eventually becomes a Paladin. She is a kind, good person who has absolutely no interest in romance (and actually states this when pressed).
- The saga is epic traditional fantasy and can be found in one volume as The Deed of Paksenarrion, or three volumes: Sheepfarmer's Daughter, Divided Allegiance and Oath of Gold
- You can read a full review of The Deed of Paksennarion here.
Science Fiction
Perceval in Dust by Elizabeth Bear (
(Book 1 of the Jacob's Ladder trilogy)
The main character Perceval is an asexual, female identified character who falls in love with Rien, a lesbian (also her half sister).
A last remnant of a once great society, a broken ship full of genetically engineered beings and competing AIs, replete with mythological imagery, religious allegory and feudalism; when a high class Angel is captured by an opposing house in a bid to start a way, she must escape with the half sister she discovers there. But of course, things only become more complicated from there. An epic science fiction mediaeval romance with lesbian and genderqueer characters.
Shortlisted for the 2008 Best Novel Gaylactic Spectrum Award
Mary and Layla in A Mask for the General by Lisa Goldstein
Young Mary, who becomes apprenticed to Layla, a famous maskmaker (something that is rife with superstition and awe). A dystopian novel of the future that follows the love between two women, along with issues of sanity and medication, freedom and all the other things that come along with the collapse of modern society.
- One woman has a sexual relationship with a man, though it comes secondary to the relationship between the women.
- A Mask for the General on Amazon
Young Adult
Shades of Gay by Stephanie Silberstein
Written by an asexual author, one of the major supporting characters, Emily, is a confirmed asexual. She is very active in the lives and romance of the main character, a gay teen, and his bisexual love interest.
Historical
A much cited classic of lesbian literature, this novel revolved around two women who set up a home together, at the Whistle Stop Cafe in Alabama in the 1920s.
The Bostonians by Henry James
Written in 1886, this classic piece of literature follows the lives of two nineteenth century women in Boston. Verena Tarrant is an astonishing orator for women's rights, and Olive is a passionate feminist, who sees in Verena a soul mate. But where she desires Verena's mind and abilities, a man is busy desiring her body. A satire on possession, and the struggle to 'own' the spirited Verena, as well as an insightful study of women's rights. While it certainly hints at lesbianism, it doesn't really go any further, openly.
Nonfiction Boston Marriages: Romantic but Asexual Relationships Among Contemporary Lesbians by Esther D. Rothblum and Kathleen A. Brehony (1993)
The only book out there that really examines the 'Boston Marriage', (asexual yet loving relationships between women). A collection of essays and personal stories.
The Hite Report on Women Loving Women by Shere Hite (republished 2009)
A study of relationships between women, including familal, sexual and 'intimate but not sexual'. The author is internationally recognised for her work on gender relations and psychosexuality. You may also be interested in The Hite Report: A National Study of Female Sexuality (2003), which is an in-depth and somewhat graphic look at women and sex.
Webcomics:
Mundane Nirvana - one of the two female protagonists in this awesome, random, geeky and now complete webcomic is asexual. The other is bisexual.
Girls With Slingshots - began pretty heterosexually, but over the years has picked up an increasing number of lesbians. The main character's best friend/co-protagonist is in an established, officially asexual, lesbian relationship which was stable for a very long time (more so than most of the other relationships).
Shoujo-ai/subtext manga/anime
Some of the characters in manga can be considered asexual, especially if one assumes that the lesbian subtext is in fact the full 'text' and the reason characters never made it to full yuri status is not because they were straight, but because they were asexual.
Titles that contain characters that are a good example of this include:
Note: currently all links to anime
Some of the characters in manga can be considered asexual, especially if one assumes that the lesbian subtext is in fact the full 'text' and the reason characters never made it to full yuri status is not because they were straight, but because they were asexual.
Titles that contain characters that are a good example of this include:
Note: currently all links to anime
- Aoi Hana
- Black Rock Shooter
- Blue Drop
- El Cazador de la Bruja
- Maria-sama ga Miteru (Marimite)/ Maria Watches Over Us
- Noir
There are a few more possible characters that could be included, but asexuals in fiction are tricky, so we need to double check them first!
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