Gaylactic Spectrum Awards: Best Novel Winners & Finalists

The Gaylactic Spectrum Awards are dedicated to science fiction, fantasy, horror and a few less easily categorised books with LGBTQ themes.

The Best Novel category is the most consistent, being awarded every year (mostly for gay male or lesbian characters, rather than the rest of the spectrum) and includes a lot of good books. 

Other Awards from the Gaylactic Spectrum Awards (pending)

• Overview of the GSA and quicklist of lesbian works that received awards

• Discontinued Categories (People's Choice, Hall of Fame & Comic/Graphic Novel) winners and finalists

• Best Other Work and Best Short Fiction winners and finalists

The Best Novel Winners and Finalists From 1999-2011

2011

Winner: Under the Poppy by Kathe Koja (Small Beer Press) (gay male, historical)

Shortlist:

• Black Blade Blues by J.A. Pitts (Tor) (lesbian, urban fantasy)
• Bob the Book by David Pratt (Chelsea Street Editions) (surreal/fantasy, gay male)
• A Book of Tongues by Gemma Files (ChiZine Publications) (gay male, fantasy/horror, historical/Civil War)
• Red Hood's Revenge by Jim C. Hines (DAW) (lesbian, fairytales/fantasy) [Review]
• Stealing Fire by Jo Graham (Orbit) (historical fantasy, gay male)
• The White Road by Lynn Flewelling (Spectra) (fantasy, gay male)
• The Wolf at the Door by Jameson Currier (Chelsea Street Editions) (gay male, ghosts)

2010

Winner: The Steel Remains by Richard Morgan (Del Rey) (gay male, fantasy)

Shortlist: 

• Ash by Malinda Lo (Little, Brown) (lesbian, fantasy/fairytale, YA) [Review] 
• By the Mountain Bound by Elizabeth Bear (Tor)  (gay male, fantasy, mythology)
• Centuries Ago and Very Fast by Rebecca Ore (Aqueduct Press) [LGBT Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Finalist, Lambda Awards 2009] (gay male, fantasy, time travel, short stories)
• The Enchantment Emporium by Tanya Huff (DAW) (gay male secondary character, urban fantasy)
• Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey (Grand Central) (bisexual female lead, fantasy)
• Palimpsest by Catherynne Valente (Bantam Spectra) [LGBT Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Winner, Lambda Awards 2009] (fantasy/surrealism, general bisexuality - gay, straight, lesbian)
• The Red Tree by Caitlin Kiernan (Roc) (lesbian, horror, paranormal)
• Seven for a Secret by Elizabeth Bear (Subterranean Press) (lesbian, vampires, shapeshifters, alternate history)
• Strange Fortune by Josh Lanyon (Blind Eye) (gay male, fantasy)

2009

Winner: The Stratford Man (Compilation; Vol. 1 Ink and Steel, Vol. 2 Hell and Earth) by Elizabeth Bear (Roc) (gay male, alternate history, fantasy)

Shortlist: 

• All the Windwracked Stars by Elizabeth Bear (Tor) (fantasy, steampunk, scifi, female protagonist, gay male characters)
• City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (McElderry) (urban fantasy, secondary gay male romance, YA)
• Havemercy by Jaida Jones & Danielle Bennett (Bantam Spectra) (fantasy, gay male)
• Shadow's Return (Nightrunner Bk. 4) by Lynn Flewelling (Bantam Spectra) (fantasy, gay male)
• Turnskin by Nicole Kimberling (Blind Eye Books) [LGBT Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Winner, Lambda Awards 2008] (gay male, urban fantasy, shapeshifting)

2008

Winner: Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale (Blind Eye Books) [LGBT Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Finalist, Lambda Awards 2007] (gay male, alternate history, fantasy)

Shortlist: 

• Daughters of the North by Sarah Hall (Harper Perennial) (lesbian, dystopia)
• Dust by Elizabeth Bear (Bantam Spectra) (lesbian, scifi)
• Ha'Penny by Jo Walton (Tor) [LGBT Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Finalist, Lambda Awards 2007] (alternate history, mystery, WW2, gay male)
• Hero by Perry Moore (Hyperion) (YA, gay male superhero)
• Hex: A Novel of Love Spells by Darieck Scott (Carroll & Graf) (gay male, paranormal/magical realism)
• Ink: The Book of All Hours by Hal Duncan (Del Rey) (fantasy/surreal, gay male)
• Lady Knight by L-J Baker (Bold Strokes Books) (lesbian, historical/fantasy, romance) [Review]
• New Amsterdam by Elizabeth Bear (Subterranean)  (female protagonist, vampires, bisexual/polyamorous male, alternate history, fantasy, short stories, mystery)
• Spaceman Blues: A Love Song by Brian Francis Slattery (Tor) [LGBT Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Finalist, Lambda Awards 2007] (gay male, scifi, mystery)
• Vintage by Steve Berman (Lethe Press)  (gay male, paranormal/horror)
• Whiskey & Water: A Novel of the Promethean Age by Elizabeth Bear (Roc) (gay male, alternate history, fantasy)

2007

Winner: Vellum: The Book of All Hours by Hal Duncan (Del Rey)  (fantasy/surreal, gay male)

Shortlist: 

• Carnival by Elizabeth Bear (Bantam) [LGBT Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Finalist, Lambda Awards 20067] 
• Dragon's Teeth by James Hetley (Ace) (lesbian, urban fantasy/mystery)
• The Growing by Susanne M. Beck & Okasha Skat'si (P.D. Publishing) (lesbian, science fiction)
• The Privilege Of The Sword by Ellen Kushner (Bantam Spectra) (lesbian/cross-dressing, historical/fantasy)
• Smoke and Ashes by Tanya Huff (DAW) (gay male, vampires)
• Snow by Wheeler Scott (Torquere) [buy/download from Fictionwise] (gay male, fairytale)
• Spin Control by Chris Moriarty (Bantam Spectra) [LGBT Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Finalist, Lambda Awards 2006] (gay male, scifi, clones)
• The Virtu - Sarah Monette (Ace) (gay male, fantasy)

2006

Winner: Cagebird by Karin Lowachee (Warner Aspect) (gay male, scifi)

Shortlist: 

• Bite Club by Hal Bodner (Alyson) (gay male, urban fantasy/vampires)
• Dragon's Eye by James Hetley (Ace) (lesbian, urban fantasy/mystery)
• Smoke and Mirrors - Tanya Huff (DAW) (gay male, urban fantasy/vampires)
• The Strange Adventures of Rangergirl by Tim Pratt (Bantam Spectra) (female bisexual character, fantasy) 
• The Summer Isles by Ian R. MacLeod (Aio) (alternate history, mystery, WW2, gay male)
• The Vesuvius Club by Mark Gatiss (Scribner) (gay male, humour, paranormal, alternate history) 

2005

Winner: Earth Logic by Laurie Marks (Tor) (lesbian, gay male, fantasy) [Review]

Shortlist: 

• Dog Warrior by Wen Spencer (Roc) (gay male, scifi, shapeshifting/aliens) 
• The First Stone by Mark Anthony (Spectra) (gay male, fantasy) 
• Murder of Angels by Caitlin Kiernan (Roc) (lesbian, paranormal/horror) 
• Offspring by Steven Harper (Roc) (gay male, scifi, aliens) 
• The Ordinary by Jim Grimsley (Tor) (scifi, magic, lesbian)
• Reruns by Selina Rosen (Yard Dog) (lesbian, urban scifi/superheroes)
• Smoke and Shadows by Tanya Huff (DAW) (gay male, urban fantasy/vampires)

2004

Winner: The Salt Roads, by Nalo Hopkinson (Warner) (lesbian, fantasy, historical)

Shortlist: 

• The Hidden Warrior, by Lynn Flewelling (Bantam) (YA, fantasy, transgender) 
• Hybrids, by Robert Sawyer (Tor) (bisexual society, heterosexual romance, scifi)
• Lust: or No Harm Done, by Geoff Ryman (St. Martin's) (bisexual male, fantasy/erotica) 
• Spin State, by Chris Moriarty (Bantam Dell) (bisexual female/gender switching, scifi)
• Storyteller, by Amy Thomson (Ace) (gay male, scifi)
• Trickster, by Steven Harper (Roc) (gay male, scifi) 
• Troll: A Love Story, by Johanna Sinisalo (Grove) (gay male, fantasy/horror) 
• also known as Not Before Sundown 

2003

Winner: Fire Logic, by Laurie Marks (Tor) (lesbian, gay male, fantasy) [Review]


Shortlist: 

• Solitaire by Kelley Eskridge (Harper Eos) (lesbian, scifi) 
• Lorimal's Chalice by Jane Fletcher (Fortitude Press) (lesbian, fantasy)
• The Fall of the Kings by Ellen Kushner & Delia Sherman (Bantam Spectra) (gay male, fantasy)
• Hominids by Robert Sawyer (Tor) (bisexual society/male characters, scifi)
• Nightmare: A Novel of the Silent Empire by Steven Harper (Roc) (gay male, scifi)
• Dance for the Ivory Madonna, by Don Sakers (Speed-of-C) (gay male, scifi, mystery)

2002 

Winner: The Song of the Earth by Hugh Nissenson (Algonquin Books) (gay male, scifi)

Shortlist: 

• Bouncing Off the Moon by David Gerrold (Tor) (scifi, gay male & minor bisexual female characters) 
• Dreamer by Steven Harper (Roc) (scifi, gay male)
• The Ghost Sister by Liz Williams (Bantam)  (scifi, lesbian)
• The Kappa Child by Hiromi Goto (Red Deer Press) (magical realism, lesbian)
• Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey (Tor) (fantasy, bisexual female)
• A Paradigm of Earth by Candas Jane Dorsey (Tor) (scifi, asexual alien, lesbian)
• Point of Dreams by Melissa Scott and Lisa Barnett (Tor) (scifi, mystery, gay male)

2001 

Winner: Jumping Off the Planet by David Gerrold (scifi, gay male & secondary lesbian characters) 
Shortlist: 

• The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon (Random House)  (alternate history, superheroes, WW2, gay male)
• The Chosen by Ricardo Pinto (Tor) (fantasy, gay male)
• A Face Without A Heart: A Modern-day Version of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray by Rick Reed (Design Image Group) (gay male, horror, paranormal)
• The Jazz by Melissa Scott (Tor) (scifi, cyberpunk, lesbian)
• Kirith Kirin by Jim Grimsley (Meisha Merlin) (fantasy, gay male)
• Teranesia by Greg Egan (HarperCollins/EOS) (scifi, biology, gay male)

2000 

Winners (tie):

• The Gumshoe, The Witch and The Virtual Corpse by Keith Hartman (Meisha Merlin) (scifi, mystery, gay male) [also won People's Choice 1999]
• The Wild Swans by Peg Kerr (fantasy, gay male)

Shortlist: 

• The Annunciate by Severna Park (Eos) (lesbian, scifi)
• The Granite Shield by Fiona Patton (DAW) (fantasy, gay male, bisexual society)
• The Quartered Sea by Tanya Huff (DAW) (fantasy, gay male, bisexual society)
• Traitor's Moon by Lynn Flewelling (Bantam Spectra) (fantasy, gay male)

1999

Winners (tie):

• Accidental Creatures by Anne Harris (Tor) (lesbian, scifi)
• Dark Water's Embrace by Stephen Leigh (AvonEos) (scifi,  third gender/intersex)

Shortlist: 

• Halfway Human by Carolyn Ives Gilman (AvonEos) (scifi, third gender asexual/gender neutral aliens)
• Maximum Light by Nancy Kress (Tor) (scifi, gay male)
• The Painter Knight by Fiona Patton (DAW) (fantasy, bisexual male, bisexual society)

Other Awards from the Gaylactic Spectrum Awards (pending)

• Overview of the GSA and quicklist of lesbian works that received awards
• Discontinued Categories (People's Choice, Hall of Fame & Comic/Graphic Novel) winners and finalists
• Best Other Work and Best Short Fiction winners and finalists

       
You may also be interested in:

• The LGBTQ Book Awards Page 
• The Stonewall Book Awards
• The Alice B Readers award  
• The Lambda Literary Awards