Actually, I'm not sure if this counts as gay read. However, it's such a classic and acclaimed book that I think it deserves its own post. It was written by Ursula LeGuin in the 1960s and won the Nebula and Hugo awards when first published.

The reason I say that it may not count as a gay read is that it tells the story of an envoy who has been sent to a world called 'Winter' inviting them to join a coalition of planets. However, all the inhabitants of Winter are the same sex. In that respect, perhaps Wreathru by Storm Constantine deserves a separate mention as although you're talking about another race, the sexual tone changes and makes for an involving and thought-provoking read. When the authors refer to the inhabitants as 'he', (and particularly in the case of Wreathru where men can become this other sex) the same dynamic exists, often throwing up many prejudices and exploring questions of sexuality in a new way.

I don't know how to tell you much about this book without giving away the story but as the blurb on the back states, he is 'met with fear, mistrust and disbelief'. There are political and personal ramifications and I found the end to be as haunting and chilling as the planet, which has 'Arctic-conditions even at the warmest time of year'. If you enjoy the story it's one of those books that's not easy to forget and it's one of those I plan to keep and re-read.

This sounds very interesting (andd I must add a thread for Wraeththu - thanks for the reminder!).

I once read a very thought-provoking and detailed fanfic called The Left Hand of Madness, based on Tom/Chakotay from Star Trek: Voyager. As usual *g* there was a transporter malfunction and Tom began to turn into a woman, and Chakotay fell in love with him/her. The story sounds hackneyed but the skill was in the little everyday details andd the sheer believability of the characters' reactions to the situation.

Given the titles, I'm wondering if the writer based her fanfic on this book?

It certainly sounds like it -- I think it must have been a deliberate homage.

Time I re-read Left Hand of Darkness. I wonder where my copy is?

Er, in a box?

*Snort* Oh that's mean. Glad someone else here had heard of it though and yes, that other book definitely sounds like an homage.

It truly is a good read. The only reason I can think of someone not liking it is if they aren't into classic literature. In other words, many books sound a little old-fashioned to the modern ear and may feel a little slow, but I think that's a pity. I like many books that fall into an older style of writing and I think we're in danger of getting lazy. I'm pained at how many modern novels are written in fragmented sentences.

The Left Hand of Darkness really does make you look at the prejudices against sexuality.

Thank you, that's very helpful. The question now is, which box, and which of (at least) three locations the box could be in.

We've unpacked almost all the boxes that are in the flat, though, so I may spend some time today rearranging the bookshelves so the books are in some sort of rational order rather than stuffed in as fast as we could open boxes.

There are two short stories set on Gethen. Details at Wikipedia:

Winter's King
Coming of age in Karhide

There's a third story that includes Gethenians as characters.