Rich socialite, inveterate flirt, and walking disaster Tennalhin Halkana can read minds. Conscripted into the military under dubious circumstances, Tennal is placed into the care of Lieutenant Surit Yeni, a duty-bound soldier, principled leader, and the son of a notorious traitor general. Whereas Tennal can read minds, Surit can influence them. Surit accepted a suspicious promotion-track request out of desperation, but he refuses to go through with his illegal orders to sync and control an unconsenting Tennal. So, they lie: They fake a sync bond and plan Tennal’s escape. Can two unwilling weapons of war bring about peace? In the modern era, we’ve got two key archetypes of what makes a space adventure: Hard Science Fiction (AKA Star Trek) and Space Opera (AKA Star Wars). Hard Sci Fi digs into the details of space travel and interplanetary communications, often exploring concepts of colonization and consumption. The space adventures in these stories often include quieter battles, often including one group or person addressing some element of people’s lives that could change for the better. Think Lilith’s Brood or The Martian. Space Opera, on the other hand, is Fantasy In Space. The science is a little wobbly, there are galactic monarchies and empires, and the battle is against the Big Bad who might be oppressing all beings across many galaxies. We’re talking Dune elements of grandeur. There are people who like one or the other; but both are pretty awesome, and there are some great people doing super interesting things in the sci-fi world. And then, you make it queer, and nothing else matters, because that’s the best thing an author can do to make their story even more attractive. (If they’re doing it right and respectfully, obviously. And works by queer authors are often going to feel more authentic than those that aren’t by queer authors, but there’s still some fun to be had. Wait and see.) The queerness of a space adventure doesn’t have to involve a romantic relationship between central characters, but sometimes that makes it all the more fun — well, for me anyway. No matter what kind of queer space adventure you might be looking for, you should find something worth your while in this list! Queer space adventures can be exciting and ridiculous, or darker and heartbreaking. Or somewhere in the middle. The main characters’ (or their friends’, family’s, and societal) gender and sexual identities could have a central purpose and connection to the story, or they could instead inform their personality and actions without being the story. They could be Important Stories or a fun romp across the galaxies. Either way, we love them to the Moon and back.
