Some Covers of Some Lesbian Sci-Fi Books

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I’ve been reading science fiction since I was a kid, and I distinctly remember the cover of the first book of the genre I ever picked up. It was a bright and bold action scene, perfectly capturing that golden age adventure style designed to lure teenage boys and 9-year-old me. Sci-fi fans will be familiar with the typical cover tropes: moodily-lit planets, alien landscapes and a lot of spaceships.

When I made a pledge to myself a few years back to only read books by or about queer people, I wondered whether the cover art would be subtly queered in the process. The answer, in many cases, was no: it was queered to the absolute max. From dubious 90s design trends to the modern day marvel of the self-made Kindle cover, I found so many breathtaking examples that I felt compelled to share them.

Even though you sometimes can judge a book by its cover, I will make no value statements about the books below. Let’s just sit back and admire the artistry – and please do share any other gems you’ve discovered in the comments!

FutureDyke

Are we really going to be spending FOUR THOUSAND YEARS trying to answer the question of our generation: is love a lie? I think I’ve finally worked out what a dystopia is.

In the Blood

One of my favourite cover art tropes is “butch heroine staring moodily into the distance,” which can be found plentifully in the world of lesbian sci-fi. I particularly like this example from 1989 for the implicit suggestion the whole plot will revolve around periods.

Vortex of Crimson

Yes – it’s another butch heroine staring moodily into the distance with the implicit suggestion the whole plot will revolve around periods, but WITH EXPLOSIONS.

No Sister of Mine

I was devastated when I purchased this book but it arrived with an alternative cover that did not suggest the same level of lesbian telepathic merging. It’s ok though! It’s entirely about telepathic lesbian merging!

Priorities

In this book everyone hates cyborgs, even though they might secretly be cyborgs, and are definitely in love with at least one cyborg. This is one of those great sci-fi books where it’s not explicitly an all-female society, it’s just the author forgot that men might exist in the future. At no point is it explained how the cyborgs maintain the hairstyles depicted on this cover.

Exodus Book One: Advance

I love any cover where you can imagine someone was up all night on 3DS Max and failed to see how deeply they were sliding down the uncanny valley. I’ve been staring at this cover so long, trying to work out what’s going on with that hand, that by the time I snap out of it we may have finally determined if love is a lie.

Space Lesbians

The official prequel to Carol, before Therese got flung out.

Swans and Klons

I feel like this cover presents a future that tackles another age-old queer concern of “do I want her, or want to be her?” by saying: yes.

Star Pilot II: The Wrath of the Queen

Forget the recent trend in sci-fi lit of sentient (and therefore queer) spacecraft – THIS is how you make spaceships gay!

Deep Merge

I’ll just leave this one here.

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Sally

Sally lives in the UK. Her work has been featured in a Korean magazine about queer people and their pets, and a book about haunted prisons. She never intended for any of this to happen.

Sally has written 75 articles for us.

47 Comments

  1. I wish I knew how to put on pics but this cover of Joanna Russ’s The Female Man (the entire reason I bought the book initially, but it’s worth a read) is the greatest example of bizarre lesbian classic sci-fi covers
    https://www.google.com/search?q=joanna+russ+the+female+man&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS835US835&hl=en-US&prmd=niv&sxsrf=ACYBGNQpy0Jxy2Vh83N105IE_2O4J5orTw:1571674228582&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjhl-Pg3q3lAhXBneAKHTXRBF0Q_AUIFygC&biw=414&bih=722#imgrc=7FbmWicln_ez3M

    Reply to This Comment

      • Right? I was desperately confused by it as a teen. I mean, it’s a riff on Greek society! With the sexes kept separate! But homosexuality would have messed up the social points she was trying to make, so she just… erased queer people in a one paragraph throw-away about genetic modification. Sad. SAD.

        I still enjoy a lot of her writing, but yeah no joke c’mon

        Reply to This Comment

  13. sally i laughed so hard my kitten fell off the couch

    i feel like there’s a missing link between the weird uncanny handdrawn art and the weird uncanny computer art and that link is 90s cgi. this is your mission, should u choose to accept it

    Reply to This Comment

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