representation saves lives. For non-cisgender people, finding fiction and non-fiction that speaks to our feelings and lived experiences is important, uplifting, and validating.
As a non-binary reader and writer, being seen and inspired by non-binary books has changed everything for me, and it can do the same for you.
You are reading: Books with nonbinary characters
essential non-binary books to read
What you’ll find here are two lists of non-binary books: one for non-binary fiction and the other for non-binary non-fiction.
Non-binary fiction is diverse, encompassing various formats and genres. features books by non-binary writers, as well as books featuring non-binary characters (which may have been written by non-binary, trans, or cisgender authors).
nonbinary nonfiction primarily features inspirational nonbinary books and memoirs that aim to educate, comfort, and inspire cis and non-cis people alike.
These lists are far from definitive, but all the books here are important. I hope you feel inspired.
non-binary fiction
As I mentioned, the non-binary books on this list range from novels with non-binary characters to books with characters from all genres but written by non-binary writers.
the one who became the sun by shelley parker-chan
She Who Became the Sun is a genderqueer retelling of the origin story of one of China’s most iconic historical figures: Zhu Yuanzhang, founding emperor of the Ming dynasty.
Set in the 14th century, she who became the sun takes the story of zhu yuanzhang, the story of a peasant who became a monk, then a rebel leader, and finally an emperor, and turns it into a beautiful fantasy inspired genre epic.
In its first chapter, the one that became the sun shows us a peasant family on the verge of starvation. Although a fortuneteller has told the father that his son will find greatness, the father and son are soon killed, and all that remains is the daughter with no destiny.
this daughter takes the name zhu chongba, the name of her brother, disguises herself as a man, seeks refuge in a monastery, and from there rises through the ranks of a rebel army as they gain power against the mongols which currently occupy china.
As a piece of non-binary fiction, She Who Became the Sun explores the life of someone who is at first a woman disguised as a man, but then finds her identity as both and neither. zhu chongba is a truly inspiring non-binary lead.
nettleblack by nat reeve
nettleblack is the debut novel by british non-binary author nat reeve. Of all the non-binary books we’ve read, this is the biggest celebration of queerness.
Influenced by shakespeare, dickens, agatha christie, and reminiscent of settings found in hot fuzz and schitt’s creek, nettleblack is an absolute delight.
Written in an epistolary style, Nettleblack is set in the late 19th century and tells the story of Henry Nettleblack, the youngest daughter of a family who made their fortune developing a medicinal tincture.
When henry’s older sister wishes to marry her into the nobility, she runs away, and a strange twist of fate places her in the ranks of a local vigilante group called the dallyangle division.
There he meets and clumsily works alongside a host of eccentric characters with names that would make Dickens jealous and personalities straight out of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies.
one of these characters is pip property, a wonderful dandy of a non-binary character.
In a scene that should go down in history, Henry’s meeting with the property consists of them explaining the they/them pronouns by asking Henry to “follow in the footsteps of sweet shakespeare and use them.”
nettleblack warms and entertains in equal measure; it is a celebration of strangeness and difference. it congratulates those of us who don’t fit into the status quo and gives us a wonderful world to escape to.
no love for alice oseman
Alice Oseman is a cisgender queer author. her novels and comics have inspired and comforted countless readers, young and old. In Without Love, a novel inspired by her own experiences, she presented a memorable non-binary character.
while the focus of loveless is on its protagonist, a young woman who discovers her asexual identity, an important supporting character is sunil, a non-binary character who plays the role of the new president of the durham university queer society .
sunil is written with sensitivity and enthusiasm, a wise and thoughtful non-binary character who had a huge impact on this writer when I was first discovering my own non-binary gender identity.
flamboyant phoenix by yoon ha lee
Put bluntly, Phoenix Extravagant is one of the best non-binary books you’ll ever read. a fantasy novel about art, politics and dragons.
American author Yoon Ha Lee is a transgender man living in Texas, and in extravagant Phoenix he has written one of the most exciting non-binary books of our time.
Our protagonist is Gyen Jebi, a non-binary artist recruited by his nation’s Ministry of Armor to paint the magical sigils that bring the automatons of the occupying army to life.
Set in an allegorical world of Japanese-occupied Korea, this is an artfully political fantasy novel.
pet by akwaeke emezi
akwaeke emezi is a visionary writer; there is no other word for this. His first freshwater novel caught the attention of countless people, winning him awards and putting them on the map as an author to watch out for.
They have been churning out books of all genres and styles in a surprisingly short space of time, and pet marked their debut.
pet is an exciting novel with some poignant themes about the generational divide between young and old, as the young rise up and the older generations shrug their shoulders with instinct and enthusiasm.
In Pet, we follow Jam, a young girl who has been taught that there are no more monsters. And yet, she has come to meet Pet, a creature born from one of her mother’s paintings.
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emezi is a bold voice in contemporary literature, a non-binary writer who writes some of the most intelligent non-binary books (and books in general) of our time.
the black tides of the neon yang sky
neon yang (formerly jy yang) is a non-binary writer from singapore. His novels The Black Tides of Heaven and The Red Threads of Fortune were published together and tell the story of the Mokoya and Akeha twins, children sold to the great monastery.
Each of the twins possesses powerful prophetic gifts, with Mokoya seeing what will happen and Akeha seeing what is possible. When Akeha sees the monstrous political moves her protector mother will soon take, she leaves to join a growing rebellion. this leads to a widening schism between the twins.
This is a beautiful pair of fantasy novels from one of the most exciting non-binary authors being written today.
a cruelty of ghosts by Solomon’s rivers
rivers solomon is an american author based in the uk. fae is a non-binary writer who uses the pronouns fae/faer. The first science fiction novel, An Unkindness of Ghosts, explores systemic and structural racism in a science fiction setting.
Aboard a generation ship (an interstellar ship that travels for generations), a cruelty of ghosts uses the structure of the matilda ship to explore systems of racial divisions.
rivers solomon is one of the most exciting non-binary writers working today, which makes unkindness of ghosts one of the most exciting and topical non-binary books, especially when you consider its main take on racism through through science fiction.
I wish you all the best for mason deaver
Mason Deaver’s novel I wish you all the best is at the top of many readers’ non-binary book lists. tells the story of ben, a high school senior who tells his parents that he is non-binary and then immediately gets expelled.
ben moves in with his older sister and her husband, comes out of the closet and gets back to navigating what’s left of his school life. Things get even more complicated when they befriend a boy named Nathan, who, personality-wise, is the yin to Ben’s yang.
this relationship between ben and nathan begins to grow, change and complicate as time goes on. I Wish You All The Best is one of the loveliest and most moving non-binary books on the shelves. it has the power to touch many lives in many ways.
banned by anna north
California born, new york based journalist anna north has written here a fantastic and funny piece of american historical fiction on outlawed.
Set in the Wild West, loosely inspired by real people and events, Outlawed follows the story of Ada, a young woman who is unable to conceive. confined both mentally and physically by her community, she escapes and joins the outlaw hole in the wall gang.
The gang of female outlaws is led by a character known only as the boy. the child never has a gender or is given pronouns. they exist only as the child. this is a truly inspiring non-binary character, especially for a piece of historical fiction.
although anna north is a cisgender woman, she is professionally interested in gender issues through her journalism and has created one of the best non-binary books here thanks to her creation of the child.
on a sunbeam by tillie walden
on a sunbeam is the most beautiful and ambitious graphic novel from multi-talented writer/artist tillie walden.
Set between a boarding school in space and a ship whose crew is tasked with visiting and repairing space ruins to reconstruct the past, In a Sunbeam follows Mia, a new member of the Aktis crew.
what makes this one of the best non-binary books is the existence of crewman elliot, a non-binary character and silent member of the ship aktis.
the inclusion of a non-binary character is always cause for celebration, and framing a character’s existence as ordinary to the point of being nondescript is satisfying, demonstrating how acceptance can morph into normalcy as time goes on .
on a sunbeam is also a captivating and utterly beautiful contemporary graphic novel. a real pleasure for the eyes.
the discomfort of the night by marieke lucas rijneveld
translated from dutch by michele hutchison
the awkwardness of the night was the winner of the international booker prize 2020. a dutch novel by non-binary author marieke lucas rijneveld. It is also Rijneveld’s first novel.
Told from the perspective of ten-year-olds, The Discomfort of the Night is a story of pain and the impact of religion on a family.
When the oldest son in the family dies, Jas’s parents spiral into depression and grow apart from each other. this family are rural farmers and devout Christians.
The family is torn apart by grief and their own relationship with religion. This is an exploration of the ways that parents’ attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs can seriously affect their children’s inner and outer lives, and we see it all from the child’s perspective.
the wife cast by sarah gailey
The Echo Wife is not one of the defining non-binary books in any ordinary sense, as this excellent piece of science fiction includes only cisgender characters. its author, however, is a non-binary writer.
sarah gailey identifies as non-binary, and her mere existence as a writer for enby is cause for celebration; Representation in the world of literature does not always have to come from fiction and its characters, but rather from the personal successes of non-binary writers.
sarah gailey does a lot of just existing publicly. luckily for them, and for us, the echo wife is also a phenomenal science fiction novel.
The Echo’s Wife follows Evelyn, a recently divorced research biologist. Early in the novel, we discover that her ex-husband’s new wife is, in fact, a clone of Evelyn that he created. She is close, she is also pregnant.
This is a fantastic science fiction novel, and the fact that it’s written by an amazing non-binary author is cause for celebration.
read more: must read science fiction books written by women (and non-binary authors)
mordew by alex pheby
mordew is another curious book, as far as non-binary books go. Cisgender author Alex Pheby has created a murky, nasty, Lovecraftian fantasy world here. in him, however, there is an inspiring and imaginative non-binary character.
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mordew is set in the titular town of mordew, a place where mud is alive and its protagonist, nathan, who lives in a slum, drags that mud to collect things he can sell.
Early in the book, Nathan meets and is welcomed into a gang of cowardly young men. a member of this gang is a non-binary character: a pair of twins who exist in the same body.
As the light changes, her countenance seems to transform between male and female binaries. They are an original and exciting non-binary character that alone makes Mordew one of the most original non-binary books (and fantasy books) on the shelves. unexpected and delicious.
non-binary nonfiction
what you will find here is a selection of inspirational and educational non-binary books from queer, non-binary and transgender writers.
if you are experimenting with your gender identity; if you think you can be non-binary; if you know you are not binary but want to understand the history and culture more deeply; if you are cisgender but want to educate yourself; Or if you have a non-binary friend you want to understand better, these non-binary books are for you.
gender queer: memories of maia kobabe
maia kobabe is a non-binary writer who uses the e/em/eir pronouns. at gender queer we have created an impressive and educational graphic report.
Tracing a line from childhood to adulthood, the queer genre uses an honest and forceful opening to create a kind of discourse between writer and reader, encouraging the reader to listen, consider and understand.
This is a heartfelt story of self-discovery that everyone can relate to, even if they’re cis. after all, we’ve all experienced self-discovery in some way, shape or form.
What makes this one of the best non-binary books for modern readers is its honesty, clarity, and how both are enhanced by its art. creating a graphic memory rather than one built entirely from prose somehow makes it more engaging and more honest.
beyond binary gender by alok vaid-menon
beyond the gender binary is part of a collection of pocket books known as the pocket change collective: small books written by big names in the world of art and activism.
Written as a short manifesto and survival guide for queer people of all persuasions, Beyond the Gender Binary seeks to educate, enlighten and celebrate the lives of queer people. written with love, kindness, and understanding by an American icon who doesn’t conform to the genre.
a quick & easy guide to they/them pronouns by archie bongiovanni and tristan jimerson
This is a short and fun graphic guide created by two best friends, one a non-binary artist and the other a cisgender man, who want to help the world understand and navigate the world of pronouns.
Their mission led to the co-creation of this fun little graphic guide that explains the importance of using pronouns correctly and even how to handle your own slips when they do occur.
This is a detailed guide to non-binary books that is especially valuable for our cisgender friends.
gender euphoria by laura kate dale
laura kate dale is a transgender legend. a video game expert, podcaster, and author (whose awkwardly labeled memoir makes for highly inspiring and empathetic reading).
in gender euphoria, dale has brought together the words of non-binary, transgender, and intersex writers, compiling them into an uplifting celebration of genderqueerness.
gender euphoria is a warm anthology of non-cisgender writers celebrating their own gender journey.
too many stories, both fiction and non-fiction, focus on the scary, tragic and difficult aspects of non-cisgender life. Gender Euphoria’s mission is to show the world how beautiful, exciting, and liberating it can be to be trans, intersex, and non-binary.
This is a very important book for young readers who are realizing that they can be trans or non-binary, or for anyone who needs to see the positive, good and powerful side of being a non-cisgender person.
This is, without a doubt, one of the most vital, moving, and exciting non-binary and transgender books ever assembled. thanks, laura kate dale.
in her shoes by jamie windus
Of all the non-binary books out there, this is the one I wish I had written. a frank, funny, uplifting and inspiring book about being non-binary from a non-binary writer living the happy life of him.
in their shoes combines memoir and manifesto to create something that can serve as a guide to non-binary life for trans, non-binary and cisgender people alike.
personal stories and experiences range from fashion to pronouns, from work life to sex, from physical to mental health. Jamie Windust covers it all, and they do it with humor and wonderful wit.
While this is a fun and entertaining book, it also has a myriad of important lessons to teach instead; one of the most important is this: there is no right or wrong way to be non-binary. it is a gender identity that you can create for yourself.
life is not binary: on being both, beyond and in between by alex iantaffi and meg-john barker
Life Is Non-Binary is a pretty fantastic piece of non-fiction, existing as one of the most powerful non-binary books and a guide to rethinking our approach to all other binaries in ordinary life.
This is an engaging, almost interactive book that invites readers to consider their own binaries. discusses the fluidity of human experiences. uses non-binary and bisexual experiences as examples of a less rigid way of seeing and experiencing the rigidity of modern life.
While it celebrates non-binary life, Life Is Non-Binary goes much further, projecting the non-binary experience into all aspects of life, from sex to work and beyond. an intelligent, progressive and inspiring book for our time.
what’s the t? the no-nonsense guide to all things trans and/or non-binary for teens by juno dawson
The author of this book is gay, Juno Dawson has focused here on the transgender and non-binary experience, writing a book for teens to better understand the world of non-cisgender youth.
Juno Dawson is a former trans teacher and author who invited other trans and non-binary writers to offer their own insights, asserting that like gender euphoria, what’s the t? is a diverse examination and celebration of trans and non-binary experiences.
written specifically for teens, what’s the t? offers advice on sex, relationships, and coming out as a non-cisgender young person in the 21st century.
important and impactful as one of the best non-binary and transgender books today.
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