AFAB or ACE Main Characters

[Carol]

Does anyone have any recommendations of novels featuring main characters who are AFAB or asexual, or have you found good lists or resources? Please share them here.

This list -- geared toward teen/YA readers -- seems good, but I haven't read any of them and would love to hear from members who have. (includes male authors) Bonus - it includes trigger warnings on a wide variety of topics.

http://queerbooksforteens.com/best-of...

Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

Quicksilver by R.J. Anderson

Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

The King's Name by Jo Walton (Not YA)

Fourth World by Lyssa Chiavari

Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp

City of Strife by Claudie Arseneault

[Cendaquenta]

Doesn't AFAB just mean "assigned female at birth"? Wouldn't that be any character who's a cis woman or trans man? (Or some enby characters, if that info is given in the book.)

[Anita]

Cendaquenta wrote: "Doesn't AFAB just mean "assigned female at birth"? Wouldn't that be any character who's a cis woman or trans man? (Or some enby characters, if that info is given in the book.)"

This is what I got from looking up the definition on dictionary.com:

"Often used by people who are sharing their gender identity, AFAB is short for "assigned female at birth.

When a person's gender identity contrasts with the female sex they were assigned at birth, for example, they might say they were "AFAB."

And this is my take on it just from that little bit of info, but I could be wrong. This is a new term for me.

While this might be a technically true definition of assigned female at birth, it would be like insisting that everyone acknowledge that the number 2 is technically the fraction 2/1. Since society tends to accept cis women as "natural" we assume their AFAB status.

Therefore, to declare one's self as AFAB, is an identifier for people who may not currently or wholly identify their gender as the female one they were assigned at birth. AMAB is the same for people who were assigned male at birth.

For example, I recently read The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth (which I would recommend, but the main character isn't the one who identifies as ACE or AFAB), and there is a character later on in the book who identifies as both genders, or winkte as it's called in Lakotan. It's very convoluted, and generally Adam is viewed in the masculine, but being Native American, there is a cultural relevance to their dual gender as well. It's really interesting to me, but not really delved in to in the book. Adam says things like, "it's not like that for me," when asked black and white questions about gender identity or sexual attraction.

I found this link about the upcoming movie adaptation in which the actor discusses it, but there may be slight spoilers for the movie if that matters to anyone:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/i-d.vice...

[Anita]

From the list I have read Radio Silence by Alice Oseman. I really liked it, and it was actually the first book I remember reading that the mc was asexual, and that it was actually part of the plot or point of the story, so it stood out to me.

[Carol]

Thanks, Anita! Adding both Miseducation and Radio Silence to my TBR.

[Louise, Group Founder]

Interesting.

As someone who would be termed 'on the Ace spectrum' by others, but feels absolutely no need to stick any sort of label on it myself, I might pick up a couple. Not normally one for YA though. It seems like that whole list is currently just for asexual characters at the moment? AFAB and Ace are such different things it might be worth mentioning which one (or both) the books on the list feature.


Regarding AFAB:

It may be a purely regional thing - and I am not in this community so can't speak with real authority - but my understanding is that AFAB/AMAB is a term that lots in the trans/intersex/agender/genderfluid community here are uncomfortable with using as a label. It's considered more of a technical term that has a use in specific contexts, such as this, (and beats alternatives such as 'born/biologically/naturally male/female'). But as a label it can put an unwanted emphasis on genitals at birth, rather than how people have actually chosen to identify themselves.

It makes sense to use in this context as an umbrella term but I'd suggest explaining how a character is AFAB when adding something to this list, rather than just putting AFAB.

[Franklinbadger]

As someone who would be termed 'on the Ace spectrum' by others, but feels absolutely no need to stick any sort of label on it myself, I might pick up a couple. Not normally one for YA though.

Same here, Louise. I tend to find that some YA gets very didactic when it tries to deal with asexual representation. I don't like to start singling out particular books, but I've seen a lot of "Character A makes an out-of-character prejudiced or ill-informed comment about Character B's asexuality, so Character B can give them a lecture that reads like a Wikipedia entry about what asexuality really is". And, to be fair, that's great if it helps young people who are in the process of understanding their own sexuality! But it feels forced and I can't personally relate it to my own sexuality/ experiences.

[Cendaquenta]

I'd recommend the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire, beginning with Every Heart a Doorway - the main characters include an asexual girl and a trans boy, as well as many other LGBTQ+ characters.

Also the Micah Grey series by Laura Lam, beginning with Pantomime, featuring a genderfluid intersex protagonist (who was raised as a girl).

[Carol]

Electric Lit published this article authored by Kirin McCrory, featuring an interview with Angela Chen, debut author of Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex, and entitled Why Aren't There More Books About Asexuals?"

It's well worth the investment of time to read, regardless of how one identifies.

https://electricliterature.com/why-ar...