Ahira's Hangar

I was going to make this thread for fantasy only, and place it in the fantasy forum, but decided to expand it to any literature, and place it here.
I am more familiar with fantasy and science fiction, so most of the authors I talk about will be from those genres...

Marion Zimmer Bradley has many positively portrayed gay characters, both male and female, in her Darkover series. Some of them are major, rather than supporting characters, such as Regis Hastur, or the ladies in her novels about the Renunuciates Guild. Darkover is a "lost colony" of the Terran Empire, and many of the books deal with the culture clash between Darkover and the Terrans when it is rediscovered. Darkover is govererned by a group of families, called the Comyn, who are highly talented (and bred for) in psionic powers, which they have developed in place of the Terran high tech. Therefore, the Darkover books straddle the line, and partake of both science fiction (space ships, etc.) and also fantasy (the mental powers, legends of gods that seem to have some truth to them...)

Another fantasy author who has positively portrayed gay characters is Mercedes Lackey. Many of them are in supporting roles, but she has created a very strong and haunting character in Vanyel Ashkevron, a gay youth who is tortured by his sexuality. He appears in what is known as The Last Herald Mage Trilogy, first as a confused teenager, who finally realizes he is gay, and who is then treated horridly by his macho father. Throughout the three books he has to fight for acceptance, both from his family and from himself. No matter how well he serves his nation, no matter how much respect he gets, there is still that hole in his soul where his family should be... He is at turns depressed, determined, sometimes suicidal, and in great pain...but there is something about him that just plain haunts you....these are the best books I have read by this prolific author...

Mary Renault has written a trilogy about Alexander the Great, who is portrayed as being bisexual. The middle book, The Persian Boy is told from the point of view of one of his gay lovers. People who enjoy history might really like these three books, now available in an all-in-one trade paperback edition...

Anyone else know of any mainline books, tv shows, or movies that contain positive gay characters? ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
<i>Edited by: Duchess of Malfi  at: 1/25/04 9:04 am
</i>

Duchess as we talked in chat. And this may sound a little trite. But here goes anyway.

In the media one of the more favorable protraying of same sex relationship on TV, Willow and Tara on Buffy. In an interview, Amber Benson (actress who played Tara Maclay on Buffy) was asked why people seemed to relate and empathize with Willow and Tara's story and she answered, "because it's a real relationship".

And in response to why this might matter to anyone anywhere. In a Q and A session in, July 2002, during Toronto Trek 2002, Amber told following anecdote, "I meet this young lady at a Bronze Posting Party (the Bronze was the official BtVS posting message board during much of the series history), and she (the young lady)said that she had come 'out' because of Willow and Tara, and that now she had a g/f and her life was so much better than it had been." Guess it might be a little unrealistic to expect, or even beleive, a TV show could have this sort of effect.

And during the same Q and A session, Amber said her character had been initially resisted by some of the fans for a variety of reasons including Tara's sexual identity, and her answer was that people should just get over it, that being a lesbian was life, and she refused to say 'alternate' lifestyle.

Nuff for now. taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Plan C - http://planc.bravepages.com/main.html<i></i>

Thanks duchess and taras! I wholeheartedly endorse this and related discussions. *****
Before, you are wise; after, you are wise. In between you are otherwise.
Fravashi saying (from the formularies of Osho the Fool) <i></i>

Well, I recently read a story by a writer named Diane Gabaldon in Legends 2...its main character was a gay man named Lord John Grey, who was honorable, likeable, and a British army officer back in the 1700's. Apparently she has written soem books with him as a main character.

One of my favorite science fiction writers, Lois McMaster Bujold wrote a novel which featured a planet inhabited only by gay men...it was written with sensitivity, and the planet had quite an interesting culture, including an interesting reproductive strategy. The novel is called Ethan of Athos, with Ethan being the main character, and Athos being the planet where he came from... <i></i>

Another one from media, I am such a MEDIA JUNKIE. Last year on the BBC and it was shown on BBCamerica on cable, there was shown a video adaptation of Sarah Water's Tipping the Velvet. A wonderful finding yourself and coming of age story set in late Victorian England. A seaside born and raised young woman, Nan, by chance meets a stage performer of great beauty and talent. She unexpectadely becomes smiten by the performer and joins her in her stage life and they fall in love. From there Nan discovers her own talents and becomes a performer, too. More adventures and trials follow.

Showtime premium cable is showing a new series The L word. Jennifer Beals and Pam Grier and bunch more. Very well written. taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Plan C - http://planc.bravepages.com/main.html<i></i>

Maybe you can help me out with the actors and the names of the characters from these two movies, Taras...it's been a long time since I've seen either one, but remember positive gay supporting roles in both...

The gay neighbor of Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets was probably the most likeable character in the film...the guy with the darling little dog...

And Julia Robert's good friend in My Best Friend's Wedding...who played that role? Again, might have been the most likeable character in the movie... ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
<i></i>

Greg Kinnear played Nicholson's gay neighbor...and Cameron Diaz and Ruppert Everet played her friends. Everet is openly gay in RL, much to the ladies dismay... *****
Before, you are wise; after, you are wise. In between you are otherwise.
Fravashi saying (from the formularies of Osho the Fool) <i>Edited by: danlo60 at: 2/18/04 12:15 pm
</i>

Bobbie's Girl. Bernadette Peters (Bailey Lewis) and Rachel Ward (Roberta "Bobbie" Langham). A funny, vivid and moving protrayal of unconvential people in modern day Ireland. Bailey, a former stage star from the US, lives with Roberta, native of Ireland, assisting her in running her seaside pub along with Bailey's brother David. Into this situation comes Bobbie's young nephew (Alan). a sensitive and precocious boy, suddenly orphaned by the death of Bobbie's estranged brother and his wife. As things begin the boy is away at a boarding school when his parents tragically die. He is then propelled into their (Bobbie's and Bailey's) life. There's some humor, for example when, Alan quizzes David (Bailey's brother), if he, David, was ever married to his aunt Bobbie, he says no, then he says what relation is Bailey to him, and the lad then confesses "I think they're lesbians". There's cancer in the movie. By some tastes it might be exceelingly maudlin and sentimental. But, I liked it YMMV. taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Plan C - http://planc.bravepages.com/main.html<i></i>

Tipping the Velvet, the BBC mini series, based on the book by UK best selling writer Sarah Walters, is currrently being reaired on LOGO cable. Interestingly, IMO, this is a different cut of the series than BBC America aired two or so years ago. taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Buffy fans Chicago
my livej<i></i>

Brokeback Mountain was a wonderful movie, very well made and well acted.

And I have been reading more Diana Gabaldon - her character of Lord John Grey (who happens to be gay) is one of the most likeable characters I have ever run into in any series of books. :0 ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
<i></i>

OK, JK's said Albus Dumbledore is gay.

In the Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series by Patricia Briggs, one of the main supporting characters is gay. He and his partner are good friends of the main character.

The Blood books (also urban fantasy) by Tanya Huff have a very likable bisexual male vampire as one of the three main characters. In her Smoke series, the main character is a gay man.

There is a pleasant male gay character introduced in Amanda Metestky's Paige Turner mystery series in the book Murder on a Hot Tin Roof . It certainly looks as if he will be a repeating character in the series, too.