There are many amazing writers here and I've seen series about books that made a difference to many of them. I am a collector of books. I still have books I purchased as a kid. Growing up I wanted to live in a library. I'm slowly getting there.
One thing I collect is gay literature. Coming Out in 1990 in Texas a guy needs all the help he can get. Some of these books opened my eyes to what a gay man could be, not the stereotypes so often portrayed in the media.
There are two books on this list which I included because they are great stories and have shared them with friends for years. Two are fantasy series which included gay characters something new for the time. Then there are the books that simply books for the ages.
The first book that struck me was Patricia Nell Warren's The Front Runner. Its about the life of an Olympic athlete who is openly gay. I was so mad after reading this book, but it tells a story that shattered stereotypical images in my head.
Then there are the Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin. Set in San Francisco in the 1970's it was another world. I read them in college and even though they were set less than 20 years from that time - it was another world. But oh what a fabulous world it was.
The Boy Who Picked the Bullets Up by Charles Nelson falls in the category of erotic fiction. It's set in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The southern protagonist left the Tigers minor league system and became a Navy medic. Talk about eye opening! I didn't care for the sequel, but this book was funny and charming.
At the same time I was reading these books I also read And the Band Played On and Conduct Unbecoming both by Randy Shilts. It is very difficult to contextualize how reading these books when I did affected me. I lived in the Montrose at the time and still going to school. People I knew were dying. And then there were the guys who had been in the military and kicked out because they were gay. This whole section could be off on its own, but these books should be read because of the history they spell out.
There are two books which I love to reread over and over again. The Dreyfus Affair by Peter Lefcourt and Sex Toys of the Gods by Christian McLaughlin. It's interesting that both these authors work in Hollywood. Dreyfus is about a superstar gay baseball player who comes out. I've had three copies of that book disappear over the years. And Sex is hysterical in showing the behind the scenes antics of Hollywood. The protagonist is the boy next door type. Both books are dated now from their pop culture references, but each is wonderful in its own way.
As for those two series I mentioned. The first is the Rose of the Prophet trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Matthew is not the main character, but he provides a unique courage that is important in the story. But the fantasy story with a central gay character was Vanyel Ashkevron from The Last Herald Mage trilogy by Mercedes Lackey. Now Van is a mess emotionally from his parents and upbringing, but he is the single most powerful figure in the books. That was a first for me. Valdemar lost interest to me years ago, but Vanyel stayed with me.
I really could go on and on with some stories I love. It was important to me to support gay writers and to buy from the local bookstores. The local bookstores I loved have vanished and I miss being able to chat with the owners about what books they like and I might enjoy. Picking up a book and opening the dust jacket was part of the experience of selecting a book.
I'm feeling nostalgic today and I guess that is why I wrote this diary.