a question

[casualbird]

Please--if any of you know of any canonically non-binary characters in popular media, would you let me know? I'm thinking of writing a meta post about the sorry state of non-binary representation, and I'd like to see if I can't find some more evidence than I have right now.

Thank you!

Comments

[soc_puppet]

An actual good rec, to balance things out: Check out No Man of Woman Born by Ana Mardoll. It's a collection of short stories that focus on prophecy affirming various characters' genders. I think two are binary trans, but three are nonbinary, and one is questioning. (Plus a bonus binary trans one that doesn't have any prophecy in it.) Ana Mardoll is nonbinary/genderqueer xerself and has written a lot about writing trans characters. The whole collection is just so, so good and affirming, but it's not terribly well known yet, so I don't think it qualifies as "popular".

[casualbird]

thank you! this whole project is Kind Of Depressing, not gonna lie. i'd be very very pleased to read some stories that have good, validating things to say about non-binary and trans people.

(namely, that they are people at all.........)

[soc_puppet]

No Man of Woman Born is just... super duper good, OMG. I recommend GumRoad for the ebook and/or audiobook, but the other big sites have it as well, and there is a paperback version available. The second book in xer Earthside series, Survival Route (which can be read on its own), also has a nonbinary main character, though not a POV character: A half-Japanese demigirl who uses the same pronouns as Mardoll.

While I'm at it, here's a rec list from Shira Glassman (a Jewish bisexual cis woman who writes adorable queer fiction; no nonbinary MCs yet, but I suspect it is only a matter of time) of SFF stories featuring nonbinary characters, which itself links to a further rec list for SFF stories featuring nonbinary characters.

[casualbird]

Thank you so much! I feel.... provided for. I'll pop these right on my reading list.

[soc_puppet]

Oh! Another good one: Carmilla the Series has a supporting (human!) character that's nonbinary, played by a nonbinary actor :Db