Topic: Best Transgender books you've read or would recommend reading

[gooseberry]

Kind of what the Left Hand of Darkness is about, "the left hand of darkness is the light" ie. you can't have one thing without the other, so the genderless people are neither gender... and both. Or at least, that's how I interpreted it. I expect lots of people can interpret it lots of different ways! As for the characters seeming a bit flat... I sort of felt like the only one we got to spend any time with was Estraven. The king, though, was a pretty colourful character, even if they aren't very nice I'd have enjoyed seeing more of them.

Haven't read the Dispossessed, I did read Lathe of Heaven and loved it, but also read A Wizard of Earthsea and found it a bit meh. Not bad, just... not that great.

I'm working on a scifi novel where all the aliens are gender neutral (in a different way to Left Hand, I made it as different as I could so it wouldn't seem like a copycat thing!) and this thread has me itching to get working on it again!

[rmaddy]

No one is going to mention Becoming a Visible Man by Jamison Green?

I thought it was fantastic, although I'd really like to hear what the transmen here think about it.

[rmaddy]

You know, I did read Orlando in college.  I certainly was interested in the transition the character goes through, but otherwise I don't know that I got much out of it.

I disliked Orlando.  She didn't seem to transition at all.  Her gender flips like a lightswitch on the wall, and she never experiences a second of dysphoria in either gender.

[itsApril]

Just finished reading Transgender History by Susan Stryker.  She has a PhD in history, but this is not heavy-duty academic stuff.  It's very readable and goes fast.  The early parts deal with the "prehistory" of <not allowed> - like the research and work of Magnus Hirschfeld and others.  Then it goes on to the development of the medical approach of Harry Benjamin and others, recognizing their contributions, but also presenting thoughtful criticism of the "gatekeeper" role that medical practitioners adopted.

Along the way, there are great descriptions of trans forerunners like Christine Jorgensen, Virginia Prince, Marsha P. (for "Pay It No Mind") Johnson, and Sandy Stone.  Also, two Stonewall-type riots that you've never heard of that happened BEFORE Stonewall.

I liked the parts dealing with the 40s through the 70s best, and felt like I learned a lot.  Some of the last part of the book was exotic gender theory that made my eyes glaze over.

I'm glad I read this book!  I recommend it.  There's a lot to learn here!

Transgender History
Stryker, Susan (2008)

"Transgender History covers American transgender history from the mid-twentieth century to today. Transgender History takes a chronological approach to the subject of transgender history, with each chapter covering major movements, writings, and events. Chapter 1 covers the transsexual and transvestite communities in the years following World War II. Chapter 2 addresses trans radicalism and social change, which spanned from 1966 with the publication of The Transsexual Phenomenon, and lasted through the early 1970s. Chapter 3 focuses on the mid-'70s to 1990--the era of identity politics and the changes witnessed in trans circles through these years. Chapters 4 and 5 are broken into the gender issues witnessed through the '90s and '00s, respectively. Sidebars highlight quotes from major texts and speeches in transgender history, and others will feature brief biographies of key players. First-person narratives from transgender memoirs are excerpted and treatments of <not allowed> in popular culture are also discussed."--Publisher's description.

From the Publisher: Transgender History covers American transgender history from the mid-twentieth century to today. From the transsexual and transvestite communities in the years following "World War II to trans radicalism and social change in the '60s and '70s to the gender issues witnessed throughout the '90s and '00s, this introductory text will give you a foundation for understanding the developments, changes, strides, and setbacks of trans studies and the trans community in the United States.

[Cenna]

Rae D. Magdon's Tengoku is a wonderful work of fiction with a trans main character. Apparently see has other similar books but I haven't gotten around to reading them.
To be honest one of the best books I've read in a while. Go read it!

[Laurie]

I listened to She's Not There by Jennifer Fenny Boyland on audiobook and read by jenny. I enjoyed her story.

Now I'm listening to Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity  By Julia Serano. It is the 2016 version read by her. It is a technical discussion of <not allowed> and sounds a bit dated as she left more of the book untouched from her original book. If you like a critical look at how transsexuals were (and I'm sure still are in places) then you might find this book interesting. I thought it was.

[rmaddy]

Gender Outlaws by Kate Bernstein
Becoming a Visible Man by Jamison Green

You'll have to figure out how gender fits into the novel, but

Gentlemen of the Road, by Michael Chabon

[madeleine]

I'm going necro and trying to reawaken this thread.

Conundrum by Jan Morris. 

She is known as a travel writer, but in this book she talks about knowing she was in the wrong body all her life and how she eventually transitioned to life as a transwoman in the 70's.  It is a very personal book and one that made me think and feel all kinds of new things.  She is a writer with style to burn and led an amazing life.  There are some things people will find objectionable, but to be fair it was written quite a while ago and reflects some biases of those times.  When it was written also make this book interesting because this was before trans issues became widely known in popular culture and even before transgender medical procedures were common.  In fact you find out quite a bit about that. 

Although it is not a long read, it was thought provoking at times.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Moonflower]

I made a list of all these books! 68! Thanks to all who contributed so far. Let's update the list with more titles and authors to share.

What book would you like to find? I mean, what hasn't been written yet? Or maybe it's been written but not published?

[glassdragon]

Hi Moonflower,
If you still have your list you compiled from this thread, would you mind posting it?  I would love to have that list but I'm not in a position to go through the whole thread in the near future. 
Thank you!
Devyn

[Devlyn]

OK, Devyn, first of all I like your name. 

Second, you win the Absolute Lurker Award for the day!

Here's a copy of our welcome pamphlet for you to peruse. See you around the site!

Hugs, Devlyn

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[Northern Star Girl]

@glassdragon
Dear Devyn
One more thing......
I see that our friendly Forums staff member @Devlyn  has officially welcomed you to the Susan's Place Forums.
Please be certain to take some time to look closely at the informative LINKS and Rules that she posted at the end of her message reply posting to you.

If you feel so inclined please feel free to stop by the Introductions Forum to tell more members about yourself!
 
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Wishing your well as you continue to be involved in the forums.

NOTE: Now, after all of this Greeting and Welcoming stuff, I will give you and other readers the thread back so that the conversation can continue on.
 
Again, I am glad to see that you have joined in the conversations here on Susan's Place. 
I will be eagerly looking for your future postings around the Forums.
Danielle   northernstargirl@susans.org

[Gertrude]

She's Not There by Jennifer Finney Boylan. Probably the most relatable for me in some ways. Maybe I just get her.

[Kaleig_hC]

I would not call it a transgender book per say. Norah Vincent's Self Made Man explores what happens when the author a lesbian woman lives life as Ned. She is basically taking on living as a trans man when she has no dysphoria. Book shows how others treated her differently  as a man versus a woman. From what I understand she needed counseling after this experience from the problems it caused her. This shows the danger of transition for someone that is not transgender. She basically gave herself dysphoria trying to live as Ned.