Musing about bisexuals in books...

[fajrdrako]

Out of curiosity, I was browsing the Wikipedia site Fictional Bisexuals and I wasn't very happy with what I saw. I was hoping to be steered to novels with bisexual characters; it didn't work. In fact, it seems the venue for bi characters is almost exclusively comic books and soap operas, with the occasional TV comedy (specifically, Nip/Tuck and Will and Grace thrown in). Otherwise, there is a smattering of villains. Not much. Shouldn't Velvet Goldmine be mentioned? Torchwood is a wonderful exception, where not only are characters bi, they also aren't marginalized, bit characters, or villains. Then there are other books where the 'bisexual' characters are transgendered, hermaphrodites or otherwise intersexed.

Perhaps the trick is that the person has to be explicitly bisexual in the source - does that mean the word "bisexual" must be used in the dialogue? In that case, Captain Jack Harkness shouldn't be there, since he's only ever described as "omnisexual" - and Ianto describes himself as straight, albeit in love with Jack. The novels listed are mostly vampire books, especially Anne Rice novels.

Not very impressive. I'd add Aral Vorkosigan (from the Lois McMaster Bujold novels) and Bridgett Logan (from Greg Rucka's Atticus Kodiak series)... For the sake of everyone's sanity, I won't even mention Lymond here. Who else? The Elizabeth Lynn novels? Tanya Huff, Diane Duane, Heinlein, Marion Zimmer-Bradley - ? Not to mention erotic novels. How can there be so few bi people in books when there are so many of us in real life, and in history?

There are lists like this one which are useful, but not quite what I was looking for.

Okay, I know, I shouldn't be hung up on a label. But I find it frustrating that when I look up a list of GLBT characters, though the title or headline includes "bisexual", the characters on the list are all (or almost all) gay or Lesbian.

How invisible can bisexuality be?

Comments

[random]

A substantial number of Melissa Scott's characters, although even her characters are marginally more likely to be at least primarily lesbian.

As an aside, if you haven't read any Melissa Scott, I should totally lend you some.

[fajrdrako]

Okay, I'd love to read one. What's a good place to start?