HIDDEN GEMS

One of the more interesting aspects of pulp fiction in general and lesbian pulp fiction in particular is that really good novels were printed right alongside really bad ones. I am finding as I read through these books that there are a number of them that are either very well written or have surprisingly positive and / or compassionate portrayals of lesbians in them. Sometimes these novels are written by an author whose other work is not good or is particularly negative. I am not including on this list the well known Beebo Brinker, Valerie Taylor, Sloane Britain, March Hastings books, or other well known authors (unless there is one that has not gotten any press and deserves to), as these have already been acknowledged by others as worthy of reading.

Here is a list of books that are very much worth a taking a look:

Beham, Leslie. MidwayAtMidnight (lots of trash, but some cool political statements by an author about which very little is known).

Brock, Lilyan. Queer Patterns(fairly well known, but the portrayal is surprisingly well done and sympathetic).

Fletcher, Flora. Strange Sisters (fairly well known for its title - the story is much more psychologically complex than one would expect from a pulp).

Hastings, March. The Jelous and the Free (a very good butch coming of age story and one of Hasting's better books. Seeing as she is well known, I am surprised this book has not gotten more attention).

Hytes, Jason. Time of Torment (lesbian finds love even though she feels the need to be married to a man).

Michaels, Rea. How Dark My Love (well written in spite of obligatory sexual cliches. Also deals directly with racism amongst lesbians).