Entertainment
Fiction Books

We've found some great fiction books about gay athletes or having some gay sports content - and there are surely more we haven't found.  Here, we're compiling a complete list of the best of those books.  If there's one we've missed, please e-mail us.

Rollercoaster Release : A Collection of Organized Chaos by Ed Gallagher 1st Books, 2001 A collection of poems, thoughts, and short stories.  "Ride the sun. Ride the moon. The wind, the clouds, the rain, the snow. The dark. The light. The fog. The slime. Strap yourself in, don’t jump out. Or you won’t get there. Wherever there is, it is yours alone. Roll." More information, and ordering, from 1st Books.

Johnny In The Spot by Ed Gallagher 1st Books, 1998 From Alive To Thrive:  "Johnny is a gay male. A gay male with a disability. The bulk of the novel focuses upon Johnny BEFORE his spinal cord injury occurs --- in his childhood and adolescence, seeking sexual understanding, self-acceptance, truth, and meaning from himself, others, and God. Any reader who is gay or bisexual will find comfort, anger, accuracy, and strength in the issues addressed." More information, and ordering, from 1st Books.

Changing Pitches By Steve Kluger 1998 Note: This book is out of print and difficult to find.  You can find it at Amazon.com From a review on the Suffolk, N.Y., library site: ``He's 36 and seems to be washed up as a pitcher, but then Scott MacKay develops a couple of new pitches and falls in love with his new catcher. Ranks as one of the funniest books I've ever read.''

Northridge Football Camp By S. Joseph Krol 1996 Buy Northridge Football Camp From the author: The book was published in 1996 by gay Men's Press and was their bestseller of  that year.  Its a fiction book about a group of 17-18 year old high school football players that go to a summer camp (thus the title!). It is a realistic look at jock life, very masculine, very raunchy; not a lot of actual sex, but a lot of guy horseplay and teasing, and football training action amid two star players who begin to find some sort of attraction for each other. There is a completed sequel to the book that I am shopping around right now.

Pins by Jim Provenzano 1999 Buy Pins The New York Blade said of PINs:  "What starts off as yet another "coming-of-age" tale of gay youth in suburbia takes a dramatic turn and careens into a full-fledged miracle of writing." From Myrmidude Press:  "Joey is an Italian Catholic 15-year-old who has moved with his parents from the mean streets of Newark to the suburbs of New Jersey. In an effort to fit in with the rest of the world, Joey joins the high school varsity wrestling team, where he finds a new group of friends. One friend, Dink, especially interests Joey - you figure it out. As XY Magazine says, "don't miss this amazing novel about two wrestlers in love."  Check out Jim's profile in the Outsports Clubhouse. More information from Myrmidude Press

Uprising by Randy Boyd West Beach Books, 1998 Buy Uprising From West Beach Books:  "A world renowned pop music icon...  A legendary basketball star...  A billionaire cable-TV mogul...  Together, the Three Wisemen, as they come to call themselves, and their foot soldiers, the activists, become an underground force the FBI intends to bust by sending in a straight, homophobic undercover agent, chosen because he's one of the bureau's best and also because he's a tough, blond, muscular ex-athlete. And one of the Three Wisemen has an irresistible attraction to tough, blond muscular ex-athletes." Check out Randy's profile in the Outsports Clubhouse. More information from West Beach Books

Bad Boy by Diana J. Wieler 1997 Buy Bad Boy From Amazon.com:  "A. J. is ecstatic when he makes the city-wide hockey team, but when he learns that his best friend is gay, he takes his rage and fear with him onto the ice and jeopardizes his position on the team."

Billy's Boy by Patricia Nell Warren 1997 Buy Billy's Boy From Wildcat Press:  "BILLY'S BOY is a first person story, about a teen's passionate search to know more about his dead gay father, his lesbian mother's past...and his own sexual destiny.  John William, 14, describes himself as "the science geek from hell." He loves astronomy, but lately his attention is focused on Earth, his best friend Shawn, and his own awakening body. New in L.A., he hangs out with his straight girl buddy Ana and two Latino club kids, Teak and Elena, that he just met. William is sure he's straight, and he is irritated by Teak's effeminate attitude."

Harlan's Race by Patricia Nell Warren 1994 Buy Harlan's Race From Wildcat Press:  "In the sequel to The Front Runner, coach Harlan Brown is forced to enter the race of his life.  To survive the hate and violence which threaten his chosen family - Betsy, valiant lesbian mother, Vince, angry activist seeking revenge, Chino, Vietnam vet with a wounded heart, and the secret child of Billy Sive, The Front Runner."

Just As I Am by E. Lynn Harris 1994 Buy Just As I Am From Amazon.com:  "Raymond, a young black lawyer from the South, struggles to come to terms with his sexuality and with the grim reality of AIDS. Nicole, an aspiring singer/actress, experiences frustration in both her career and in her attempts to find a genuine love relationship. Both characters share an eclectic group of friends who challenge them, and the reader, to look at themselves and the world around thern through different eyes."

The Dreyfus Affair: A Love Story by Peter Lefcourt 1992 Buy The Dreyfus Affair From HarperCollins:  "Consider the possibilities: In the middle of a pennant race, a team's star shortstop falls in love with his second baseman. Which is exactly what happens to Randy Dreyfus, the best-hitting, best-fielding, best-looking, and most happily married young shortstop in the major leagues. The Dreyfus Affair combines romance, comedy, social satire, and some of the finest baseball writing in years. The result is a rollicking, provocative odyssey through one unforgettable World Series championship."

Counter Play by Anne Snyder Signet Books, 1981 Presently out of print A football quarterback learns his best friend and teammate is gay. A nice story from a straight, European-American perspective about friendship and values. This was also an HBO movie several years ago.

The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren 1974 Buy The Front Runner   A classic.  From Wildcat Press:  "Harlan Brown is a tough, conservative track coach - hiding from his past at a small college.  Billy Sive is a brilliant young runner who is homosexual - and doesn't mind who knows it.  When they fall in love, they will enter a race against hate and prejudice that takes them to the '76 Olympics and a shocking, shattering conclusion."