How do you recognize queer representation in media? Maybe a character has a love interest of the same gender. Maybe a character presents androgynously. But how do you recognize asexual representation in media? Unless every asexual character is expected to have a Todd-Chavez-esque “coming out” speech, this is a difficult question to answer.
October 19 – 25, 2025, is Ace Week, an annual campaign to raise awareness about asexuality and celebrate the community that it’s formed. Asexuality is, by nature, an almost “invisible” form of queerness. It’s defined by a negative. For this reason, it can be tough to find in both life and art. When I was a young person coming into my own identity, it was difficult not to feel like there was something deeply wrong with me. If you have ever felt seen by a piece of media, you understand how validating it can be. I did not get to feel that relief when it came to my asexuality. Until I found BoJack Horseman during the pandemic, I had never seen that part of me represented.
Luckily, it’s been five years since the advent of Todd Chavez in my own life, and I no longer need to rely on a single adult cartoon for solidarity. To celebrate this week, I’m sharing four recommendations for asexual literature and authors that have helped me. I hope they can help you too.
1. Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen
Ace is the book I consider to be the Beginner’s Guide to asexuality. Published in 2020, this is a breezy nonfiction that covers all the basics for someone who is otherwise unfamiliar with the topic. I’ve recommended this one to several friends, and the ones who have taken the recommendation have shared glowing reviews. It may or may not change your life. There is only one way to find out!
2. TJ Klune
I can’t in good conscious recommend just one work by TJ Klune. Admittedly, this is because I was only recently introduced to him, and I’m overwhelmed by his catalog. Klune is a gay, asexual author who writes romance novels of various genres. While not my first encounter with his work, The House in the Cerulean Sea is the novel that really endeared me to him. His oddball characters, whether explicitly asexual or not, make his stories feel unflinchingly real and relatable. If you enjoy charming romances, fantasy, and lighthearted reading, I suggest you give TJ Klune a try.
[Editor’s Note: Check out Klune’s How to Be series for books with explicitly ace spec characters.]
Join English Honor Societies on February 11, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. (CT) for an Author Talk Webinar with TJ Klune.
3. Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
I found Freshwater by dumb luck. One day while getting carried away on Wikipedia during my World Literature class, I stumbled upon Emezi and ended up choosing a random book of theirs to put on hold at the library. I had no idea what I would be getting into. Freshwater is about many things—mental illness, spirituality, postcolonialism, etc. And, in a way, it’s about asexuality. Though it’s not stated outright, the main character, Ada, frequently expresses a disconnect from sexuality that she wrestles with throughout the story. This is not a cut and dry, easily digestible story of an asexual person living a celibate life with no complications; it’s messy and difficult and painful to read at times. That’s what I like about it.
4. Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on Our Sex-Obsessed Culture by Sherronda J. Brown
This one is for fans of theory books. If Ace by Angela Chen isn’t enough for you to chew on, Sherronda J. Brown has presented an alternative. Refusing Compulsory Sexuality was the most exciting book I read in 2024. I loved the way Brown refused to hold the reader’s hand as they developed upon the idea of “compulsory heterosexuality” originally laid out by Adrienne Rich in 1980. If you want the full can of worms, this book is it.
I hope something from this list sparks your interest, whether you’re ace, questioning, or just interested in learning something new.
Gaylen Bailey
Student Representative, Far Western Region, 2025-2026
Alpha Pi Epsilon Chapter
Utah Tech University, St. George, UT
Sigma Tau Delta
Sigma Tau Delta, International English Honor Society, was founded in 1924 at Dakota Wesleyan University. The Society strives to
- Confer distinction for high achievement in English language and literature in undergraduate, graduate, and professional studies;
- Provide, through its local chapters, cultural stimulation on college campuses and promote interest in literature and the English language in surrounding communities;
- Foster all aspects of the discipline of English, including literature, language, and writing;
- Promote exemplary character and good fellowship among its members;
- Exhibit high standards of academic excellence; and
- Serve society by fostering literacy.
With over 900 active chapters located in the United States and abroad, there are more than 1,000 Faculty Advisors, and approximately 9,000 members inducted annually.
Sigma Tau Delta also recognizes the accomplishments of professional writers who have contributed to the fields of language and literature.
