5 books with male asexual representation that you need in your life

Asexuality is often misunderstood by many folks, including folks within the LGBTQ+ community. It’s definitely a newer addition to the rainbow family and there isn’t really a lot of information circulating in the mainstream about what exactly encompasses the ace spectrum. This is especially true when it comes to male asexual representation. Most of the representation that exists focusses on asexual female archetypes, leaving those that identify as both male and ace without much to grasp onto. 

With so much of masculinity connected to ideas around sex and sexual performance, this is a great disservice to the many asexual men who walk the earth. And trust us, there are plenty. 

If you’re interested in learning more about asexuality, or how it plays out in male spaces, here are 5 books with male asexual representation. However, it’s worth noting that the ace spectrum is broad and nuanced, and one person’s story may not necessarily represent all. 

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

This book is part of Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper world. Aled is part of Charlie’s circle of friends and adds some much needed demisexual representation to the group of kids. Demisexuality definitely lives within the asexual spectrum, and can be defined as someone who only feels sexual desire when they experience a genuine emotional bond with another person.

This book features a bisexual character, as well. 

What if everything you set yourself up to be was wrong? Frances has always been a study machine with one goal: elite university. Nothing will stand in her way. Not friends, not a guilty secret—not even the person she is on the inside. But when Frances meets Aled, the shy genius behind her favorite podcast, she discovers a new freedom. He unlocks the door to Real Frances and for the first time she experiences true friendship, unafraid to be herself. Then the podcast goes viral and the fragile trust between them is broken. Caught between who she was and who she longs to be, Frances’s dreams come crashing down. Suffocating with guilt, she knows that she has to confront her past… She has to confess why Carys disappeared… Meanwhile at university, Aled is alone, fighting even darker secrets. It’s only by facing up to your fears that you can overcome them. And it’s only by being your true self that you can find happiness. Frances is going to need every bit of courage she has.

Blank Spaces by Cass Lennox

This is one of the best explorations into the world of asexuality and how it plays out in male spaces that we’ve ever encountered. We loved it so much that Blank Spaces warranted a complete and full review back in July 2022. It’s the story of a very asexual gay man who meets a sexually promiscuous guy through work. Blank Spaces narrates their journey together and navigates a relationship that neither of them seem able to walk away from. Some may think that its not possible for an asexual person to have a relationship with someone who isn’t also ace, but Jonah and Vaughn prove that’s just not true!

Absence is as crucial as presence. The decision to stop dating has made Vaughn Hargrave’s life infinitely simpler: he has friends, an excellent wardrobe, and a job in the industry he loves. That’s all he really needs, especially since sex isn’t his forte anyway and no one else seems interested in a purely romantic connection. But when a piece is stolen from his art gallery and insurance investigator Jonah Sondern shows up, Vaughn finds himself struggling with that decision. Jonah wants his men like his coffee: hot, intense, and daily. But Vaughn seems to be the one gay guy in Toronto who doesn’t do hookups, which is all Jonah can offer. No way can Jonah give Vaughn what he really wants, not when Jonah barely understands what love is. When another painting goes missing, tension ramps up both on and off the clock. Vaughn and Jonah find themselves grappling not just with stolen art, but with their own differences. Because a guy who wants nothing but romance and a guy who wants nothing but sex will never work — right? Not unless they find a way to fill in the spaces between them.

Upside Down by N.R Walker

Upside Down is an excellent exploration of how asexuality can play out differently in two different men. This story is top notch male asexual representation that made us laugh, cry, and swoon all over. Upside Down was featured as our Book-of-the-Month here at Q+ Magazine and we just know you’re going to love this incredible story. 

Jordan O’Neill isn’t a fan of labels, considering he has a few. Gay, geek, librarian, socially awkward, a nervous rambler, an introvert, an outsider. The last thing he needs is one more. But when he realizes adding the label asexual might explain a lot, it turns his world upside down. Hennessy Lang moved to Surry Hills after splitting with his boyfriend. His being asexual had seen the end of a lot of his romances, but he’s determined to stay true to himself. Leaving his North Shore support group behind, he starts his own in Surry Hills, where he meets first-time-attendee Jordan. A little bewildered and scared, but completely adorable, Hennessy is struck by this guy who’s trying to find where he belongs. Maybe Hennessy can convince Jordan that his world hasn’t been turned upside down at all, but maybe it’s now—for the first time in his life—the right way up.

Fourth World by Lyssa Chiavari

This story is another firecracker that features two asexual protagonists. The asexual spectrum is represented well in Fourth World with characters encompassing demisexuality right through to sex repulsed ace characters. This story also provides space for folks to navigate the prejudices that society has about the banner of asexuality. 

Life on Mars isn’t all it’s cracked up to be when you’re Isaak Contreras. Ever since his dad disappeared two years ago, Isaak’s been struggling to keep up in school, and he never seems to be able to live up to his mom’s high expectations. But everything changes when he finds an ancient relic among his missing father’s possessions. An artifact from an ancient civilization… that appears to have originated on Mars, not Earth. The artifact makes Isaak a target of both the Martian colonial government and a crazed scientist with a vendetta. It seems to be the answer to all of Isaak’s questions. But he could never have expected that the search for his dad could lead him to a door to another time. A door to an alien world—and a girl on the other side who believes that Isaak may hold the key to saving both their worlds. That is, if they can survive long enough to use it…

His Quiet Agent by Ada Maria Soto

Described by fans as gentle, quiet and tender. Ace readers everywhere adore this example of male asexual representation!

Arthur Drams works for a secret government security agency, but all he really does is spend his days in a cubical writing reports no one reads. After getting another “lateral promotion” by a supervisor who barely remembers his name, it’s suggested that Arthur try to ‘make friends’ and ‘get noticed’ in order to move up the ladder. It’s like high school all over again: his attempts to be friendly come across as awkward and creepy, and no one wants to sit at the same table with him at lunch. In a last-ditch attempt to be seen as friendly and outgoing, he decides to make friends with The Alien, aka Agent Martin Grove, known for his strange eating habits, unusual reading choices, and the fact that no one has spoken to him in three years. Starting with a short, surprisingly interesting conversation on sociology books, Arthur slowly begins to chip away at The Alien’s walls using home-cooked meals to lure the secretive agent out of his abrasive shell. Except Martin just might be something closer to an actual secret agent than paper-pusher Arthur is, and it might be more than hearts at risk when something more than friendship begins to develop.

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Radio Silence, Blank Spaces, Upside Down, Fourth World, and His Quiet Agent are available for sale through most booksellers worldwide. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for all queer stuff.