Some top-notch LGBTQ+ books are getting onscreen adaptations, and we cannot wait to watch these seven. Media representation hasn’t always been great for the LGBTQ+ community, and frankly, it’s still not where it should be. However, we’ve made big strides in telling our stories.
Instead of just seeing tragedies about LGBTQ+ people dying or traumatic coming-out stories, we’re starting to see queer characters across all different genres. We continue to push forward in new and exciting ways, whether that be bisexual kings in a fantasy series or gay hockey players in TV’s raunchiest show.
Luckily, some fantastic LGBTQ+ books are becoming TV shows, and we’re really looking forward to seeing these seven on our screens.
The Beauty
The 2026 TV show The Beauty, produced by Ryan Murphy, is based on the graphic novel by Jeremy Haun and Jason Hurley. The story is set in a world where a sexually transmitted disease makes people beautiful but kills them. The story follows FBI agents who investigate the causes of the deaths, uncovering a conspiracy related to a tech billionaire called The Corporation.
I’ll be completely upfront and say that I’m generally critical of Ryan Murphy. I don’t like most of his shows. However, The Beauty is still one of the most exciting upcoming LGBTQ+ TV shows to me because of the actors and storyline. The show is packed with queer actors, including Jeremy Pope, Lux Pascal, Billy Eichner, and Ben Platt.
What’s more, it’s refreshing to see an LGBTQ+ TV show that isn’t about being LGBTQ+. There are multiple gay characters and one implied trans character, but the story doesn’t focus on that. They’re treated just like every other straight and cisgender character in the story, which rarely happens. Hopefully, they maintain this in the TV show.
More Happy Than Not
Adam Silvera’s debut novel, More Happy Than Not, had its tenth anniversary this year, and it is currently in development to become a TV show with Yellowjackets’ Drew Comins and the author as executive producers. The beloved LGBTQ+ novel delves into themes like depression, grief, suicide, and internalized homophobia.
The story follows Aaron Soto, a teen boy who is experiencing depression after his father’s death by suicide. While struggling to find any morsel of happiness, he starts falling for a new boy in town named Thomas, despite having a girlfriend. To “fix” his sexuality, he considers undergoing a drastic memory-altering procedure at a conversion therapy institute, but it would cause him to forget who he truly is.
The prospect of a More Happy Than Not adaptation is exciting, and it feels more relevant than ever, considering the discussions around conversion therapy bans. Unfortunately, the project is currently stuck in development hell, so it might be a little while before we see it onscreen, if they don’t shelve it.
Enigma Variations
The adult LGBTQ+ book Enigma Variations by Andre Aciman is getting an onscreen adaptation, and it’s one of the most exciting upcoming spicy TV shows based on books. Jeremy Allen White will star as Paul, the main character, and serve as executive producer. The story is being written by The Black List and The Wheel of Time’s Amanda Kate Shuman. In their hands, this should be an excellent TV miniseries.
If they follow the book closely, this will be one of the most raunchy series out there, even though most of the sex happens within the bisexual narrator’s head. The story, which is broken into five sections, follows Paul, a bisexual man, as he navigates his romances and erotic fixations. Each section follows a different relationship.
Paul is highly internalized, with his imaginative world having just as much influence over his life as his reality, which is interesting. The refreshing thing is that the main character’s bisexuality is treated with casualty and normalcy in Enigma Variations. What’s more, Paul’s relationships with men and women are treated as equally meaningful.
We All Die At The End
The genre-bending YA novel We All Die At the End by Adam Silvera is one of the most exciting romance books becoming TV shows. Netflix won the rights to the book after a massive bidding war between five networks, and it’s understandable why. The premise is an absolutely fantastic basis for a TV show.
Set in a world where everyone gets a phone call 24 hours before their death, two strangers named Mateo and Rufus decide to spend their final day together. However, they never expected to fall for one another. The story is sweet, romantic, emotional, tragic, and so many other descriptors.
Ultimately, this dystopian sci-fi romance absolutely needs to be told on the TV screen. We All Die at the End is an absolute masterpiece, and it even has a prequel and a sequel book now that could help build the show.
Valdemar Universe
The Valdemar series is absolutely treasured by LGBTQ+ fantasy lovers because the books have been releasing since 1987, consisting of 42 books, not including collections or omnibuses. They feature multiple gay characters, the most prominent of which is Vanyel. He leads the Last Herald-Mage trilogy, which is where the Valdemar Universe TV show will start.
Although he’s nobility, Vanyel has been persecuted and abused by his Valdemaran parents. With the help of his aunt and companion, he trains to be the strongest Herald-Mage in history. Ultimately, he ends up being the only hope against a villain who wants to destroy magic in Valdemar.
This fantasy epic has the potential to rival Game of Thrones, if done right. The scope and premise are absolutely high-stakes. There is plenty of magic and political conflict. Plus, there is so much source material that they could never run out of it. It’s bound to be an incredible LGBTQ+ show.
The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t A Guy At All
Based on the Japanese manga of the same name, The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t A Guy At All is an upcoming anime that we can’t wait to watch.
The story follows Aya Oosawa, a teen girl who develops a crush on a CD store clerk, bonding over their shared love of rock and roll. However, what she doesn’t realize is that the clerk is a girl from her school named Mitsuki Koga. Sitting next to Aya in class, Mitsuki learns the truth about Aya’s feelings, but she’s too nervous to reveal her identity.
The manga is absolutely swoonworthy, bringing up all the feelings of first love and gay panic. Luckily, we will finally get to see Aya and Mitsuki’s story onscreen, giving Sapphics more representation in the anime genre. Hopefully, it will become as popular as Yuri!!! On Ice.
Cleat Cute
Everyone who loves Heated Rivalry needs Cleat Cute on their radar because it’s a great LGBTQ+ sports romance book with plenty of spice that’s getting a TV show at the hands of gay icons Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird.
The story follows Grace, a hardened 26-year-old autistic professional soccer player who gets injured while the team is on the path to the World Cup. While she’s healing, she gets replaced by Phoebe, an overly enthusiastic ADHD rookie who idolizes Grace. The two rivals start a friends-with-benefits relationship, but could it lead to love when they’re competing for the same position on the team?
If they take the same approach as Heated Rivalry, keeping all the spice and chemistry between Grace and Phoebe, then Cleat Cute is going to be a fantastic TV show. Hopefully, the success of Heated Rivalry will speed up the development process because we can’t wait to see this LGBTQ+ soccer love story.
