10 Queer Fairy Tale Retellings Better Than the Originals
The article recommends queer retellings of fairy tales, arguing that they bring LGBTQ+ characters and perspectives into stories that have often centred on heterosexual relationships. It presents the books as a varied way to revisit familiar tales, spanning romance, fantasy, graphic novels and horror.
The examples include a camp, gay take on Cinderella; the anthology *Unburied Fables*, which ranges from polyamorous stories to an aromantic protagonist; and *The 100 Nights of Hero*, a sapphic, feminist reworking of *The Arabian Nights*. Other selections recast *Beauty and the Beast* around a gardener and a prince, and *Peter Pan* through Peter’s return after ten years living as Wendy Darling.
In short
- Queer retellings give classic fairy tales new perspectives.
- The selections range from romance to horror.
- Several reinterpret Cinderella, Peter Pan and other familiar tales.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Queer retellings can open familiar tales to readers whose identities and relationships were largely absent from older versions, while giving writers room to explore love, gender and belonging in fresh ways. Their range of genres and perspectives can also renew stories that might otherwise feel culturally narrow or overfamiliar.
The case against
Readers may value the originals’ historical settings, familiar conventions or particular artistic choices, and feel that retellings work best when they preserve what made those tales resonate. Some may also question whether recasting a well-known story deepens it, rather than relying on its recognition or presenting a newer interpretation as better than its source.
Explained simply
Fairy tales are stories passed down in many versions, often featuring magic, quests and romance. Modern writers regularly retell them, changing the characters or setting to reflect different experiences and interests.
Queer retellings centre LGBTQ+ characters and relationships, including gay, lesbian, bisexual and aromantic perspectives. The books described here range from romance and fantasy to graphic novels and horror, and draw on tales such as Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast and Peter Pan.
These retellings offer readers a way to revisit familiar story patterns while encountering different kinds of characters and relationships. They also reflect a wider shift in publishing towards stories that include experiences less often represented in traditional fairy tales.