In 2021, I wrote up a list of queernormative fantasy books: fantasy novels set in worlds without homophobia or transphobia. This year, I put together a list of queernorm sci-fi books. As I’ve understood it, “queernorm” is necessarily a speculative subgenre, because it imagines a setting where prejudice against queer and trans people simply does not exist. But recently, I’ve stumbled on a few books that raise the possibility of queernorm being extended to another genre: historical romance.

The recently released Where There’s Room For Us by Hayley Kiyoko and the upcoming A Change of Pace by J.A. Stevens (March 2026) are sapphic historical romances set in Victorian England and Regency England, respectively, but in different versions of this time period. Both of them imagine an 1800s England where homophobia doesn’t exist.

I understand the impulse. Regency romances especially are mainstays of the genre, and Jane Austen retellings are a whole subgenre to themselves. The popularity of the Bridgerton TV show brought even more attention to this setting—and specifically, to an alternate version of Regency England with racial equity.

Personally, though, I’m skeptical of the project of creating a “pride without prejudice” (as the description of A Change of Pace puts it) version of this setting. Prejudice—in particular, racism and colonialism—is foundational to 1800s England. Even Bridgerton acknowledges the existence of slavery, and ultimately it’s arguable how well it pulls off its version of a more equitable Regency setting.

An 1800s England without racism, slavery, homophobia, strict gender roles, or era-accurate Christianity is such a massive departure that it would require a reworking of the setting to the point of becoming a fantasy world in itself. The prejudice of the time period is not something that can be lifted out. It would be like writing about a version of the U.S. today where everything is the same except that capitalism doesn’t exist. It’s too interwoven into every facet of society to simply swap out.

I love queernorm sci-fi and fantasy, and I’m also a fan of optimistic queer historical fiction. Queer and trans people have always existed, and we have found creative ways to live well even with the odds stacked against us. But an alternate version of the past where prejudice never existed doesn’t reflect the incredible lives our queer ancestors had or what they fought against to make it easier for generations to come.

I may be coming down too hard on this setting, but I am loathe to whitewash the atrocities of Regency and Victorian England. The lavish lifestyles that make it such a tempting setting were only available to the elite, and they were also paid for with blood: their wealth was a direct result of stealing from colonized countries and enslaving and selling people, a legacy that still has devastating impacts today.

Personally, I’ll stick with historical queer fantasy books, which can still take inspiration from the aesthetics of the time period but invent an entirely new setting to incorporate them. You can also check out these immersive queer historical romances that find queer happily ever afters in real historical settings.