There have been a number of attempts at producing a definitive list of the best gay fiction; some of the lists have a traditional air about them (some might say stuffy) whilst others are more risqué... But if you're looking for a quality gay read these are always good places to start...
The definitive list is still considered by many to be the one produced by the Publishing Triangle in 2004
Their selection was put together by a panel of judges, and if you're looking for classic literary fiction it's almost certainly the best place to start.

The Publishing Triangle selection contains a preponderance of heavyweights such as Proust and Genet, and has been criticised by some for it's lack of popular mainstream fiction (it doesn't, for example, contain a single Maupin entry...) so if you are after a lighter read you may want to look elsewhere.

The results of The Big Gay Read - also drawn up by a panel in 2006 - provide a somewhat more digestible and populist list. The idea was that the public should vote for the ultimate gay read from amongst the initial list (the public chose Armistead Maupin's Tales Of The City) a great way of getting the public interested in gay fiction, but not, ultimately the most democratic way to organise things - the message remains ultimately that the "experts" know best and anything not on the list couldn't be voted for.

Here, for your enjoyment are the entire contents of both The Publishing Triangle top 100 and the Big Gay Read's lists - along with my very own supplement - a few gay classics that failed to appear anywhere!

If you have suggestions of your own please send them in - we are adding readers' selections as they arrive.