This list includes mostly: - both fiction and non-fiction books - characters over the age of 18 - characters explicitly diagnosed or considered to have autistic traits according to the consensus of other neurodivergent readers - authors that are neurodivergent identifying, regardless of diagnosis, and are preferably trans and/or BIPOC. If an author is white, ensure that the author is not writing on behalf of the lived experience of neurodivergent people of color, and rather only their own lived experiences. This list is already overwhelmingly white. - preferably do not overly center a romantic/sexual plot or self-help - preferably do have an audiobook - does not sensationalize the "supercrip" narrative of people "succeeding in capitalism-despite their disabilities" Attempts were made to vet books for positive and meaningful representation, but since I have not yet read all the books there may be gaps. For some characters, especially those who may …
"Autism doesn't 'Go Away' when you 'Grow Up'": Adult Autism Literature Public
Created and curated by Pixel
This list includes mostly: - both fiction and non-fiction books - characters over the age of 18 - characters explicitly diagnosed or considered to have autistic traits according to the consensus of other neurodivergent readers - authors that are neurodivergent identifying, regardless of diagnosis, and are preferably trans and/or BIPOC. If an author is white, ensure that the author is not writing on behalf of the lived experience of neurodivergent people of color, and rather only their own lived experiences. This list is already overwhelmingly white. - preferably do not overly center a romantic/sexual plot or self-help - preferably do have an audiobook - does not sensationalize the "supercrip" narrative of people "succeeding in capitalism-despite their disabilities" Attempts were made to vet books for positive and meaningful representation, but since I have not yet read all the books there may be gaps. For some characters, especially those who may be undiagnosed, the traits associated with coding a character with autism from the perspective of the reader may resonate more with some than others, since autism is not one singular experience and is influenced by many intersectionalities.
As someone who was late-diagnosed with autism, I am looking for more books to read and share as I learn more about this identity from a new perspective. Please let me know if there are concerns with any books I listed here. Considerations were made for books selected as a part of the Autistic Book Club and those shared on Mastodon upon request.
This list is a personal curation so I will add and remove on my own discretion. I do not claim to speak for the entire autism community through these books and if I turn out not to personally like them or obsessively love them.
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All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)
4 stars
"As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."
In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be …
Pixel says: Pixel read, recommended on Mastodon
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Disability Visibility by Alice Wong
5 stars
A groundbreaking collection of first-person writing on the joys and challenges of the modern disability experience: Disability Visibility brings together …
Pixel says: Pixel read audiobook
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The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
An Instant New York Times bestseller / An Oprah’s Book Club Pick
In the spirit of The Known World …
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An unkindness of ghosts by Rivers Solomon
4 stars
Aster has little to offer folks in the way of rebuttal when they call her ogre and freak. She's used …
Pixel says: Recommended on Mastodon
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'It has taken me several years of exploration, but I am at a place now where I see autism as …
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Stim: An Autistic Anthology by Lizzie Huxley-Jones, gemma williams, Rachael Lucas, and 16 others
5 stars
Around one in a hundred people in the UK are autistic, and the saying goes that if you've met one …
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Letters to My Weird Sisters by Joanne Limburg
An autistic feminist author looks at women's history, in search of her 'weird sisters'.
It seemed to me that …
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Passionate pie aficionado Denver Bryant is in a rut. Chasing a moment of viral popularity from months ago, their blog …
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The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Special Edition by V. E. Schwab
4 stars
France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed …
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What I Mean When I Say I'm Autistic by Annie Kotowicz
In this intimate and insightful mix of memoir and manifesto, Annie Kotowicz invites you inside the mind of an autistic …
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The Electricity of Every Living Thing
4 stars
A life-affirming and perspective-shifting memoir of one woman's walk in the wilds as she comes to terms with an Asperger's …
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Autists by Alice E. Olsson, Clara Tornvall
4 stars
An incisive and deeply candid account that explores autistic women in culture, myth, and society through the prism of the …
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Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
4 stars
Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that …
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