Considering most of the stories we see in movies, television, and books are centered around romance (usually heteronormative), it's no surprise that we don't see a lot of representation for asexual and aromantic folks. The only recent storyline that comes to mind is Todd's journey on Bojack Horseman.
Alice Oseman, creator of the beloved Heartstopper graphic novel series, is ready to change that with her new, upcoming novel Loveless, and is debuting the cover exclusively on PRIDE!
"I wanted to read a story that explored all the uncertainty, confusion, internalized phobias, and path to self-acceptance that I've read lots about in gay coming-out stories, but never had with an aro or ace protagonist," she tells us.
The story centers around 18-year-old Georgia, who has never been in love. Even those she's obsessed with writing fanfics, the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed university student is wary of the dramatic reality of new love, which promptly wreaks chaos on her platonic friendships. Georgia then starts to reevaluate what kind of relationships she wants. "Loveless is a funny, honest, messy, completely relatable story about discovering that love can be found in many ways that don't involve sex or romance," the novel's description reads.
We chat with Oseman about the upcoming book, the power of optimistic LGBTQ+ stories, and Netflix picking up Heartstopper for a television adaption!
PRIDE: What inspired you to start writing love stories?
Alice Oseman: I used to say I didn't write love stories. I originally didn't see my first few novels — Solitaire, Radio Silence, and I Was Born for This — as love stories because they're not romances. But what I've learned over the years is that 'love story' doesn't necessarily equate to romance. Love stories can be stories about love in all sorts of forms — friendships, family love, self-love, creative passions, and so much more. And those are things I've always enjoyed writing about!
Why is it important to you to create stories like Loveless, specifically highlighting LGBTQ+ folks?
As a queer person myself, my works always feature LGBTQ+ love stories, whether that's LGBTQ+ romance or friendship. Honestly, I just enjoy writing about LGBTQ+ characters!
What does it mean to you personally to write this story about asexuality?
Asexuality and aromanticism are very under-represented identities in the media, and there is a lot of misinformation and misconceptions about them out there. I wanted to write a story about being ace and aro in the form of a 'coming out novel' — a style of novel in which the protagonist realizes that they are queer or trans and comes out during the course of the novel — because I hadn't been able to find a book about being aro/ace that followed that format. I wanted to read a story that explored all the uncertainty, confusion, internalized phobias, and path to self-acceptance that I've read lots about in gay coming out stories, but never had with an aro or ace protagonist. Because aro and ace people go through that journey too!
Your books are very joyous, which is refreshing in the landscape of LGBTQ+ fiction. Is it important to you to spread this kind of positivity?
I've always loved hopeful endings. I can't write a book that doesn't have a hopeful ending! Writers write their stories for all sorts of reasons, but for me, I like to make readers feel that hope and joy by the end of the story (even if there's been a little — well, a lot — of angst along the way).
Netflix is adapting Heartstopper into a live-action YA series. What did you feel when you first got the news?
Finding out Netflix was coming on board with me and See-Saw Films to make a Heartstopper TV show was never really one moment, it happened slowly over the span of a whole year! It took a long time before there was an 'okay, this is definitely happening' moment, because so much can go wrong in the world of TV production, and nothing is really certain until you're greenlit, which didn't officially happen until early 2021. But every single step has been truly euphoric. I feel so deeply lucky and blessed that this has happened to me and Heartstopper. We're weeks away from filming now and I still can't quite believe it's happening!
Can you tease anything about the show?
I feel incredibly fortunate to have been allowed to adapt my own work for the screen! I've learned so much about screenwriting over the past couple of years, and I'm so lucky to be working with some amazing people at See-Saw who've been helping me along that journey. There have been so many parts of the writing process and the production process that I've loved, but I've especially enjoyed getting to expand the world of Heartstopper. Getting to spread the story out over eight episodes has given me the space to add various things into the story and develop certain ideas and plot strands and relationships that there simply wasn't room for in the comics. The original comics will always be the original canon story, of course, but the TV show has so many new things to offer to the Heartstopper world. I am incredibly excited about that and I hope the readers are too.
It's wild that we're just now getting to see LGBTQ+ characters lead films and television shows in ways that don't end in some big tragedy. What does it mean to you to be a part of this movement?
It's an honor. Even if it came out tomorrow, the Heartstopper TV show would be just one of many shows that exist nowadays that feature LGBTQ+ lead characters and joyful storylines. We definitely need more, sure, and there's certainly a long way to go with more under-represented experiences such as trans characters and intersectional queer characters. But it's just wonderful that LGBTQ+ people can hop on a streaming service and find a show with positive queer representation to bring us some joy. I'm only 26, but all I had as a teen was Glee and Skins! I feel very happy that I get to be a part of one of those shows, and I hope there are many more being released alongside Heartstopper when it eventually comes out.
Loveless will be available to purchase on November 2, 2021 in the U.S.
