John Rechy is an American author renowned for his pioneering contributions to modern LGBT and Chicano literature. Born to a Scottish father and a Mexican-American mother, his works often explore themes of identity, sexuality, and marginalization. His groundbreaking novel "City of Night" became a bestseller and established him as a bold voice in queer literature. Another notable work, "The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gómez," is widely taught in Chicano literature courses for its poignant portrayal of Mexican-American life.
Rechy's writing is celebrated for its unflinching honesty and vivid depictions of homosexual culture in Los Angeles and beyond. His narratives frequently draw from his own experiences, blending autobiography with fiction to create compelling, often controversial stories. Despite facing censorship due to their explicit sexual content, his works have garnered critical acclaim and a devoted readership. Over the decades, Rechy has cemented his legacy as a trailblazer in both LGBT and Chicano literary traditions.
Standalone Novels
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
City of Night
1963
2
Numbers
1967
3
This Day's Death
1969
4
The Vampires
1971
5
The Fourth Angel
1972
6
Rushes
1979
7
Bodies and Souls
1983
8
Marilyn's Daughter
1988
9
The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gomez
1991
10
Our Lady of Babylon
1996
11
The Coming of the Night
1999
12
The Life and Adventures of Lyle Clemens
2003
13
After the Blue Hour
2017
14
Pablo!
2018
Non-Fiction Books
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
The Sexual Outlaw
1976
2
Beneath the Skin
2004
3
About My Life and the Kept Woman
2007
Mondo Books (with J.G. Ballard, with Howard Waldrop, with Lewis Shiner, with John Varley, with Jack C. Haldeman II, with Bentley Little, with Michael Hemmingson, with Lynne Barrett, with Clive Barker, with Doris Grumbach, with Julia Alvarez, with Cornelius Eady, with Beth Meacham, with Philip Levine, with Chuck Taylor, with Lynne Tillman, with Charles Bukowski, with Michael Martone, with A.M. Homes, with David Trinidad, with Sandra Cisneros, with Marge Piercy, with Gary Soto, with Tom Whalen, with Roberta Allen, with Sharon Olds, with Alice McDermott, with Mark Childress, with Susie Mee, with Nick Cave, with Hilary Tham, with Leslie Pietrzyk, with Lyn Lifshin, with Nanci Griffith, with Mark Winegardner, with Louisa Ermelino, with Rafael Alvarez, with Greil Marcus, with Pagan Kennedy, with Terence Winch, with Rebecca Brown, with Denise Duhamel, with Robert Peters, with Lucinda Ebersole, with Richard Peabody, with Jeanne Beaumont, with Lynne McMahon, with Kathryn Harrison, with Patricia Storace, with Richard Grayson, with Leslie Shiel, with Laura Costas, with Sharon Henry, with Cookie Lupton, with Lisa B. Herskovits, with Belinda Subraman, with Ellie Schoenfeld, with Sparrow ., with Gregg Shapiro, with Cathryn Hankla, with Wayne E. Kline, with Jose Padua, with Jeff Weddle, with Judy Grahn, with Samuel Charters, with Rachel Salazar, with Eleanor Earle Crockett, with Diane Wakoski, with Judy Vernon, with David Wojahn, with William McCranor Henderson, with Janice Eidus, with Elizabeth Ash Vélez, with Laura Kalpakian, with Eri Makino, with Ai, with Michael Wilkerson, with Brian Gilmore, with Sam Toperoff, with Julia P. Dubner, with Bill Morris, with L.A. Lantz, with Phyllis Burke, with Hillary Johnson, with Rita Valencia, with Michael Lally, with Eleanor E. Crocket, with Taylor Mead, with Susan Compo, with Rosanne Daryl Thomas, with Tino Villanueva, with Edwin Corley, with Robert Ready, with Reuben Jackson, with Stephanie Hart, with D.E. Steward, with David Plumb, with Ed Graczyk, with Hilary Howard, with James Finney Boylan, with Miranda Schwartz)
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Mondo Barbie (By: John Varley, Lynne Barrett, Julia Alvarez, Philip Levine, A.M. Homes, David Trinidad, Sandra Cisneros, Marge Piercy, Gary Soto, Roberta Allen, Alice McDermott, Hilary Tham, Lyn Lifshin, Rebecca Brown, Denise Duhamel, Lucinda Ebersole, Richard Peabody, Jeanne Beaumont, Lynne McMahon, Kathryn Harrison, Patricia Storace, Richard Grayson, Leslie Shiel, Laura Costas, Sharon Henry, Cookie Lupton, Lisa B. Herskovits, Belinda Subraman, Ellie Schoenfeld, Sparrow ., Gregg Shapiro, Cathryn Hankla, Wayne E. Kline, Jose Padua, Jeff Weddle)
1993
2
Mondo Elvis (By: Howard Waldrop, Cornelius Eady, Mark Childress, Susie Mee, Nick Cave, Mark Winegardner, Rafael Alvarez, Greil Marcus, Pagan Kennedy, Lucinda Ebersole, Richard Peabody, Lynne McMahon, Cathryn Hankla, Samuel Charters, Rachel Salazar, Eleanor Earle Crockett, Diane Wakoski, Judy Vernon, David Wojahn, William McCranor Henderson, Janice Eidus, Elizabeth Ash Vélez, Laura Kalpakian, Eri Makino, Ai, Michael Wilkerson, Brian Gilmore)
1994
3
Mondo Marilyn (With: J.G. Ballard, Michael Hemmingson, Clive Barker, Doris Grumbach, Beth Meacham, Lynne Tillman, Charles Bukowski, David Trinidad, Tom Whalen, Sharon Olds, Leslie Pietrzyk, Lyn Lifshin, Nanci Griffith, Robert Peters, Lucinda Ebersole, Richard Peabody, Jeanne Beaumont, Gregg Shapiro, Judy Grahn, Sam Toperoff, Julia P. Dubner, Bill Morris, L.A. Lantz, Phyllis Burke, Hillary Johnson, Rita Valencia, Michael Lally, Eleanor E. Crocket, Taylor Mead, Susan Compo, Rosanne Daryl Thomas)
1995
4
Mondo James Dean (By: Lewis Shiner, Jack C. Haldeman II, Bentley Little, Michael Hemmingson, Chuck Taylor, Michael Martone, Louisa Ermelino, Terence Winch, Lucinda Ebersole, Richard Peabody, Sparrow ., Janice Eidus, Ai, Tino Villanueva, Edwin Corley, Robert Ready, Reuben Jackson, Stephanie Hart, D.E. Steward, David Plumb, Ed Graczyk, Hilary Howard, James Finney Boylan, Miranda Schwartz)