jeffreyab: (Space)
Jeff Beeler ([personal profile] jeffreyab) wrote2007-12-14 10:28 am

Female Science Fiction Authors

Who are the up and coming female science fiction, not fantasy, authors?

I grew up with Anne McCaffery, Andre Norton and Marion Zimmer Bradley and moved on to C.J. Cherryh, Lois McMaster Bujold and Connie Willis.

I read them because they wrote science fiction because back then that was what sold but they have gotten older or moved into the fantasy field because that is where the market is now so I read them less.

I have yet to find new female authors to replace them in the subgenres I like to read.

These are space opera like the Miles Vorkosigan books or adventures like "Space Odyssey" by Bradley, cyberpunk, alternate history like Andre Norton's crosstime books.

[identity profile] benet.livejournal.com 2007-12-14 03:48 pm (UTC)(link)
It may not be immediately obvious that Chris Moriarty is a woman, but Spin State and Spin Control fall into both the cyberpunk and space opera buckets.

[identity profile] ghostwes.livejournal.com 2007-12-14 03:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, she's newish, I guess, but I just started reading Memory by Linda Nagata. Seems good so far.

Jo Walton's Farthing is a good alternative history novel. Hey, it's not fantasy!

[identity profile] shsilver.livejournal.com 2007-12-14 03:57 pm (UTC)(link)
As I mentioned over ay Jay Lake's blog, Julie Czerneda, Tanya Huff, and Catherine Asaro all are relatively recent and write SF. Chris Moriarty, Jo, and Linda have been mentioned. There are also Elizabeth Bear, Linnea Sinclair, Kristine Smith, Kathleen Ann Goonan.

[identity profile] ktempest.livejournal.com 2007-12-14 04:13 pm (UTC)(link)
check out sfbookswap.wordpress.com. Every month we post links to all of the online fiction by women published in the previous month. That's a good place to start - just look at the names that keep coming up over and over again.

[identity profile] daveamongus.livejournal.com 2007-12-14 04:36 pm (UTC)(link)
In addition to all those above (and I particularly recommend Kristine Smith, Tanya Huff, and Julie Czerneda), I'd say look for Sandra McDonald. Only the one book so far, The Outback Stars, but I imagine she has more forthcoming.

ETA: In fact, Kristine has the final book in her Jani Killian series, Endgame recently out (I think) and SFBC is omnibussing the whole series into two volumes.
Edited 2007-12-14 16:37 (UTC)

[identity profile] rikhei.livejournal.com 2007-12-14 04:52 pm (UTC)(link)
You might be interested in Feminist SF, too.

[identity profile] supergee.livejournal.com 2007-12-14 05:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Elizabeth Bear

[identity profile] shsilver.livejournal.com 2007-12-14 05:05 pm (UTC)(link)
And Mary Gentle's AH (Ash, 1610: A Sundial in a Grave, and Ilario), although that may have too many fantasy elements for your tastes.