Female SF Authors Part 3: The Great Books

[jeffreyab]

What do you consider are great books that are by female science fiction authors?

Of those I have read:

Anne McCaffery "Dragonrider" and "The Ship Who Sang"

Marion Zimmer Bradley "The Brass Dragon"

C.J. Cherryh "Downbelow Station" and "The Pride of Chanur"

Ursula K. LeGuin "The Dispossessed"

Connie Willis "Dommsday Book"

Books that sucked you in and made you think.

Comments

[leduck.livejournal.com]

Joanaa Russ "The Female Man"
James Tiptree "And Her Smoke Rose up Forever"
Ursula K. Leguin "The Lathe of Heaven"
Octavia Butler, "Parable of the Sower"

[shsilver.livejournal.com]

I'll have to give this one some thought, on your list though, while I loved the two McCaffrey books/series you mentioned, I found Cherryh's Downbelow Station and Willis's Domesday Book nigh-on unreadable. I do enjoy Willis's shorter novels, such as Bellwether and Remake.

I mentioned Mary Gentle's Ash, which probably would fit your description, but it is AH with a slight dose of fantasy, so probably doesn't fit.

Lois Bujold's Falling Free and The Warrior's Apprentice didn't do much for me, but I stuck with her and the subsequent novels in the Vorkosigan series made me glad I did.

I loved Le Guin's "Earthsea" trilogy when I first read it (at which time it was only a trilogy), but again it is fantasy. But her The Dispossessed and The Left Hand of Darkness are great.

Loved Jo Walton's Farthing and just finished enjoying Ha'penny.

Brenda Clough's How Likea God, although again, might be more fantasy than you're looking for.

I mentioned Sheila Finch and would recommend her Reading the Bones or her recent collection The Guild of Xenolinguists.

Louise Marley's The Glass Harmonica.

I preferred Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow to the follow-up Children fo God.

Catherine Wells's The Earth is All That Lasts and subsequent novels in the trilogy.

[scottij.livejournal.com]

Galactic Derelict, by Andre Norton
To Say Nothing of the Dog, Connie Willis

Since we seem to be including fantasy here, I think it's appropriate to include Interview With A Vampire, by Anne Rice (and possibly The Vampire Lestat as well)

And I second most of yours as well!

[elmwood.livejournal.com]

What about Zenna Henderson's The People stories?

I really like Kage Baker, too, but I know you said you'd had trouble getting into them. The Company novels are a series that have improved with each book - the final one which I am reading now is a tour de force.

Nancy Kress is another favourite writer, someone whose books I automatically check out whenever a new one appears. Sheri S Tepper is worth a look, too

[leduck.livejournal.com]

I second Zenna Henderson's The People, as well!

[the-leewit.livejournal.com]

Ditto.

Elizabeth Moon's The Speed of Dark is unjustly called a modern-day Flowers for Algernon--- unjustly, because they are two very discrete entities. Although it is fantasy, her Paksenarion and Gird series are more than "worth a look."

Atwood's The Handmade's Tale does make one think about the politics that gave rise to the situation, and the economics forced upon it (I find her explanation of the "revolution" more compelling than Heinlein's in "If This Goes On---," even if it is skimpier)--- but of course, Atwood herself would never stoop to anything as declassé as spec fic.

It's not a book, and it probably doesn't resonate as well with men, honestly, but I will never forget Raccoona Sheldon's "The Screwfly Solution"--- particularly the moment when the viewpoint character speculates as to the occupation of the culprit. Brr!

Cold Comfort Farm is in fact science fiction humor, but not obtrusively so--- arguably a gothic parody on a mild science fiction backdrop, although wildly more sf when one considers the date of its writing. Like most of the books mentioned above (and like me) it lacks regrettably in hard science, focusing more on the social consequences of invention. I don't think this is a "female" trait--- many science fiction movies have male script writers, and they promulgate inaccurate science. Besides, to ignore the social consequences of a great change to the way people live is bad science.

I've never read her science fiction, but judging by The Unlikely Ones, Mary Brown is certainly worth a gander.

I like C.L. Moore's science fiction better than her fantasy.

Diane Duane does some great stuff, but I cannot off hand think of her science fiction beyond a Star Trek novel. I have not yet had morning tea, you see. I remember Jane Yolen's post-apocalyptica fondly. Neena, Gathering by Valerie Nieman Colander is lovely, but more in a sort of Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret sort of way.

"The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" is a short story I think of almost daily.

[the-leewit.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, and Madeline L'Engle. I know, I know, but I read A Wrinkle in Time when I was five, and it sort of stuck.

[jeffreyab.livejournal.com]

C.L. Moore I was wondering if someone would mention one of the early writers. Do you have a favourite book of hers?

Have you read any Leigh Brackett?

[shsilver.livejournal.com]

Can you e-mail me at my user name @ sfsite.com?