Poll for best SF or Fantasy books written by women


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Lorm Dragonheart wrote:
I would also include The Deeds of Paksarrion(sp) by Elizabeth Moon. I think it has one of truest paths of becoming a paladin from humble beginnings that I ever read.

I read these recently, possibly the best paladin story I've come across. The recent Paladin's Legacy series is pretty good too.

The Exchange

No one mentioned Esther Friesner yet. A lot of her stuff is satiric, so I guess it doesn't get a lot of faves the way "serious" SFF does.


Lord Mhoram wrote:

Lathe of Heave - LeGuin

Dread Companion, Time Trader, Witch world - Andre Norton
Mary Stewart - her Arthurian stuff.
Death God's Citadel - Juanita Coulson (read that many times in my youth - a little dated now).
Covenents - Lorna freeman (not literary but fun)

Edit to add: CL Moore.

If we include urban fantasy there are a lot of them.

Urban Fantasy is a blight on SF/Fantasy--it crowds out everything else on bookstore shelves the way strawberries take over the entire garden!


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Echoing Cherryh, here.

A less-well-known entry into both genres is Connie Willis. Her art crosses lines as well as genres, especially her time travel series. She's known for her historical research as well as her quiet profile, despite:

11 Hugo Awards
13 Hugo Nominations
7 Nebula Awards
8 Nebula Nominations
4 Locus Awards
2 Arthur C. Clark Awards
2 John W. Campbell Awards
1 British Science Fiction Assn. Award
1 Daemon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award (for Lifetime Achievement)

...and her induction into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2009, as well as being named the 28th SWFA Grand Master in 2011.


Willis's DOOMSDAY BOOK is pretty good. I've also heard good things about TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DOG.

I did read her BLACKOUT/ALL CLEAR duology, however, and it was terrible. Awfully-paced, horrendously-researched (including some howlers like the Jubilee Line being in use 37 years before it opened) and at least four times longer than it needed to be. Easily the worst novel to win a Hugo Award in a generation.


Voting for KJ Parker on the 50% chance that KJ Parker is a woman

The Exchange

Anne Mcaffrey - Dragonriders of Pern

Diane Duane, Vonda McIntyre, Diane Carey, D.C. Fontana, all great writers for Star Trek in its various incarnations

Judith Tarr teamed up with Harry Turtledove to write a book called "Household Gods" alternative history/fiction, pretty good read.


Werthead wrote:
Willis's DOOMSDAY BOOK is pretty good.

I read that under the patronage of Lurking Lord Dice. It was pretty good, indeed.

RPG Superstar 2011 Top 8

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No Jacqueline Carey? The Kushiel books are hit and miss for me (I really liked the first one but the rest that I've read have varied). However, I really enjoyed "Banewreaker" and "Godslayer", her take on Lord of the Rings. Highly recommend if you would enjoy a retelling of LoTR from Sauron's point of view (not really Sauron, but her story's version of Sauron).


The BANWREAKER/GODSLAYER duology is really clever and interesting I liked that one, but I also have had problems with the KUSHIEL books. I know it's their thing, but the numerous and lengthy sex scenes tend to slow the plot down way too much.

Quote:
Voting for KJ Parker on the 50% chance that KJ Parker is a woman

Rather more than that. My contacts in the publishing industry all agree that she's a she :-)


[Takes notes]

"Ku-scheel books. Banwreaker? Must [underscored] investigate"

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Jacqueline Carey is one of my top 10 authors. Up there with Cherryh, Gaiman, Brust, Butcher, Mieville, Abercrombie, De Lint, etc.

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