It’s Fantasy Friday, that means another installment of Blog For A Beer! Every week we offer up a bloggy prompt and invite you to discuss and debate the topic. The comments will close at 11:59PM Pacific time Saturday and, if we have at least 10 participants, we’ll award $10 in beer (or sundae, if you’re a minor) money to the most interesting or entertaining contributor after that. Close out the weekend in style!
Jeff Vandermeer recently posted a list of new or under-appreciated female genre writers along with a few words about why he likes them. In light of discussions of gender elsewhere around the blogosphere, it’s a list that’s sure to give pause to anyone who thinks that there aren’t very many women writing genre fiction, be it fantasy or SF. And these are just the writers Jeff likes or has come across–there are many more. So we invite you, dear readers, to share with us who your favorite female genre writers are and why. Be they writers with a solid track record like Eileen Gunn or Nancy Kress, or writers who you’ve only seen a few stories or novels from, but are so far impressed by.
1 • Today @ Fantasy at K. Tempest Bradford said:
June 27th, 2008 at 12:13 pm, permalink
[...] Blog for a Beer is all about your favorite female genre writers: we invite you, dear readers, to share with us who [...]
2 • Paul Jessup said:
June 27th, 2008 at 12:35 pm, permalink
Ekaterina Sedia, Rachel Swirski, Nisi Shawl, Kelly Link and Catherynne M. Valente are all my faves.
3 • Michael Gordon said:
June 27th, 2008 at 12:59 pm, permalink
I’m a huge fan of Susanna Clarke, but I have to admit that my formative teenage years heavily consisted of reading Laurell K. Hamilton and the like. I’m not sure what they may have done to my perceptions of women (or at the very least necromancer lycanthrope women and faerie princesses) but I seem to have turned out ok.
And one of these days I’ve got to read some more Emma Bull.
4 • Paul Tremblay said:
June 27th, 2008 at 1:01 pm, permalink
Paul’s choices are fantastic. Let me also add Aimee Bender (her The Girl in the Flammable Skirt is a must read), Susanna Clarke, and FM alums Stephanie Campisi, Afi Muffaz, and Leslie Claire Walker.
5 • Espana Sheriff said:
June 27th, 2008 at 1:11 pm, permalink
I’ll second Kelly Link.
I recently discovered Susan Palwick’s short story collection ‘The Fate of Mice’ and couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard of her before. The story ‘Gestella’ is as good as anything I’ve read.
6 • Lisa Mantchev said:
June 27th, 2008 at 1:16 pm, permalink
Trying to pick names that have yet to be mentioned, I will add MK Hobson, Mary Robinette Kowal, Ysabeau Wilce, Beth Bernobich and Stephanie Burgis.
7 • Randy Henderson said:
June 27th, 2008 at 1:24 pm, permalink
Vylar Kaftan.
http://www.vylarkaftan.net/
She has skill at producing original and unusual tales.
I first saw her work in the SFF-OWW Online Writing Workshop, and enjoyed the stories she posted for critique there. And then I started to see her name all over the place in online zines.
Frequently, when I come across one of her works, I read the first few lines thinking (as I often do when skimming online zines) that if it is interesting I’ll come back to it when I have more time to actually read it. Yet once begun, I keep reading until I’ve finished it.
She has enough stories in the better genre magazines and anthologies that I hesitate to still call her an up-and-comer. But she’s one female writer that I enjoy reading that I thought might not be mentioned by everyone else **Ah-Kelly Link-CHOO!** Oh, excuse me.
In fact, I think it’s safe to say that if you like Link you will probably like Kaftan. Not to say she’s the poor man’s Link. She’s no Keira Knightley to Link’s Natalie Portman (and certainly not Skeet Ulrich to Link’s Johnny Depp). No, she stands on her own as a unique and talented writer with a flair for the odd.
8 • Stacy said:
June 27th, 2008 at 1:43 pm, permalink
Ellen Klages.
Her story collection, “Portable Childhoods” features so many moments of genuine wonder. It’s a book I keep going back to as both a reader and a writer, in hopes of capturing a little of the magic.
9 • Misty Massey said:
June 27th, 2008 at 1:48 pm, permalink
Faith Hunter is definitely one to watch. Her “Rogue Mage” books are smart and elegant. They fall into the urban fantasy category without being just another vampire story.
And I can’t help declaring my adoration of Louise Cooper, author of the Time Master trilogy and the Nemesis series. Yeah, the books are old, but no one’s quite come close since. I nearly named my first-born after one of her characters. (One of Roger Zelazny’s characters won out, but only by a fraction!)
10 • Paul Jessup said:
June 27th, 2008 at 1:49 pm, permalink
“I’m a huge fan of Susanna Clarke, but I have to admit that my formative teenage years heavily consisted of reading Laurell K. Hamilton and the like.”
Teenage years? Reading Hamilton?
I feel old.
11 • Steve Nagy said:
June 27th, 2008 at 1:51 pm, permalink
I’ve grown fond of Lois McMaster Bujold in recent years, devouring all the Vorkosigan and Chalion stories.
I also really enjoyed Eleanor Arnason’s “The Grammarian’s Five Daughters” a few years back. Just a beautiful idea and executed so well.
Catherynne M. Valente makes words sing.
The list could run on and on, there are so many today, veteran and new alike. A man could spend the day from sunrise to sunset listing all the female genre authors, and their work would not be done.
12 • Willow Fagan said:
June 27th, 2008 at 1:52 pm, permalink
Hmm, I don’t want to repeat what other people have said (except I have to say that I love love love Aimee Bender). I’ve really enjoyed Leah Bobet’s short stories. Marge Piercy wrote some thought-provoking science fiction. Oh, and a few months ago I read Ursula K. Le Guin’s early novels Rocannon’s World and Planet of Exile–Rocannon’s World is a great blend of high fantasy tropes with science fictional background.
13 • Brenta said:
June 27th, 2008 at 1:54 pm, permalink
I always struggle with naming favorite authors because it’s hard to focus on just a few. Each author brings something new and different and beautiful and rich each time they publish.
I could probably annually re-read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the book that arguably got science fiction started…but then I wouldn’t be able to read all these other female writers.
I can’t imagine I will ever be able to forget Judith Merril’s “That Only a Mother,” giving us a woman’s perspective on SF horror when there weren’t many of women writing SF.
I can’t express my enthusiasm enough for Pamela Sargent’s Women of Wonder series, which she edited to bring us the voices of women in speculative fiction, and her Venus of Dreams series, which she wrote, providing a different view of planetary colonization.
I enjoyed the challenge of reading Dorothy Bryant’s The Kin of Ata are Waiting for You; hers was the first book I’d read that challenged my notions about gender.
If you threatened to take away my frequent book shopper cards, I’d probably choose Connie Willis and Octavia Butler as my two most favorite female writers. I’m still so sad that I won’t see anything new from Octavia Butler.
I also like JK Rowling. (There, I’ve said it.) She wrote fun fiction in Harry Potter.
I shouldn’t neglect Ellen Klages.
Having read their short fiction, I can’t wait to see what Lucy Snyder’s, Lisa Mantchev’s, and MK Hobson’s longer works will be like.
I’m looking forward to seeing what Vylar Kaftan will be writing in the future.
Who am I forgetting? Probably too many authors… So many authors, so little time. I may never get to re-read Frankenstein at this rate.
14 • Michael D. Thomas said:
June 27th, 2008 at 2:01 pm, permalink
Elizabeth Bear, Kage Baker, Sarah Monette, Catherynne Valente, Kelly Link, Kristine Smith, Lyda Morehouse, Jackie Kessler, Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman, Maureen McHugh, Caroline Stevermer, Jennifer Pelland, Caitlin Kittredge, Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu, Theodora Goss, Ellen Klages, Emma Bull, Alma Alexander, Naomi Kritzer, Amanda Downum, Leah Bobet, Jenn Reese, Mary Robinette Kowal, Tanya Huff, Joan Vinge, Lois McMaster Bujold
There are as many brilliant women working in SF as men. If people aren’t reading them, they’re really missing out on some brilliant stuff.
15 • Nathan Crowder said:
June 27th, 2008 at 2:21 pm, permalink
I’ve long been a fan of Ellen Kushner (Swordspoint is one of my all-time favorites), but for new talent, I’m going to throw out a curve-ball and say Gail Simone. True, she writes comic books, but in my book, you don’t get more genre than that. And her characterization of strong females is top notch.
16 • Nicole said:
June 27th, 2008 at 2:22 pm, permalink
I can’t believe no one mentioned C. J. Cherryh yet – I love Cyteen and the Foreigner series. C. S. Friedman’s In Conquest Born is also one of my favorites.
17 • Tiffany Trent said:
June 27th, 2008 at 2:25 pm, permalink
Lisa Mantchev, Stephanie Burgis, Holly Black, Patricia McKillip, Jane Yolen, Ru Emerson, Tanith Lee, Melissa Marr, Caitlin Kittredge, Di Francis, Leah Cutter, Liz Williams, Cat Valente…These are just a few ladies who rock my socks.
18 • Charles said:
June 27th, 2008 at 2:35 pm, permalink
First and foremost there is Andre Norton. I think I own more of her books than any other author. She’s the reason I added Science Fiction to my reading along with Fantasy.
Also, I will have to second Louise Cooper. Her Time Master Trilogy and Indigo series are excellent reads.
Then there is Judith Tarr. Her Avaryan Rising is among my favorite reads. Her main protagonist is quite unique.
Ursula K. Le Guin
Melanie Rawn
Kate Elliott
And many others.
19 • C.S. Cole said:
June 27th, 2008 at 2:43 pm, permalink
Oh sure, M.K. Hobson, Mary Robinette Kowal, Kelly Link…but Holly Phillips has recently wowed me particularly with her “The Small Door” story. Wish I had thought of it first though. I’ll be looking for more of her stuff in the future to be sure!
20 • Paul Jessup said:
June 27th, 2008 at 2:51 pm, permalink
“There are as many brilliant women working in SF as men. If people aren’t reading them, they’re really missing out on some brilliant stuff.”
I’d actually hasten to say that in the short form (not sure of novels- but I would think this holds true as well) there are MORE brilliant women working in F/SF as men.
Especially when you add the brilliance part.
21 • Laura said:
June 27th, 2008 at 2:51 pm, permalink
I’ll admit – I’m a total sucker for high fantasy. Especially high fantasy that involves pirates. So I’ll suggest two favorites in that genre – one well-established author and one fabulous up and coming.
Robin Hobb’s ‘Liveship Traders’ series is a wonderfully imaginative series of books with a strong female lead, a healthy dose of magic, and a wonderful mix of politics and intrigue. She’s a wonderful author, and I *devoured* her books.
Misty Massey is a new author – her book ‘Mad Kestrel’ debuted this past spring. She has a wonderful way with words, and creates strong characters and character relationships – I couldn’t put the book down. It’s different enough to truly stand out from the glut of fantasy novels out there. I’m really looking forward to more work from Ms. Massey!
22 • Paul Jessup said:
June 27th, 2008 at 2:52 pm, permalink
In fact, I would easily say that if you were asked to name the top male writers doing brilliant, genre changing stuff today the list would pale in comparison.
23 • John O said:
June 27th, 2008 at 3:06 pm, permalink
I’m going old school with Shirley Jackson and Patricia Highsmith. Love some Ursula also, but Jackson is one of the best writers ever, and therefore one of the best speculative writers ever. Ms. Highsmith has some excellent speculative also (read her animal stories).
24 • J. Kathleen Cheney said:
June 27th, 2008 at 3:07 pm, permalink
Ansen Dibell….bet no one else thought of her. ;o) Her novels were really science fiction dressed in Fantasy clothes….which fascinated me.
I’d also list Cherryh (whose Morgaine novels are similar to the above), but I see she’s been singled out already.
That was what I loved most about those books…they weren’t one or the other, but sort of in-between genres.
25 • Deborah J. Brannon said:
June 27th, 2008 at 3:15 pm, permalink
So many of my favorites have already been named! I’ll just have to veer down a different track.
Two of my new favorites, then:
Seanan McGuire is an up-and-coming urban fantasy writer with an amazing series forthcoming from DAW. Her command of knowledge about Faerie and her development of a world in which the Fae exist in tandem with us is vital and compelling. (Holly Black– move over! It’s time to share that throne.)
And then there is Mia Nutick, pendant-maker extraordinaire and fairy tale re-spinner. (Please note: She doesn’t just re-tell fairy tales; she gives new voices to old perspectives.) Her fascinating perspectives on fairy tale have been published in Jabberwocky III, EOTU e-zine, Mytholog, and Cabinet des Fées. She has a tantalizingly brilliant collection forthcoming from Papaveria Press sometime in late 2008.
26 • catrambo said:
June 27th, 2008 at 3:48 pm, permalink
Lots of great names here. I’d add Kelley Eskridge, because Dangerous Space rocked, Nancy Jane Moore, Nalo Hopkinson, L. Timmel DuChamp, Catheryne Valente, Louise Marley.
And I’d strongly ditto Palwick, and Bujold, and Lisa Mantchev, and M.K. Hobson, and Mary Robinette Kowal, and Stephanie Campisi and a whole lot more. One of the pleasures of editing this magazine is a chance to work with such great people.
27 • Zoe S. said:
June 27th, 2008 at 4:15 pm, permalink
Jeff Vandermeer recently posted a list of new or under-appreciated female genre writers along with a few words about why he likes them.
He did. He made it clear, though, that he was posting a list of the short-form writers he’s “most excited about these days.” That is, he didn’t say ‘here are the best girls,’ he said ‘here are the best,’ which makes it a lot more meaningful that they were all women. What I liked was his underlining of the fact that if you’re paying attention and being honest, you don’t have to make special separate lists of women fantasists to make sure that they get the attention they merit, because they dominate the plain old best-writers lists anyway.
But yeah, my top choices are Shirley Jackson for sheer spite, Tanith Lee for bejeweled splendor (and spite), Kelly Link and Isak Dinesen for plain old boring genius.
28 • Keilexandra said:
June 27th, 2008 at 4:19 pm, permalink
Ellen Kushner is one of my absolute favorite authors. I’ve read a few excellent stories by Kelly Link and Catherynne M. Valente, too.
Then there are the up-and-rising writers: Yoon Ha Lee and Lisa Mantchev are two that come to mind.
I’m sure I’ve missed a ton of others, but those are the ones that I recall most vividly.
29 • Jkubenka said:
June 27th, 2008 at 4:35 pm, permalink
I have to say that the most influential female writer for me was Sherri Tepper. _The Gate to Women’s Country_ was my introduction to her writing, and it still haunts my brain. It is a re-readable book and the story never gets stale. I read _The Gate to Women’s Country_ when I was attending school at a small private, religious university, and the book frightened me and gave me hope at the very same time.
I also like Elizabeth Scarborough, Nancy Kress, and Connie Willis for such well-realized worlds and words which make me think about things, long after the book is done.
30 • Nivair H. Gabriel said:
June 27th, 2008 at 5:36 pm, permalink
Well, he stuck to the short story form, but my favorite female writer is hands-down Robin McKinley. She’s the first writer whose entire repertoire I devoured, and I’m a much better and happier person for it. I don’t know how she does it, but somehow she’s fully absorbed the language of classic fantasy — her writing is the most elegant and evocative of any I’ve seen. And she challenges herself; her recent novel “Sunshine” was totally unlike anything she’d done before, but it was still fantastic and unique.
She’s got chronic fatique syndrome, which makes it difficult for her to be constantly producing, but I’d go after anything she wrote in an instant. I love her.
31 • Sean said:
June 27th, 2008 at 5:37 pm, permalink
I’d have to say Kelly Link first of all. Reading “Magic for Beginners” was almost a life changing experience. I love Theodora Goss, especially for the story “The Rapid Advance of Sorrow.” And no one has mentioned Becca De La Rosa yet, but she is amazing. Her stories come from other worlds. It’s fantastic.
32 • Daniel Ausema said:
June 27th, 2008 at 5:49 pm, permalink
LeGuin and McKillip frequently enter among the list of my favorites in general and have for quite a few years. Many of the others mentioned here and at Jeff’s blog have been impressing me of late, quickly getting my attention. One I haven’t seen mentioned here (though I might have missed it) is Toiya Kristen Finley–her story in Text:UR was the highlight of that antho (not to downplay the many other excellent stories there…which just makes it more impressive), and I’ve been seeking out her stories ever since.
33 • B. Ross Ashley said:
June 27th, 2008 at 6:06 pm, permalink
CJ Cherryh, as somebody mentioned above; Elizabeth Moon; and I cannot believe that nobody has mentioned Elizabeth A. Lynn or Diana Paxson.
I have not read Leah Bobet, although I know her, but another person to mention here is Michelle Sagara West. And Sarah-Jane Elliot. (All three of them clerk part-time at my favourite bookstore, Bakka.)
34 • Randy Henderson said:
June 27th, 2008 at 6:50 pm, permalink
On a completely unrelated note, I saw the Hulk yesterday. SO much better than their first one, with nice nods to the television series.
But one thing I still can’t get over was the military’s complete disregard for civilian safety. I mean, come on, you’re telling me there’s no accountability in the Marvel universe? That the underling soldiers and airmen didn’t have their own consciences?
The part that really got me was when the helicopter was strafing the target (which I shan’t name) as he ran across the rooftops. They were firing at an angle DOWN into the buildings. They must have mowed down at least 67 families sitting in the top three floors of those apartment buildings.
Perhaps we can do a topic sometime on story elements that ruin good genre films and books because they are completely (but unintentionally) unrealistic and ridiculous. It’s like they spend so much time focused on suspending our disbelief on the fantastic elements that they get lazy on the mundane bits.
35 • Edward Brock said:
June 27th, 2008 at 7:07 pm, permalink
There are a great many women producing work these days that I enjoy (especially as a fan of “urban fantasy”): Patricia Briggs, Vicki Pettersson, Rachel Caine, Rachel Vincent, Richelle Mead, Kim Harrison, Jeanne Stein, Cherie Priest, Ilona Andrews, Stephenie Meyer, Jennifer Rardin (to name a few).
Currently, I am hooked on Jeri Smith-Ready’s work. She has produced a wonderful fantasy series (currently consisting of Eyes of Crow & Voice of Crow), but her new novel, Wicked Game, was so much fun that I’ve already read it twice. The characters are exciting & the action is intense, but what I enjoyed most was the whole “Radio/DJ” spin she employed. The fact that the vampire DJs are stuck in, and to, their respective years of music is a very unique take on the vampire genre. Not to mention the nostalgia one can grab onto as we hear the characters discuss music & sample the playlist Jeri has so graciously provided.
I can’t wait for the next installment of what I hope will be many.
36 • Larry said:
June 28th, 2008 at 3:01 pm, permalink
Quite a few authors mentioned above that I’ve enjoyed as well and whose works I’d read in a heartbeat. So here is a mixture of those and a few others: Nalo Hopkinson, Emma Bull, Kelly Link, Sarah Monette, Isabel Allende, Angélica Gorodischer, Ursula Le Guin, Ekaterina Sedia, Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu, Mary Rickert, and Laura Restrepo.
37 • Willow Fagan said:
June 28th, 2008 at 5:11 pm, permalink
I came back to add M. Rickert’s name to the list, but I see Larry beat me to it, so I’ll just say that her collection Map of Dreams is great.
38 • K. Tempest Bradford said:
June 29th, 2008 at 8:36 am, permalink
My top 20 list of favorite authors includes Nalo Hopkinson, Andrea Hairston, Octavia Butler, Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu, Linda Addison, plus N K Jemisin & Alaya Dawn Johnson (both of whom are in my writing group, so I get to see all their brilliant stories before the rest of you!)
Picking a winner this week was hard because you all mentioned amazing writers. But the prize will go to Brenta, mainly for reminding me about Pamela Sargent’s Venus of Dreams series, which I have not read in forever and really must again.
Thanks so much, everyone! I’m going to leave the comments on in case folks want to drop by and add any more names.
39 • Blue Tyson said:
June 29th, 2008 at 9:40 pm, permalink
I’d prefer that they right SF, generally, so that is who my favorites would be biased towards, but not always
So, here’s some :-
Leanne Frahm
Mercedes Lackey (how can I not like someone doing a superhero podcast novel?) I liked her Diana Tregarde book, too, early urban fantasy influence for plenty, probably.
Carolyn Ives Gilman
Nancy Kress
Justina Robson
C. L. Moore
Marianne de Pierres
Tiptree
Pat Cadigan
Emma Bull
Melinda M. Snodgrass
Leigh Brackett
Mary Rosenblum
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Elizabeth BEar
Gwyneth Jones
Jennifer Pelland
Nancy Collins
Freda Warrington
Maxine McArthur
Leanne Harper
Storm Constantine
Sarah Endacott
Elizabeth Hand
Daphne du Maurier
Lucy Sussex
Cherie Priest
A. M. Dellamonica
Sarah Monette
Eileen Gunn
Brenda Clough
Lyn Battersby
Catherynne Valente
Martha Soukup
Connie Willis
Robin Hobb and friends
Vonda N. McIntyre
Eugie Foster
Joanna Russ
Sue Isle
Yvonne Navarro
Jo Walton
Kathe Koja
Liz Williams
Ursula Le Guin
Tanya Huff
Tansy Rayner Roberts
Sarah Zettel
Mary Stewart
K. J. Bishop
Beth Bernobich
Suzy McKee Charnas
only read a couple of books by Vicki Petersson and Patricia Briggs, but those were good, too
40 • Jonathan Wood said:
June 30th, 2008 at 11:19 am, permalink
I am consistently late to parties, but… in addition to all the excellent names above I wanted to mention Ursula Pflug, who’s also frickin’ awesome.
41 • Blue Tyson said:
July 1st, 2008 at 10:53 am, permalink
Looks like I forgot Ruth Nestvold!