Women in Scifi: books and graphic novels

[alias_sqbr]

What science fiction books by/about women (preferably both) do you consider "required reading" (as much as that phrase makes sense)? eg The books that are so great or influential you think most scifi book geeks should at least give them a go.

Obviously this is hugely subjective! And nothing is really required, read what you like. I just thought it would be interesting to compare to the previous list.


So, my incredibly subjective and limited list. Graphic novels and manga are included, but games/movie/tv are not. Unfortunately I haven't been very successful at transcending the "white people from the US" bias of most reclists, the publishing industry etc. These are NOT all feminist, and some are very problematic/dated etc.

Stuff I really liked:
Octavia Butler: Wild Seed (and probably the rest of the Patternist series once I've read it), Parable of the talents, Xenogenesis
Lois McMaster Bujold: The Miles Vorkosigan Series
Connie Willis: To Say Nothing of the Dog
Ursula K Le Guin: The Left Hand of Darkness, The Dispossessed, a billion other books
Pat Cadigan: Fools
Phil and Kaja Foglio: Girl Genius
N K Jemisin: The Effluent Engine
Shaenon Garrity: Narbonic
Sharon Lee and Steve Miller: Liaden Series (most of what I've read of it, anyway)

Stuff I really like with great female characters and male writers:
Andrew Hussie: Homestuck (sooo many caveats)
Brian K. Vaughan: Runaways
Daniel Keyes Moran: The Armageddon Blues
Adam Rex: The True Meaning of Smekday

"Classics" I thought were just ok:
C J Cherryh: Cyteen, Downbelow Station, Foreigner, etc
Elizabeth Moon: The Speed of Dark
Kate Wilhelm: Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang
James Tiptree Junior: Up the Walls of the World
Anne McAffery: The Rowan, the Ship Who Sang, etc (though I adored them as a teen)

"Classics" I didn't like:
Suzette Haden Elgin: Native Tongue
Mary Doria Russell: The Sparrow
Sherri S Tepper: Beauty (...wait that's not scifi. But it put me off trying her other stuff)
Joan D. Vinge: The Snow Queen
Nancy Kress: Beggars in Spain
Vonda McIntyre: Dreamsnake

"Classics" I haven't read:
Andre Norton: ???
Mary Shelley: Frankenstein

On my "To Read" list:
Janet Kagan: Hellspark

I KNOW I am missing some really obvious books. So tell me :)

Comments

[tree]

jsyk, i borrowed 'kindred' from my local library. so if all else fails you could request an interstate library loan from north sydney. ;)

(okay i will stop commenting in this thread now.)

[alias_sqbr]

Comment away! That's what the comment section is for! :)

Not sure the library system does loans from the eastern states though. I guess I could give it a go!

[tree]

i'd be surprised if they did. i think only university libraries do that sort of thing.

in the unlikely event that you can't find a copy at all, i'd be happy to borrow it and post it to you. (although there'll be no library trips for me until my foot heals. heh, i initially typed 'heels'. clearly i need to go to bed.)

[pedanther]

In case you didn't already know, the WA State Library system has an online catalogue that I've found very useful for identifying targets for interlibrary loans.

Doesn't look like they have "Kindred", though; only "Fledgling" and "Parable of the Sower".

[alias_sqbr]

Yep, that's why I've read those two :)