Women of Science Fiction and FantasyLike this list

10 items

• The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

  Chambers, Becky

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  One of the first books many people think of when someone asks for a Cozy Sci-Fi recommendation. This reads a bit like watching an episodic and heartfelt sit-com set on a spaceship. There's a reason Becky Chambers has made a name for herself as a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• A Memory Called Empire

  Martine, Arkady,

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  Political intrigue and murder-solving in space! Seriously, though, Arkady Martine has crafted a story that dives into the repercussions of colonization for the people who were colonized. There is also a sequel novel, if you can't get enough.

• A Wizard of Earthsea

  Le Guin, Ursula K., 1929-2018

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  You can't have a women in sci-fi/fantasy list without Ursula K. Le Guin. She helped break the genre open to other women who had great ideas that would've gone unwritten otherwise. This is a more kid-friendly book that seems to have inspired aspects…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Dragonflight

  McCaffrey, Anne,

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  Anne McCaffrey is another pioneer of the genre. Her Dragonriders of Pern series blends science-fiction and fantasy, and it was one of my first introductions to the genres.

• All Systems Red

  Wells, Martha,

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  This series was recently adapted for TV, and Martha Wells had a solid presence during that process. Highly recommend giving this series a try if you like robots/androids having an existential crisis every two seconds and watching trashy telenovela…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• A Natural History of Dragons

  a Memoir by Lady Trent

  Brennan, Marie

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  Oldie but a goodie. Take dragons and look at them from a strictly scholarly angle through the eyes of a woman who must also deal with period-typical prejudices. There are plenty of books and a late-series twist that will, genuinely, make you go :O

• Frankenstein

  Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, 1797-1851

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  The OG of the science fiction genre itself, written by the absolute icon that is Mary Shelley. While the text can be a bit dense for the modern reader, you can see the groundwork being laid for the genre among the pages. Highly recommend.

• His Majesty's Dragon

  Novik, Naomi,

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  Naomi Novik has written a lot of fantasy, but her better known series is an alternate history set during the Napoleonic Wars with one key addition: dragons.

• When Women Were Dragons

  a Novel

  Barnhill, Kelly Regan,

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  Barnhill has a lot of fun exploring the concept of women expressing their anger by literally turning into dragons in the 1950s. As fantasy ideas go, it's absolutely one of the more unique ones I've heard.

• Alanna

  the First Adventure

  Pierce, Tamora,

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  Tamora Pierce might write for a younger audience (think upper middle grade and YA), but many people have her to thank for getting them into fantasy, myself included. The Alanna Series in particular is a popular jumping-off point about a young girl…Read moreRead more of this annotation