Female Science Fiction & Fantasy Authors to Read Right Now
Science fiction and fantasy are my favorite genres of fiction. There’s something about the escapism of these genres that really satisfies my brain. In this post, I want to highlight a few female authors of science fiction and fantasy that are huge inspirations of mine. These incredibly talented women have written superb works of fiction that, in my humble opinion, you simply must read. Whether you’re simply looking for a great story or more female authors to read, this list should give you what you’re looking for.
If you can, I recommend checking out books written by these authors from your local library. If they don’t have the book or author you’re looking for, you can always make a request. Alternatively, you can often check out e-books and audiobooks via apps like Hoopla if you have an active library card. If you’re like me and plan to buy a stack of books to go on top of your to-be-read pile… I hear you and I see you. Godspeed.
Ursula K. Le Guin
First up is Ursula K. Le Guin, a titan in both the fantasy and science fiction spheres (among many others). I have such profound respect for Le Guin as a woman, a writer, and an intellectual. She challenged the science fiction and fantasy worlds with her progressive ideas on topics like race and gender, and her passion for social justice was so apparent in the way she wrote and spoke. Le Guin won numerous Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards for her huge body of work.
While there are so many fantastic novels in her bibliography, I’m going to recommend A Wizard of Earthsea by Le Guin because it’s a marvelous first novel in a fantasy series set in the fictional, magical world of Earthsea. In this book, we’re introduced to a mighty wizard named Ged–except he’s neither mighty nor even a wizard when we meet him. We follow Ged from his boyhood in a remote village to his apprenticeship with a wise albeit reticent wizard, to attending a renowned wizard school, to… well, I’ll let you read it.
What I most connected with in A Wizard of Earthsea was Ged’s growth throughout the book. He starts out being downright insufferable and becomes, through difficult trials, a wise, considerate friend and wizard. I also loved that it felt Arthurian at times, almost like I was traveling with Sir Gawain on a mysterious journey to battle the Green Knight. A Wizard of Earthsea is beautiful and devastating and poignant. I highly recommend this fantasy novel to anyone who’s tired of the standard good against evil, kings versus monsters, and war-torn landscape that predominates the fantasy genre.
Bonus recommendation: I can’t finish out this section without mentioning The Fliers of Guy. Even thinking about this short story by Le Guin gives me chills. Featured in her collection The Unreal and the Real, it’s a story about another world in which the people have feathers… and some have wings. It’s so darn good, and dare I say even better when read by LeVar Burton? Take a listen to Burton reading The Fliers of Gy on his podcast and enjoy it for yourself.
Octavia Butler
I am upset that I didn’t discover Octavia Butler sooner, but I’m grateful to LeVar Burton’s podcast for introducing me to her amazing work. Butler’s work spanned decades and received many well-deserved grants, awards, and accolades. Her novels featured heroes who were survivors, disenfranchised individuals who knew already what it was to struggle before their inciting incident to adventure. In Butler’s own words: “I write about people who do extraordinary things. It just turned out it was called science fiction.”
Some of the main themes in Butler’s novels are Black injustice, women’s rights, global warming, and political and economic disparity. Butler was a fearless writer who created heroes; not the blond, cape-wearing heroes we’re used to, but heroes who struggled and fought against systems bent on suppressing both themselves and their loved ones.
My recommendation is Parable of the Sower and not just because the main character and I share a name. Sower is a bleak dystopian novel about the societal collapse of the United States caused by climate change and a failing economy. The novel is in journal format, so you get first-person updates from protagonist Lauren Olamina as she experiences the decline of the world around her. Lauren is wickedly smart, brave, and strong–especially strong, as she has a condition called “hyperempathy” which causes her to physically feel others’ pain. Lauren’s condition (or power, depending on how you look at it) adds an extra layer of complexity to a life already fraught with struggle. If you liked The Road by Cormac McCarthy or movies like Children of Men, then you’ll enjoy Parable of the Sower.
Margaret Atwood
You will undoubtedly be familiar with Margaret Atwood from the highly-acclaimed television show inspired by her novel The Handmaid’s Tale. Atwood is a powerful writer who does not shy away from graphic imagery or tough themes. I think that’s what I like most about Atwood’s writing. She stares into the ugly face of human nature and doesn’t blink. She depicts the most brutal of realities for her characters and the most jarring thing about their situations is how frighteningly close they are to reality. The discomfort I sometimes feel when reading Atwood’s writing is intentional. She doesn’t merely want to entertain you with pretty words; she wants to challenge you, and more often than not, she succeeds.
I won’t be going with the obvious recommendation of The Handmaid’s Tale, although that is a fantastic novel worth reading. My recommendation to get started with Margaret Atwood’s body of work is Oryx and Crake. Atwood herself describes the novel as more of a work of speculative fiction rather than pure science fiction because it doesn’t necessarily describe things we can’t “do” yet–a chilling thought, yet I must admit I often find myself reminded of this book when listening to the news. A bit of a disclaimer with this recommendation, however; Oryx and Crake is not for the faint of heart. The novel, which is the first in a trilogy, deals with a lot of really difficult concepts that might be triggering or upsetting to read. I suggest checking out the trigger warnings on Oryx and Crake before proceeding.
N. K. Jemisin
N.K. Jemisin is a contemporary science fiction and fantasy writer. She’s written several fantasy series, including The Broken Earth Trilogy and The Inheritance Trilogy, as well as many excellent works of short fiction. Jemisin has received a Nebula Award, three Best Novel Hugo Awards, a Locus Award, and the MacArthur Genius Grant in 2020. She’s also a gamer, which I absolutely love (read her lovely experience playing Journey, which is one of my favorite games). She’s nerdy, hilarious, and brilliant.
I’ll stop gushing and get to the recommendation, which will be a work of Jemisin’s short fiction because I haven’t had the pleasure of reading any of her novels yet. Playing Nice With God’s Bowling Ball is a short story about a little boy who confesses to a murder. The story is written in the style of a police procedural, so fans of Law & Order should find themselves at home here–except there’s an interesting twist, which I won’t spoil for you. This story feels like a superhero’s backstory… or maybe a supervillain's? I found myself smiling at the end, delighted by the sincerity and kindness of Jemisin’s characters. I want to hug little Jeffy so bad.
Read and Rejoice
This list is far from exhaustive. In fact, I hope to add more eventually. In the meantime, I hope you discover a new favorite story or author from this list. Let me know if you’ve read any of the stories mentioned above and what you think about them. If there’s someone you think I should check out, let me know! Happy reading, y’all.