Brys Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 My favourite two are probably Ursula Le Guin and Octavia Butler - can't decide between those two, but they're both incredible, better than any other female fantasy authors I can think of by a long stretch. I don't understand why Bujold is so highly recommended - I've only read the first two Vorkosigian books, but they were pretty poor IMO. Maybe her fantasy writing is better? After Le Guin and Butler, these are the names I think of (in no particular order): K J Bishop Patricia McKillip Vera Nazarian Kelly Link Catherynne Valente Sarah Monette Susanna Clarke J V Jones and Robin Hobb are both good in their own way, but also deeply flawed - worth reading, but they aren't great writers. In SF I can think of a couple more great female writers though eg Nicola Griffith and Mary Doria Russell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indigo Cloak Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 Le Guin Though I've heard great things of Storm Constantine and shall read her soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luzifer's right hand Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 Lois McMaster Bujold is my favourite female Fantasy autor, although I have only read the books set in the "Chalion" setting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maester Joergensen Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 I loved "the curse of Chalion", but haven´t read anything else by Bujold. I agree that Le Guin is the best. Honourable mention to Jude Fisher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentat Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 I've only really liked the Earthsea trilogy by LeGuin. I tried to read Left Hand of Darkness and Word for World is Forest and couldn't get through either of them (though I was pretty young when I did). I didn't know Julian May was a woman (Julian is a man's name in Spain), but I've always really liked her. I love Bujold's sci-fi, her fantasy not so much. I've only read Robin Hobb's assassin trilogy. I didn't like it. I loved Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. I think Company of Liars by Karen Maitland is an amazing fantasy debut and wholeheartedly recommend it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteHaven Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 So far I just read Mary H. Herbert and her Gabria saga (well I was 12 and I read it in German) and Hobb. So...in my opinion it is Hobb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trinuviel Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 I'm a big fan of Elizabeth Bear- she does both sci-fi and fantasy very well and I just loved how she was playing around with myth, legend and fantasy tropes in her Promethean Age series. Patricia McKillip is simply wonderful, especially as a stylist. I recently read both volumes of Catherynne Valente's The Orphan's Tales as well as Palimpsest and she totally blew me away. She's incredibly talented and I'm very very interested in seeing what she's publishing next. Ursula le Guin is another favorite of mine, both for sci-fi and fantasy. So far my favorite is The Tombs of Atuan. Sarah Monette is another shining star. And I have quite a fondess for Ellen Kushner, Jacqueline Carey and Juliet Marillier. I'm also beginning to like Cherie Priest quite a lot though I have only read her Eden Moore books (Southern Gothic ghost stories). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ealdorman Halasahr Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 J V Jones (I like the world-building, and the characters) Ursula K Le Guin (well, I read her books as a child) Ellen Kushner (because her stories are witty, and clever) Elizabeth Moon (in all fairness, I've only read parts of the Paksenarrion-story thus far, but I like it) Robin Hobb (though I find the tempo in her books a bit ... slow) Gail Z Martin (a bit of a surprise, I bet, but despite of all the stereotypical characters, the superhero-qualities, and the quite predictable plot, it's an easy-going, flowing read; sometimes you need something easy, as well, don't you?) If K J Parker is a woman, she's number two on my list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerol Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 I started Kushner's Privilege of the Sword. After the first few chapters I was getting bored but now it is getting interesting. There is more to the Mad Duke than I first thought and the protagonist has gotten over her whining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambyr Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 I started Kushner's Privilege of the Sword. After the first few chapters I was getting bored but now it is getting interesting. There is more to the Mad Duke than I first thought and the protagonist has gotten over her whining. I'm taking it that you're reading it without having read Swordspoint? If so, I'd be very interested in your final review; I tend to think of Swordspoint as a necessary starting point for understanding some of Privilege's plot points, and I'm curious how it stands up on its own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerol Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 I'm taking it that you're reading it without having read Swordspoint? If so, I'd be very interested in your final review; I tend to think of Swordspoint as a necessary starting point for understanding some of Privilege's plot points, and I'm curious how it stands up on its own. I will do so. From what I heard, Privilege worked as a stand-alone and being my library didn't have Swordpoint I figured I'd be OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanrn Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 J. V. Jones is my favourite female author. I like Robin Hobb's 2 Fitzchivalry trilogies well except the ending of the last book but not the rest of her stuff. K. J. Parker, I can never remember is female but I have only read 2 of her trilogies. J. K. Rowling, well... Mary Gentle, Ash is one of my favourite standalone books 1602(or whatever it was called) was good aswell. Katherine Kerr is just trippy with the time skipping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaldanya Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 If K J Parker is a woman, she's number two on my list. Yes, KJ Parker is a woman. N Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renasko Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 I'm reading 'Black Sun Rising' by Celia S. Friedman, at the moment. The only thing other than this I've read by the author was 'In Conquest Born', which I read about a year ago. She's quickly becoming my favourite female author. Looking forward to gobbling up more of her books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerol Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 I'm taking it that you're reading it without having read Swordspoint? If so, I'd be very interested in your final review; I tend to think of Swordspoint as a necessary starting point for understanding some of Privilege's plot points, and I'm curious how it stands up on its own. I finished it and liked it very much. My guess is that certain things may have resonated more had I read Swordspoint but there was enough recapping for me to grok what was going on. There was one aspect that I am afraid that GRRM has ruined me - I kept thinking there should be more political intrigue than there was. I did hurry through the last third because I got a call from the library saying my copy of The Price of Spring was in (been jonesing for that book for months). Nonetheless, it was a good read with very rich characterization and solid prose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphy Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 I'm reading 'Black Sun Rising' by Celia S. Friedman, at the moment. The only thing other than this I've read by the author was 'In Conquest Born', which I read about a year ago. She's quickly becoming my favourite female author. Looking forward to gobbling up more of her books. See if you can find a copy of her The Madness Season. Very interesting take on vampires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elgernon Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Bujold and Carey would be me top two, although I have not read anything by Hobb or le Guin as yet. Given what I have read upthread I have a lot of reading to do before I can have a valid opinion. Novik's Temeraire novels are fun but not anything groundbreaking Susanna Clarke seemed to have potential but Strange and Norrell is one of the few books that I have tried to read more than once and have failed to get through . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambyr Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 I finished it and liked it very much. My guess is that certain things may have resonated more had I read Swordspoint but there was enough recapping for me to grok what was going on. There was one aspect that I am afraid that GRRM has ruined me - I kept thinking there should be more political intrigue than there was. I did hurry through the last third because I got a call from the library saying my copy of The Price of Spring was in (been jonesing for that book for months). Nonetheless, it was a good read with very rich characterization and solid prose. Cool. You're right that it's more a matter of missing resonance than anything else that comes from not having read the first book, I think. SPOILER: Specifically, the stuff with Richard and Alec--watching how badly they've fucked their relationship up hurts after watching just what they went through to keep it in Swordspoint. Also, watching Michael Godwin attempt to be the "proper" father is kind of hysterical after reading about his youthful indiscretions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGP Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 My favorite is Mary Renault, followed KJ Parker and JV Jones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.