Ashara Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 Appart from Robin Hobb, I really liked Patricia McKillip. I read only one book by her, but it was wonderful. Short, poignant and hopelessly romantic. When I say "romantic" I don't mean it is a "romance" novel of some kind. It's the language and the environment just tingling with magic and shadows. I am looking forward to checking out her Riddlemaster trilogy sometime soon. A bunch of people I know truly dig Katherine Kerr; I can't stand her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angalin Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 I always like Robin McKinley's stuff, but you should take note that princesses (and possibly unicorns) do make regular appearances. No princesses in Sunshine, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eurytus Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 I would say that for me, Fantasy is no different from other genres in terms of the number of women authors I have read. I have read few in Fantasy, though I liked both Hobb and Clarke, and I have read few outside of fantasy. I really haven't given much thought as to why this should be. It's not as if I consciously avoid female authors (Ann Rice and her ilk apart) so I would imagine it must be largely down to the fact that there appears to be far fewer female authors writing in the genres I favour. In modern "relationship" (rather than romance) novels I would say that the split is about even. But moving into Fantasy, Sci-Fi, thrillers, crime, horror etc the split seems heavily weighted towards male writers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beniowa Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 You have some major gender issues Greyman. I don't really have any authors to recommend other than what the others have, but are you interested in science fiction? The Foreigner series by CJ Cherryh is excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Scot A Ellison Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 I really enjoyed Melanie Rawn's Dragon Prince and Dragon Star series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hark Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 BTW, what's wrong with the Pern books? I really enjoyed them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry. Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 This is a meh response to a meh topic (sorry, nothing personal): It seems, after reading the replies here that I'm apparently one of the few men who've read (and enjoyed) almost as many female spec fic (and mainstream) writers as male writers. I enjoyed Le Guin, I especially like what Octavia Butler has written. Nalo Hopkinson is a must-read for many, same for K.J. Bishop. Kelly Link is likely one of the 2-3 best writers writing today in the field of short fiction. Flannery O'Connor was great before she died. Same for Angela Carter. I enjoy the stories Canadian author Caitlin Sweet has told so far. Isabel Allende is often remarkable. And the list goes on and on... Maybe it's our life experiences that influence matters. I grew up around professional (teachers) women and I myself have worked as a teacher for about 5 years. Also briefly majored in social work. For much of my adult life, I've worked in female-dominated fields and most of my close friends are women. Maybe that has something to do with appreciating the types of stories that women authors tell. For there are some differences in focus, I've noticed...I just merely find them to be all the more fascinating for making me think more about how I relate with others, especially those who are women. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denstorebog Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 Greyman, As far as I can tell, your point is that you've read only bad female authors, but both good and bad male authors, leading you to prefer the fifty-fifty chance of male authors. Do you perceive any common element to the badness of the female authors? Bad characters, simplistic worldview, prose...? If there's no common element, I don't really see the problem. Eddings and Goodkind are bad for each their own reasons, which doesn't prevent a male author like GRRM from being male along with the two. It seems, after reading the replies here that I'm apparently one of the few men who've read (and enjoyed) almost as many female spec fic (and mainstream) writers as male writers. I can't say that I have enjoyed as many female authors as male, but that's a quantity issue - I simply haven't read as many (maybe because there are so many more male authors out there?). Likewise, I haven't stumbled upon any female writers I loathe like TG, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greyman Posted June 26, 2006 Author Share Posted June 26, 2006 This is a meh response to a meh topic (sorry, nothing personal): No offense taken. This topic only came up because I'm bored, and my friend and I were talking about this last night. I pretty much invite criticism because I refuse to be dishonest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baeraad Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 I've never really thought about it, and I pick up books based on if they sound good, but I must admit that I can't think of any female authors that I like. Sarah Ash comes closest, and she's not exactly spectacular - she's got a few interesting ideas and she doesn't preach, and that makes for a fun read but not really an amazing one. What female authors of note have I read? Robin Hobb. She thinks we all should be eaten by dragons. Oh, and having fun is evil. JK Rowling. I hate her. I hate her so much. I've been beaten over the head with conventional morality and conventional worldviews and lowest common denominators before, but no one has ever managed to beat so hard and so persistantly. I could go on for pages on end about how much I don't like her. I have gone on for pages on end about how much I don't like her. But I'll spare you from it here. Patricia McKillip. Interesting... very interesting... would be even more interesting if I ever had any idea what the hell's going on... But by all means, maybe I was just too young when I read her. Katherine Kerr. She has a heroine who ends up choosing having a career instead of marriage and children. For this I will always have a place in my heart for her. But she's not much of a storyteller. You never have to worry about the heroes, because her villains are so stupid and pathetic that they're mostly just dangerous to themselves. There's never any tension. Ursula LeGuin. I used to like her, until she started going on about how evil men were. And going on, and going on, and going on... Laurel Hamilton. I haven't read enough to hate her. I just read one book, and my reaction was, basically, "nothing very interesting here." Mercedes Lackey. Okay, her books are very cute... but if she wants to write about relationships, why doesn't she write about relationships without putting a Dark Lord into the mix? She clearly has no interest in Dark Lords, but for some reason she insists on putting one in there every time. Weird. To summarise, I'm sure there are good female fantasy authors. I've just never really found one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hark Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 I pretty much invite criticism because I refuse to be dishonest. ^5 Greyman. Take me as I am. I've never evolved a verbal filter either. I get in trouble all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mme Erzulie Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 Likewise, I haven't stumbled upon any female writers I loathe like TG, etc. Read any Ann Coulter lately? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brys Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 Ursula le Guin is quite good, although she writes mostly sci-fi, and people seem to like J.K. Rowling, last I checked... But now that I think about it, how about Latino fantasy writers? Are they any good? Lithuanian? I haven't noticed the hearing-impaired community turning out anything decent in awhile, either... Latino authors are amazing! Just look at Gabriel Garcia Marquez. As for female authors, Ursula Le Guin and Patricia McKillip and JV Jones are excellent and Robin Hobb and Julian May are competent. I've heard Susanna Clarke and Mary Gentle are excellent. I haven't read that many female authors, but there are tons of terrible male fantasy authors, and I doubt there's any significant difference proportionally in quality between the sexes. I don't read books on the basis of gender but on whether they've been recommended to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denstorebog Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 Read any Ann Coulter lately? Damn, you're right, I should've said fantasy authors. Wait, Coulter *is* a fantasy author. Anyhows, my point is that with the disparancy in number of male and female authors (I'm assuming it is there without really knowing), it is obviously improbable that the female authors will make up either the absolute top or the absolute bottom of the barrel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elrostar Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 Latino authors are amazing! Just look at Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Actually, I have a really hard time dealing magical realism (I think that's the name of it). Apparently it's just an aspect of latino culture I don't really get, and maybe it comes of being way too rooted in a scientific and logical way of thinking, but it just ends up distracting and confusing me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebenstone Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 See I think this is a valid observation. I don't think I'd say I "distrust" female fantasy authors, but I will admit I'm a bit leery. I find that too many female fantasy writers ride the blurry line between "romance" and "chic lit" (the single most insipid type of lit in the universe! But that's another thread. ) and fantasy. I think the other is the EXTREME feminist writers, but that's a double standard because how many fantasy writers are clearly chauvanistic? How many "damsels in distress" are there in fantasy lit? That being said, I don't eliminate it. JV Jones is good and JK Rowlings is terrific. But Sara Dogulass and Elizabeth Haydon are two female writers I can think of who really got under my skin when I was reading them. There's my 2 cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UberDarkLord Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 Confession: I only read Robin Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice. Was not really impressed by that, but it was not awful either. But I am anticipating to read C.S. Friedman' Coldfire trilogy soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diabloblanco18 Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 In case no one else mentioned her, Carol Berg is an excellent writer. In particular, her Rai-Kirah trilogy is definitely worth checking out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Baelish Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 I think I have only read books by four female authors. Robin Hobb, who is among my top three favourite authors. Margaret Weis, who I still love for her work in the Dragonlance Chronicles and Twins trilogy. Michelle West, whose first book I have read and enjoyed. And Janny Wurts, who I think is crap. Three out of four ain't bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greyman Posted June 26, 2006 Author Share Posted June 26, 2006 I'm sorry, I can't let this thread go on without pointing out that JV Jones is terribly overrated. The Book of Words series at least. Sorry JV fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.