# Fantasy/ sci fi with strong female characters? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 12, 2005, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727 "2005-02-12T09:38:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Vevila](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@Vevila](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vevila)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727/81 "2005-02-14T16:46:53Z")
Spin State, by Chris Moriarty - strong female lead, incredibly enjoyable science fiction book that I had a hard time putting down. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727/82 "2005-02-14T21:58:33Z")
David Drake’s _Lord of the Isles_ series. Two of the four main characters are _very_ strong women, but definitely women. Ilna is amazing. Also second Dave Weber’s _Honor Harrington_ books. ---
**Author:** ![jeffh3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/34f0e0/32.png) [@jeffh3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeffh3000)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727/83 "2005-02-14T22:23:23Z")
> [@Harimad-sol](#): > > Maybe I’ve been reading the wrong books, but it seems that I have read many books whose main female characters have either been wussy damsels in distress or horrible bitches. I’m looking for some fantasy and sci fi books with female characters who are neither of those two. Robin McKinley’s female protagonists are consistently what I mean in this regard. Her women are tough but I have never yet wished one of them was real solely so I could slap her. > > I have read the _Belgariad_, the _Malloreon_, _Belgarath the Sorcerer_, and _Polgara the Sorceress_. I like Polgara and Poledra. Most of the rest of the women in those books, however, are either too nicey-nice or too bratty. Ce’Nedra comes to mind. > > If you intend to rib me about what I read, please do it gently. Some of the dragon riders of pern stories certainly have very strong female characters ---
**Author:** ![mlerose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@mlerose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlerose)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727/84 "2005-02-14T23:33:06Z")
Darn you all, my suggestions have been made. But I will put in good words for Robin Hobb’s Liveship Traders series (her other series don’t have many female characters in lead roles), Melanie Rawn’s Dragon Prince and Exiles series, George RR Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series (he writes the best 9 year old girl I’ve ever seen in adult literature), and I will add my own recommendation of Margaret Weis’ Star of the Guardians series. ---
**Author:** ![tisiphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tisiphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tisiphone)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727/85 "2005-02-14T23:53:01Z")
If you’re tired of european/western themed fantasy, you might like to try the following: Leopard’s Daughter, by Lee Killough, African fantasy Ladylord, by Sasha Miller, vaguely asian-themed fantasy the Tomoe Gozen trilogy by Jessica Amanda Salmonsen, Japanese fantasy Paper Mage, by Leah Cutter, Chinese fantasy The Caves of Buda, by Leah Cutter, vaguely Hungarian w/hints of Romani fantasy The Devil Wives of Li Fong by E. Hoffman Price, Chinese fantasy. And finally, since I’ve not seen anyone else bring this one up, the Queen’s Quarter Knot tetrology, by Midori Snyder. I get in trouble from my husband for buying too many chick books. ☹ He says he’d like one with a male protagonist for a change. I tell him he needs to go buy his own then. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Anduin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Anduin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anduin)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727/86 "2005-02-15T00:08:32Z")
Okay, just my two cents: I find Anne Mcafferey’s early books to be very sexist. I read them when I was a kid, and then picked them up again a couple of years ago. Woah! The major female characters seemed to spend all their time worrying about the men in their lives! I can still remember the part where Lissa has just returned from her long journey, and F’Lar shakes her, he’s so upset. All she can say, while crying, is that she knew he would shake her! I’m not explaining it very well, but it just left me cold. As for George R. R. Martin, I just find him way too quick to use rape as a little side joke, or just as a completely unnecessary background to the main story. YMMV, of course. I would second Tanya Huff, definitely, Mercedes Lackey, Anne Bishop, and Melanie Rawn. Also, David Weber, Catherine Asaro for more military sci fi, and Laurell K. Hamilton, if you can handle all the sex, for vampires and were-creatures. ---
**Author:** ![Anduin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Anduin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anduin)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727/87 "2005-02-15T00:16:40Z")
Just re-read, and realised **Phouka** made the same point about Mcaffrey half a page ago. Sorry! ---
**Author:** ![Tikster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@Tikster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikster)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727/88 "2005-02-16T10:27:51Z")
I second (or third…) the recommendation for Robin Hobb’s Liveship traders. Also George R. R. Martin’s a song of ice and fire series (catelyn, arya and malisandre… - although you’ll hate sansa:)) I think someone objected to Robert Jordan in this context since most women in that series are brainless ninnies (yes, I’m looking at you nyaneve) - but the series itself, well… I like it, although yes, it’s dragging out by now. Tikster ---
**Author:** ![Dancer\_Flight](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dancer_flight/32/7601_2.png) [@Dancer\_Flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dancer_Flight)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727/89 "2005-02-16T15:29:32Z")
I droped in here to specifically recommend David Weber and James Alan Gardner, totally forgot about Tanya Huff. So now that my thunder has been stolen, how’s about I narrow a couple of recommendations down? The James Alan Gardner series has a different main character in each book and each is set on a different world (well, Earth has appeared twice). You can read them in any order, but some critters and social constructs/rules are developed as the series progresses. Festina Ramos, the protagonist of the “Expendable” also appears in all but the second book so your best bet is to start with Expendable and then go exploring. My personal favorite of his books is “Vigilant” (Book 3) and it happens to fit exactly what you are looking for. The only Tanya Huff I’ve read is the Valor series, about Staff Sergeant Kerr: confident, competent and lethal. It’s two books so far (Tanya, when ya got some time can we PLEASE have another?) both very enjoyable, especially if you’re into military Science fiction. -DF ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727/90 "2005-02-16T16:00:39Z")
> [@Tikster](#): > > I think someone objected to Robert Jordan in this context since most women in that series are brainless ninnies (yes, I’m looking at you nyaneve) - but the series itself, well… I like it, although yes, it’s dragging out by now. To defend Jordan a bit (just a bit!) it’s not so much that his women are brainless ninnies. It’s that all the heroes are brainless ninnies. Both the men and the women. (Mat, Perrin, and Rand can out-ninnie Nynaeve any day of the week!) Jordan does, however, have a very visible fascination with bosoms. (A fascination I share, but don’t write about.) (except just now, apparently.) ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727/91 "2005-02-16T16:56:38Z")
Wow, I am glad I get to slip in and mention CS Friedman. Anzha lyu Tukone is _terrifying_ in **In Conquest Born**. Jamisia from **This Alien Shore** is also a downright badass. Her women are strong not due only to their combat prowess but to their limitless grit and resourcefulness. Enjoy! ---
**Author:** ![Corii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Corii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corii)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727/92 "2005-02-16T19:57:40Z")
The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey was a good read, with several female characters who are strong in their own way. Tanya Huff also has a duo in Child of the Grove and The Last Wizard that I absolutely adored, I highly recommend them for the strong female protagonist and the engaging story. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727/93 "2005-02-16T21:56:39Z")
> [@Anduin](#): > > Okay, just my two cents: [Hijack] By any chance is **Anduin** your real name? I’ve never heard anyone go by the name of Tolkien’s river except for a friend of mine from childhood. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![strangecurrencies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@strangecurrencies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/strangecurrencies)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727/94 "2005-02-16T23:22:48Z")
**Titan**** Wizard** and\*\* Demon\*\* by John Varley. The character Sirrocco Jones always reminds me of Ripley/Sigourney Weaver . ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727/95 "2005-02-16T23:23:07Z")
> [@Zjestika](#): > > How 'bout Octavia Butler? I just read _Kindred_ yeasterday (I couldn’t put it down). Granted, It’s not really SF, except for the time travel, but a lot of Butler’s other works seem to be speculative SF stuff, with lots of strong female characters. I just bought _Parable of the Sower_. I can’t wait to read it. > > ZJ That’s who I was going to suggest. Actually **Kindred** is her only book (that I know of) that I havn’t read. The Patternist series ( **Wildseed, Mind of My Mind and Patternmaster** ) is good and has strong female characters but a little more far out than some of her other works (it’s basically about what would the world be like if there really were super powers). **Parable of the Sower** and **Parable of the Talents** are excellent. In fact **Parable of the Talents** is the only book I had to stop reading because I got too emotional reading it. I finally went back and finished it. I’ll admit, **Clay’s Ark** and **Survivor** aren’t as good as her other books. They are in the Patternist continuity but aren’t really a part of it. **Clay’s Ark** is important to **Patternmaster** , but not to the other books. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727/96 "2005-02-16T23:28:47Z")
Forgot to add another suggestion. Joan Vinge’s **Snow Queen and Summer Queen**. There’s actually a bopk that goes between these two called **World’s End** , but it’s not very good and the only two plot points that matter in the third book are talked about in the first few pages. **The Snow Queen** is one of the first sci-fi books I ever read that I got pulled into the characters as much as the story. The characters are very diverse, strong and weak males and strong and weak females. And a robot. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727/97 "2005-02-17T00:29:26Z")
I forgot Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels Trilogy. The women rule over the men, and one of the main tenets of the book is watching a few adolescent girls grow up from awkward teens into strong, capable women that can help shape the world for the best. ---
**Author:** ![Anduin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Anduin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anduin)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727/98 "2005-02-17T01:49:21Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > [Hijack] By any chance is **Anduin** your real name? I’ve never heard anyone go by the name of Tolkien’s river except for a friend of mine from childhood. > > Daniel No, unfortunately, it’s not. But it was the name of a friend of mine in high school. Was your friend an Air Force brat, by any chance? Oh, and just so this is isn’t a complete hijack, I second C. S. Friedman. The two books previously mentioned rock! ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727/99 "2005-02-17T03:18:37Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > R.A.Salvatore’s _Cleric Quintet_ has a very strong female lead. Hell, she does far mroe ass kicking than anyone else in the books…and she rarely uses more than jsut her hands and feet! Hey, I was gonna say that one! Danica definitely kicks ass – and she’s a very independent type, as well as physically agile and adept at fighting sans weapons. For Sci-Fi, I recently read one called **Mainline** , by Deborah Christian. Main character is a woman named Reva. Strong in many ways, and some of those strengths are weaknesses in other ways – i.e. she’s independent, strong, confident, and a skilled assassin. Some of that ends up being a weakness in that it has prevented her from being able to keep any lasting friendships with people, so she is also somewhat lonely and detached from her human side. ---
**Author:** ![Graycat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Graycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Graycat)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727/100 "2005-02-17T03:33:22Z")
Sharon Lee and Steve Miller: the Liaden universe series. Melissa Scott: the Roads of Heaven series. Holly Lisle Elizabeth Scarborough. Phyllis Ann Karr Phyllis Gotlieb Suzy Mckee Charnas Marta Randall Suzette Hadan Elgin; her Coyote Jones series, her Ozark series, and especially the Native Tongue series. The Sword and Sorceress anthology series, edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley, is a nice sampler of fantasy with female protagonists. And I want to second the mention of James H. Schmitz. He is particularly noteworthy in that he was a man writing in the '60’s. I found his books a good antidote for all the “woman as object to be rescued or excuse for the action” books around. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-sci-fi-with-strong-female-characters/289727.md?page=6)