Female Fantasy Authors

[Werthead]

Thats exactly what im looking for then

I want something more down to earth meaning something having the things you mentioned without being a huge series with world shattering events ala Erikson,GRRM.

I want to read epic fantasy that isnt like them simply.

Douglass' books are filled with huge, earth-shattering events:

SPOILER
An entire continent gets blown up at the end of the series, IIRC.

She also cannot write to save her life. I completed the first trilogy in a state of bemusement that I'd read all three books. To this day I don't know why I carried on with the series even though I knew it was terrible ten pages into the first book.

 

[GOLLUM]

She also cannot write to save her life. I completed the first trilogy in a state of bemusement that I'd read all three books. To this day I don't know why I carried on with the series even though I knew it was terrible ten pages into the first book.

I wouldn't say that exactly. Sure her prose is nothing special but I found she could tell a story reasonably well. I didn't mind the Axis trilogy and I would describe the books as semi EPIC in nature.

 

[DeepThought]

George R. R. Martin's Tyrion Lannister may be the most complex character ever to grace the pages of fantasy.

Agreed.

now look at these (i know they are limited examples)

Thats quite an understatement there, Kauldron. There are lots and I mean lots of great writers which I'm sure the posters above already mentioned and of which is just a mere fraction, I assure you!

I've read Robin Hobb's famous nine books; Assassins Apprentice, Liveship Traders, The Tawny Man. She's a great writer, though I have to admit, I read half of the volumes thinking that the writer was male.... I was surprised no one mentioned Susanna Clark! Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, putting petty squabble of gender aside , one of the best books I read thus far.

Have to agree with the popular opinion here that female writers tend to zero-in on the characters (in general) more than their male counterparts. But since were talking about SF&F, the World/World-building aspect is an important part (more so than other genres) which makes fantasy (and SF for that matter) so great in the first place and male authors score more in this department IMO. I also like to add that this whole topic is rather subjective (as mentioned already) but it doesn't mean that we can't have some fun talking about it.

Cheers, DeepThought
​

 

[Connavar]

Douglass' books are filled with huge, earth-shattering events:



She also cannot write to save her life. I completed the first trilogy in a state of bemusement that I'd read all three books. To this day I don't know why I carried on with the series even though I knew it was terrible ten pages into the first book.

Heh will be interesting to see who i will agree on about this author.

About earth shattering events, even the simplest heroic fantasy has those.

Its just that in Erikson despite i liked the first book, i felt that was every page of the book,i want something simpler and that isnt about WORLD WIDE storyline.

Im not a expert on epic fantasy since i have hardly read the genre, i would like even the orphan becoming a big hero kind of story if its a good book. Something like Magician. Sure not the most original story but it was a good, a very good read for like 80% of the book.

 

[kauldron26]

connovar, check out Curse of Chalion by Bujold !!

 

[Drachir]

Not sure if anyone mentioned Katharine Kerr, but they should have. Her Deverry series is beautifully written and certainly gives the readers a sense that they are visiting a real medieval fantasy world. Not the one with fairytale castles, but the real middle ages, of crude stone fortresses and rough living. Her character development is superb and her unique style of storytelling keeps the reader from ever becoming bored.

 

[gil]

i highly, highly recommend Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold. Its a very original Fantasy and as intimate as it is epic... its unlike anything u have ever read. Hence all the awards for chalion and Paladin of Souls.

Seconded. And Paladin of Souls, the sequel.

 

[Pyan]

Another one I haven't seen mentioned who deserves reading, if you enjoy character-led fantasy, is Melanie Rawn.
Her double-trilogy Dragon Prince/Dragon Star series is well worth looking out for.

Melanie Rawn: Bibliography

I'm just about to start a book by a female author who I've never heard of before..
The Sterkarm Handshake by Susan Price.

Anyone else read this, or anything else by her?

 

[murphy]

Another one I haven't seen mentioned who deserves reading, if you enjoy character-led fantasy, is Melanie Rawn.
Her double-trilogy Dragon Prince/Dragon Star series is well worth looking out for.

Melanie Rawn: Bibliography

I'm just about to start a book by a female author who I've never heard of before..
The Sterkarm Handshake by Susan Price.

Anyone else read this, or anything else by her?

Second this about Melanie Rawn. Also her Exiles books. The only problem with Exiles is that the trilogy is not finished and might never be, but what has been written is great.

I too have never heard of Susan Price. Let us know how you like it.

 

[Pyan]

Second this about Melanie Rawn. Also her Exiles books. The only problem with Exiles is that the trilogy is not finished and might never be, but what has been written is great.

That's one reason I didn't mention it.....I've never forgiven the person that recommended Martin's ASoFaI to me, without telling me that it wasn't complete.....

But fantasticfiction does say that The Captal's Tower is due in 2009, so perhaps there is movement on that front....we can only hope.

I too have never heard of Susan Price. Let us know how you like it.

Will do!

 

[murphy]

That's one reason I didn't mention it.....I've never forgiven the person that recommended Martin's ASoFaI to me, without telling me that it wasn't complete.....

But fantasticfiction does say that The Captal's Tower is due in 2009, so perhaps there is movement on that front....we can only hope.


Will do!

The last I heard she was working on Spellbinder II, the paranormal romance book. Spellbinder wasn't bad, but it wasn't up to her previous writing.

I don't believe Fantastic Fiction in some cases and this is one of them. I wish and hope they are right, though.

 

[Esioul]

I really, really could not get into Sara DOuglas, I have tried reading several of her books but just didn't get on with them, somehow.

I recently finished 'Journey Between Worlds' by Sylvia Engdahl. In a way it was kind of disappointing, because nothing very much happened but I liked it anyway. Might have liked it a lot more if I'd read it when I was about 13.

 

[sffgurl1]

Since we're on the topic of female fantasy authors....

Anybody read S.R. Sarai's "The Shun-Ur" series? I just recently bought her book "Choosing Deceit" and loved it. It's heavy on language, but still an easy read. Found her website too.

She's a Black lass in the U.S. which I guess is fairly unique in this genre. Cool book, cool characters, deep story line. Great job IMHO

Just my 2 cents..

p.s. Was also a fan of the DragonRiders of Pern series by Anne Mccaffrey back in the day when I was still a youth Toodles!

 

[Mary Hoffman]

I'm just about to start a book by a female author who I've never heard of before..
The Sterkarm Handshake by Susan Price.

Anyone else read this, or anything else by her?

Can't believe I missed this when you posted it originally, Pyan!

Susan Price is VERY well known in the YA world and won the Carnegie Medal for The Ghost Drum. Not all her work is exactly SF or F though she has just completed the trilogy known as Odin's Trilogy or Mars Trilogy. The books are;
Odin's Voice
Odin's Queen
Odin's Son

But I like The Sterkarm Handshake, which won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, much better;in fact it's one of my all-time favourites. There is a sequel called A Sterkarm Kiss but alas, we are still waiting for the third as her publishers won't make her a sensible offer.

She is also a great person and a fan of the most recent Doctor Who episode!

Mary

 

[The Procrastinator]

Here's another I don't think anyone's mentioned yet - there's something about Barbara Hambly...definitely character driven, yet nicely balanced all-round, and very down to earth. Humble fantasy, perhaps one could say. There's always folks that are so "normal" you could imagine them walking through your door (after it is opened, of course), even though they might be wizards, dragonslayers, or daughters of the Earl. Some of her characters stay with me afterwards for months.

I'm not sure what I think of the women do characters better thing. In very general terms I think that might be true as a tendency, but its certainly not true in every specific case - there are men who write great characters, for sure. So as far as that goes, I'm kind of agreeing, but there are many exceptions.

 

[murphy]

Here's another I don't think anyone's mentioned yet - there's something about Barbara Hambly...definitely character driven, yet nicely balanced all-round, and very down to earth. Humble fantasy, perhaps one could say. There's always folks that are so "normal" you could imagine them walking through your door (after it is opened, of course), even though they might be wizards, dragonslayers, or daughters of the Earl. Some of her characters stay with me afterwards for months.

I'm not sure what I think of the women do characters better thing. In very general terms I think that might be true as a tendency, but its certainly not true in every specific case - there are men who write great characters, for sure. So as far as that goes, I'm kind of agreeing, but there are many exceptions.

Second that of Barbara Hambly, especially her earlier works. She seems to be writing historical fiction these days rather than fantasy.

 

[Tickle]

I would have to agree with those who think that Female Fantasy Authors write better, or should I say, deeper books than the males I have read. When I think about my favorites, they are mostly female authors. All have been mentioned on this site, but here they are for the ones who seemed unsure if they should read these authors. I would recommend all of the below books. I read them all at least once a year:

Anne Bishop - Black Jewels Trilogy & House of Gaine Series
Melanie Rawn - Dragon Prince, Dragon Star, & Ruins of Ambrai Series
Michelle West - The Sun Sword Series, Hunter's Oath, Hunter's Death (prequels to Sun Sword series)
Elizabeth Haydon - The Symphony of Ages Series
Jacqueline Carey - Kushiel's Series
Sara Douglass - Axis/Wayfarer Redemption Series
Kate Forsyth - Witches of Elieanan Series
Robin Hobb - Farseer & Tawny Man Series