Who is your favorite British Female Fantasy Author(s)?

[jring2]

Two reasons for posting this question. I am looking for some new authors to read and have particularly enjoyed what I read from the few female authors from Britain I have read. I would like to get as many responses as I can and start down the list at my leisure. In particular the few I have read did well with the atmosphere of medieval / dragons / fantasy but I would like to hear from you on what your pleasure has been from Britian.

I am also looking for a book I started with dragons as a central theme and never wrote down the title or author. I will research all recommendations and will recognize the aouthor when I find her.

I posted this once before but the thread was lost in the server crash along with all of my other posts. If you had replied before, please reply again.

Thanks in advance for all who give their opinions and input.

 

[Ian Whates]

Hmm... Good question. Earlier this year I published an anthology of original short stories featuring British women authors only (well, plus a few Americans in exile over here: Pat Cadigam, Leigh Kennedy and Tricia Sullivan), called Myth-Understandings Untitled Document. All I asked the contributors for were stories themed on 'communication', but the submissions divided quite neatly into two halves: fantasy (Myth) and SF (understandings).

That book featured a number of my favourite female fantasy authors, while a few I missed have contributed to the latest anthology, Subterfuge...

As for favourites, okay... (takes a deep breath)...

Liz Williams,
Storm Constantine,
Tanith Lee,
Juliet E. McKenna,
Freda Warrington,
Sarah Singleton,
Gwyneth Jones...

And probably several others I've forgotten, but they're the ones that spring instantly to mind. A few of these, such as Liz and Gwyneth, also write SF, but both do fantasy achingly well.

Anyway, hope that gives you a few names to investigate.

 

[Overread]

The first author that comes to my mind is Anne McCaffrey and her Dragon Riders of Pern series of books.

As for my favourite I think Robin Hobb stands as one of my all time favourite authors and I think she is British (if not then I still strongly recomend her works)

I can second recomending Storm Constantine as well!

 

[Ian Whates]

Actually, both Anne McCaffrey and Robin Hobb (real name Megan Lindholm) are Americans, Overread, though the former now lives in Ireland. Mind you, both have written some excellent books, so who cares where they were born?

 

[Overread]

bah its that Mc part in her name - make her sound Scottish

 

[Ian Whates]

bah its that Mc part in her name - make her sound Scottish

What, like McDonalds, you mean?

 

[Overread]

Of course

 

[Connavar]

I havent read so many female british fantasy authors. I think i have read only Tanith Lee.

Maybe thats why im making effort to read more female authors period. Also funny that now i saw this thread i know that 99% of the female authors i have read are americans.

Tanith Lee is really really good. She is as exciting read as few fantasy authors are no matter which gender. Not only writing ability,prose wise but she writes subgenres i love reading and she does it so well. When i first read her i thought a female REH and that is high praise coming from me.
Also the fact she is a big Jack Vance fan raise my respect for her with 200%
Her story is the only one i look forward to in new Dying Earth anthology they are doing.

Shame only i have to struggle with getting her older adult fantasy works.

Oh i have read Rowling but not to my taste writing ability or storywise.

 

[David Gullen]

Seconded on Tanith Lee. She's very good.

 

[mortbury]

Another vote for Tanith Lee.

 

[Old Owl]

ursula le guin is my fav by far. J.K's potter books are on par, but i love the Earthsea world

 

[Rosemary]

Definately Tanith Lee.
Mary Gentle is another good English author, her first novel was in 1977 Hawk In Silver.
I've enjoyed Storm Constine's writing - Sea Dragon Heir was a very good story & my favourite.
Juliet McKenna, another good fantasy writer - The Tales of Einarian were also enjoyable reading.

 

[Pyan]

Actually, both Anne McCaffrey and Robin Hobb (real name Megan Lindholm) are Americans, Overread, though the former now lives in Ireland. Mind you, both have written some excellent books, so who cares where they were born?

Agreed. But if you ever meet Anne McCaffrey, OR, I'd stand well out of range if you refer to the Pern books as "fantasy"...

For sheer impact on first reading, I'd go for Mary Gentle: I still haven't been able to re-read Ash after two years....

 

[Overread]

oooh are the scifi then?

 

[Ian Whates]

I know, Chris; I have, and I didn't... But however the author wants to backtrack and justify the dragons' development from native fire lizards enhanced by now lost post-ship crash human genetic engineering, the books still read like (extremely well crafted and totally enjoyable) fantasy to me...

I mean, come on... flying telepathic dragons that breath fire...?

It's science fiction in the same way that Silver Bob's Majipoor books are science fiction... It feels like fantasy but has an overlying SF veneer.

 

[Overread]

I agree Ian - though the source of the story is from one of technology which is outlined early on the actual playing field of the stories presented is fantasy.
Were she to (and I think she might in latter books, but I have only read very few of them) take the dragons into the furture then I could accept that aspect and call it sci fi

 

[Connavar]

Why not make it simply for yourselfs and call it Science Fantasy

I read only the first Pern and no chance in the world i would call it a SF.

 

[Pyan]

When you say "the first Pern", Conn, which do you mean - written or chronological?