Books by Women
I realized that lately that all the books I’ve read and enjoyed the most these past few years have all been written by women. I didn’t set out to specifically select books that way, it just happened. I grew up reading what I thought were the big important books of scifi and fantasy - and at the time, most of the big popular names that everyone recommended were men. I didn’t realize how frustrated I was of reading every story from a man’s point of view, until I started reading more books that were written by women. When I came across “Snow Queen” by Joan D. Vinge a while back, I remember thinking excitedly, “Wow, she really gets it! This actually feels like it was written for me…?” Beautifully crafted and adventurous and romantic while still making all the characters (regardless of gender!) feel human, vulnerable, alive, and accessible? Nuanced women characters that can be more than “bitchy obstacle” or “love interest”? No grim-dark stoicism and gritty misery that insists that a cynical and sexist POV is the only perspective worth viewing the world with? whaaaaa?
I’ve noticed that, looking at the larger picture, books by women give focus to people and situations that men often don’t consider worthy of notice ( there are exceptions both ways, of course). What actually happens after the big battle? What does this story look like from someone else’s point of view? How does the collateral damage affect different types of people? What if there was a way to solve a problem other than killing everyone? What if the problems that need to be solved don’t just involve an Evil Overlord that needs to be slain? What if characters that are usually shoved to the background get to shine as main characters? etc
The leading lady is treated like her story is actually worth something on its own, rather than it being just a disposable footnote in a man’s journey. Girlhood is recognized in all it’s complexity, as something valuable and worth exploring and discussing, instead of it being reduced down strictly to how a girl’s developing body affects men and boys. I don’t have to be afraid that the women in the story are going to be subject to constant sexualized narration (ie, the narrator talking about her breasts and how sexy she is looks all the time), constant gendered insults, or graphic and voyeuristic sexual assault and/or sexualized violence (rape is still sometimes depicted or discussed, but it’s usually not there for titillation or thrills or to advance a man’s story). (**again, there are exceptions on both sides; I’m talking about broader trends in the books that I’ve been reading). And yet, somehow, women authors still manage to craft wonderful and imaginative stories without those old tropes!
Meanwhile, here is stuff I came across in books by Big Name Award Winning Male Novelists that I read, in just the past six months: 1) Award winning book by male author that opens right up with a long, lovingly detailed description of a young girl being shot, falling out of a window, and then her dead body being used for target practice while dangling out said window; the whole time the narrator talks about how pretty she is as her body is torn apart. 2) Another big name male author: 90% of the women characters in the entire book exist as walking sex objects; they are described only by how sexy they are, they show up in the story to flirt with or have sex with main character, and then have no further personality or purpose, while the men get to have a sprawling epic adventure. 3) Another big name male author: Young girl (an interesting character!) is like a kid sister to protagonist in first book, but in 2nd book, a year later, suddenly the protagonist can only see her as a sex object now that she’s “grown up” and filled out her clothes a bit; she no longer has personality beyond her physical characteristics. 4) Another big name male author: A scifi short story about space travel and teleportation where out of nowhere the protagonist muses about the breasts his nine year old daughter will soon be growing. There are more egregious examples out there, of course, but this is just from what I’ve read this year.
It gets old. Really fast. And honestly, I’ve found that whatever Big Name Male Author has to offer in terms of craft and skill, I can always find just as good and usually better from a woman author. Oh, [big name male author] has such a beautiful way with words and imagery? Seanan McGuire does it 10x better, with more nuance, and without the sexist crap sprinkled in. Oh, [big name male author] created a sprawling epic? Joan D Vinge, Rachel Aaron, Kate Elliott, and countless others did it, too, but in a way that made me feel like I actually had a place in their worlds (and in their audience!). There is so much more out there that is thrilling and uplifting and humanizing, I don’t see why I have to put up with works that make me feel alienated or dehumanized or grossed out just because those works won awards. It is so relieving to read a book and feel, “Yes, this author GETS it.” It is so empowering to get to decide for myself what books are important.
***(and again, there are many male authors who do wonderful work and avoid sexist pitfalls, and I like their work very much; and there are women writers whose work I hated. This again is speaking about broad patterns and trends).
Anyway, here are some books written by women that I’ve read these past few years that I’ve absolutely loved that I wanted to recommend (in no particular order):
“The Snow Queen” and “The Summer Queen” by Joan D. Vinge
The Legend of Eli Monpress Series (Spirit Thief, Spirit Rebellion, Spirit Eater, Spirit War, and Spirit’s End)- Rachel Aaron *hearteyes* 8)
The Bees - Laline Paull
Feed - Mira Grant
Every Heart a Doorway - Seanan McGuire
The 20 Sided Sorceress Series - Annie Bellet
The Snow Child - Eowyn Ivey
“These is my Words,” “Sarah’s Quilt,” and “The Star Garden” by Nancy E. Turner *(first book has a rape of a secondary character early, but it doesn’t go into detail, and it’s more about the emotional aftermath)
“A Wake of Vultures” - by Lila Bowen *(an attempted rape later in the book)
“My Life as a White Trash Zombie” - Diana Rowland *(discussion of rape; a woman had been drugged and worried she was assaulted, but had not been.)
The Scorpio Races - Maggie Stiefvater
Dust - Elizabeth Bear
Alcestis - Katharine Beutner
Beauty - Robin McKinley
The Spiritwalker Trilogy (Cold Magic, Cold Fire, Cold Steel) by Kate Elliott
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke
Like, literally anything by Diana Wynne Jones (but def check out Chrestomanci Chronicles)
I’m behind on my reading; there are a lot of authors I need to catch up on, and I know I’m probably forgetting a few that I’ve read. But, here’s what I got. Also, if you have any recommendations (preferably ones available on audiobook!) please let me know! :)
(via jenqoe)
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