Female Authors in Sci-Fi Fantasy
I have heard many times throughout the years that the Science Fiction and Fantasy genre is dominated by men, that publishers give preference to male authors and that readers gravitate towards books by male authors in this genre as they write it best. I’m not saying that the politics behind these statements aren’t true, and there is certainly a biased pattern in the terms of literary awards, but I have always found it interesting as my experience as a reader has been the exact opposite.
Most recently this conversation resurfaced in my thoughts when an author I admire explained her reasoning behind using just her initials for some of her novels, and her full name for others. In the world of Adult Fantasy, initials are ambiguous and readers would be more accepting not immediately knowing she was a female writer. Her full name was suited for her Young Adult stories as, according to the publishing giants, female writers of fantasy fit better in YA.
I grew up without a defined YA category, so all of my first Sci-Fi Fantasy stories came from the Adult section. Funny thing is, not one of the authors who shaped my idea of the genre were male. Back then—and to this day, to be honest—it was a good cover that drew me in. Fantastic artwork (bonus points if there was a horse) and killer back copy were the aspects that had me sitting down on the shop floor to start reading.
Kristen Britain wins on all counts—horses, female protagonist, magic, kings, scifi beasts, time travel. I have read her debut Green Rider more times than I can count. Trudi Canavan opened my eyes to the world of villains with a backstory in The Black Magician trilogy, and blew me away with the truths uncovered about gods and mortals in The Age of the Five trilogy.
Juliet Marillier taught me about the magic of forests and secrets of the fae, how the trees can whisper to a child of their own and turn the feet of enemies away down dark, twisting paths. Jacqueline Carey showed me just how brutal and beautiful all forms of love can be, and I still have dreams of the scenes she created.
Before these ladies, Mindy L Klasky introduced kingdoms full of political plots and assassins, and Tamora Pierce gave me Alanna, the woman who rides like a man and showed me girls can do anything boys can.
I could go on and on…Marion Cockrell, Mercedes Lackey, Deborah Chester, Sara Douglass, Karen Miller. Most recently Katherine Arden, Leigh Bardugo, Victoria Scwhab. J.K. Rowling almost goes without saying. All authors I admire for their ability to transport me to a world far different from which I come, and their ability to technically craft such works. I get lost in their writing in more ways than one.
As I thought on the realization female authors are still publishing under male pseudonyms, I remembered that not once in my discovery of these early novels did it occur to me to check the author’s name. No, I saw a cover, I read the back copy, and I immersed myself into fantastic worlds full of magic, learning about the authors only afterwards so I could devour all their other works.
Now, there are a few male authors that I hold in high regard, but this post is all about the women, so the men can take a back seat. My opinion on every aspect of excellent Sci-Fi Fantasy was formed by an example set by a female author, the foundation of everything I hold a good story against shaped by these first experiences. For me, the Sci-Fi Fantasy genre is not one owned by male authors. For me, it is and always has been a women’s world.
Here’s to the women, and the hope that we are ever moving closer to a time when publishers and readers see just an author, not a gender, like this little blondie did when she picked up her first fantasy book.