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Old 05-31-01, 11:01 AM
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I realize my awareness of female authors is lacking. Who are your favorites?

OK, anyone besides Anne Rice?
Old 05-31-01, 11:31 AM
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Honestly, I read no work by female authors since in the fantasy area, there is a major drought and the few books I have written by a woman, I either hated and didn't finish or didn't like them enough to get the rest of the series.
Old 05-31-01, 11:59 AM
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Margaret Atwood
Old 05-31-01, 12:26 PM
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For some reason, I tend not to like fantasy (and to a lesser extent sci-fi) written by women. This is not 100% but close enough.

Patricia McKillip wrote some stuff I like such as Riddle Master of Hed.

Ann McCaffery has the Pern series (it's really sci-fi when you consider that it is set on a planet colonized by humans -- but her other stuff, such as the Freedom series, is horrible).

For science fiction, I think Julian May is pretty good. I just wish she would cut out the scenes involving French meals or whatnot in some of her books--I find them annoying--plus I think she has a thing for cool people of French ancestry are. But her 4-book Pliocene series is very good IMO.

I like female authors more in genres such as historical novels. For example, Colleen McCullough wrote some ancient Rome stuff like "The Grass Crown" and "First Man in Rome" that is very good IMO. Also, Lindsey Davis writes some mysteries set in ancient Rome as well, those are OK.


[Edited by Yrth on 05-31-01 at 10:29 AM]
Old 05-31-01, 12:32 PM
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In general, I've read books by

Margaret Atwood
Colleen McCullough
Anne Tyler
Maya Angelou
Toni Morrison
Joan Didion
Nora Ephron
etc.

and none (outside of Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale) has really done it for me. There must be some women out there worthy of my Top 10 Author List!
Old 05-31-01, 12:34 PM
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C J Cherryh writes both SF and fantasy.

I particularly like her Merchanter/Cyteen SF series of novels but I've not read any of the fantasy.
Old 05-31-01, 02:59 PM
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This topic has made me realize that I've hardly read any female authors. I guess my favorite of the few I've read would be Lydia Davis. She's a great short (and I do mean 'short') story writer. Check her out if you can find any of her books.
Old 05-31-01, 04:06 PM
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Originally posted by Yrth
...

I like female authors more in genres such as historical novels. For example, Colleen McCullough wrote some ancient Rome stuff like "The Grass Crown" and "First Man in Rome" that is very good IMO...
[Edited by Yrth on 05-31-01 at 10:29 AM]
I think McCullough's Masters of Rome series is superb. The series so far:

1) The First Man in Rome
2) The Grass Crown
3) Fortune's Favorites
4) Caesar's Women
5) Caesar

If you are at all interested in ancient Rome, read these!
Old 05-31-01, 06:39 PM
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Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series is pretty good (even thought the last two books have been lacking).

-Steve
Old 05-31-01, 06:46 PM
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J.F. Rivkin is one of my favourite authors. She is best known for her Silverglass series of books which centered on characters from Rhostshyl (Nyctasia, Corson, etc).

I like her books because they were fun, sassy, and not overly feminist. Her writing was direct and indirect at times, flowery and not flowery (as needed), and not overly feminist. One other reason that I liked the books was that they were not overly feminist.

J.F. Rivkin is actually a pen name for an amalgamation of two female authors. I followed one of the two authors afterwards in her "Summerlands" series which unfortunately wasn't a big success, but which I enjoyed anyways. The strong female characters in Summerlands again reflected the style from Silverglass where females can be strong, successful, confident, achievement-oriented, and not politically feminist. I remember being teased by the author (via email) for pointing that out to her. But of course, the author has accomplished her task if she has managed to create a feminist character that was acceptable to those who were sensitized to politically lecturing feminist characters in scifi books.

I would buy all her books if only more came out, but alas, she is producing books no more. Her books and milieu were popular enough to cause the creation of Rhostshyl mud which is a non-graphical game similar to Asheron's Call or that other time-waster-game-whose-name-I-will-not-say. Over the years (1989 was a long time ago), the mud has changed over to a mush-like format. Yes, I was able to kill Nyctasia and Corson (shame on me!).

RHOSTSHYL MUSH:

Rhostshyl Mush Homepage
Rhostshyl, founded in 1989, started as a MUD and migrated
for compatability by pulling features of MUSH into the
codebase as well as MUSE. Originally based on the
Silverglass series, by J. F. Rivkin, it has migrated to a
well founded, versed, and flexable fantasy system. We do
not require RP to enjoy yourself, but it is supported. If
you want to drink and feel the effects, join guilds and
harass jesters, and generally relax and have fun, then this
is the mush for you.
Old 05-31-01, 07:19 PM
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Check out most anything by these great authors...

Susan Sontag
Alice McDermott
Tami Hoag
Lisa Gardner
Jane Smiley
Lynne Tillman

And for anyone not liking Margaret Atwood, you should read The Blind Assassin. It's really amazing, imho.
Old 05-31-01, 10:35 PM
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Harper Lee
Danielle Fishel

Since when do we have Book Talk forum?
Old 05-31-01, 10:42 PM
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Connie Willis.
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Old 06-01-01, 11:20 PM
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I liked Sherri S. Tepper's early fantasy work.

Patricia C. Wrede (fantasy) was good too.

But this is all stuff from the '80s
Old 06-03-01, 11:06 PM
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I like Lois McMaster Bujold.

Her Vorkosigan Sci fi series is fun.

Her "The Spirit Ring" is ok...

Old 06-05-01, 12:09 AM
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Ursula Le Guin is quite possibly my favorite author, and most certainly my favorite Sci Fi/Fantasy author. Read The Left Hand of Darkness to start.

Outside of that genre, Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favorites...

[Edited by LurkerDan on 06-05-01 at 02:22 PM]
Old 06-05-01, 01:39 AM
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P.D James(mystery)
Elizabeth George(mystery)
Muriel Gray(horror)
Lucy Taylor(horror)
Old 06-05-01, 05:21 AM
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Anne Tyler
Old 06-05-01, 12:49 PM
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Mercedes Lackey
Old 06-07-01, 05:59 PM
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Probably Toni Morrison or Zora Neale Hurston.
Old 06-09-01, 07:22 PM
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On a (somewhat) younger bend there's always L.M. Montgomery with her Anne of Green Gables series.
Old 06-11-01, 03:09 PM
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I love female authors!

My favorites are Erica Jong and Edith Wharton.

Jong's works such as Fear of Flying, How to Save Your Own Life, etc. are downright hysterical. Some of the most entertaining books I have ever read.

Wharton's works are classic, and yet sound so much more modern than they are. The way she chooses words is amazing. Her books (such as The Age of Innocence) are touching and tragic, but never sappy or sentimental.

Old 06-11-01, 09:48 PM
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Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony and Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird are a few of my favorite books of all time.
Old 06-12-01, 10:22 PM
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Nora Roberts
Catherine Coulter
Old 06-13-01, 02:57 AM
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I like

Laurell K Hamilton (extrmely dark fantasy)
Gael Baudino
Andre Norton
Elizabeth Moon

I have heard that Robin Hobb is pretty good also, but I cannot verify that.


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