Geek novels written by women

[firecat]

via hfnuala

I've bolded the ones I've read.

I'm willing to listen to arguments why I should read the ones I haven't read.

The Earthsea Trilogy - Ursula Le Guin
[I have always wanted to be Ursula K. Le Guin when I grew up.]

Ash - Mary Gentle

Cyteen - CJ Cherryh
[Not yet, but I'm reading Downbelow Station right now.]

Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone - JK Rowling
[The Harry Potter books are getting better. I'm not a raving fan, though. I also question this as a "geek book" because of its popularity.]

The Warrior's Apprentice - Lois McMaster Bujold
[I've read all her stuff and love or like all of it.]

Nylon Angel - Marianne de Pierres

The Sparrow - Mary Doria Russell
[Not yet but I plan to.]

Slow River - Nicola Griffith

1610: A Sundial in the Grave - Mary Gentle

Deep Secret - Diana Wynne Jones

Dark Lord of Derkholm - Diana Wynne Jones

China Mountain Zhiang - Maureen McHugh
[No, but I plan to.]

Magic for Beginners - Kelly Link

Wildseed - Octavia Butler

Oryx & Crake - Margaret Atwood

The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
[I hated it.]

The Doomsday Book - Connie Willis

Dragonflight - Anne McCaffrey
[Read as a teenager.]

Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

Tam Lin - Pamela Dean

The Lioness Quartet - Tamora Pierce


And now to add to the list. (I've read all of these.)

Emma Bull, Bone Dance ["a fantasy for technophiles"]
Elizabeth Moon, Remnant Population [a bit of a stretch geek-wise, but the protagonist is kinda "my kind of geek"]
Joanna Russ, The Female Man [geeky because so erudite]
Robin McKinley, Beauty [geeky because protagonist is geeky]
Vonda N. McIntyre, The Moon and the Sun [geeky because well researched]
Elizabeth Moon, The Speed of Dark [geeky because of subject matter]
Carol Emshwiller, Carmen Dog [a bit of a stretch geek-wise, but I like it so much I couldn't leave it out]
R.A. McAvoy, Tea w/ Black Dragon [geeky because of some plot elements]
Eleanor Arnason, A Woman of the Iron People [geeky because well researched]

Comments

[hfnuala.livejournal.com]

I'd recommend some Butler. She's not only interesting on gender, but also on race and violence. The books are rather bleak, though.

[wild-irises.livejournal.com]

I personally consider Butler absolutely required reading, and she's a person for whom I'll drop my entire queue when there's a new book. WILD SEED would not be my first choice, however. KINDRED first beyond a doubt, then probably the Parable books, then WILD SEED. The new one, FLEDGLING, is (comparatively) minor, and entertaining.

[miz-geek.livejournal.com]

I LOVE Butler. The Parable books and Lilith's Brood. Just discovered Fledgling. Meh. Not awful, but, yeah, comparatively minor.

I can't wait to try some of the other folks on this list.