Wrap-up of the A to Z series

As I’ve mentioned before, my blog series on women writers of science fiction and fantasy was never intended to be encyclopedic. Still, I find I had to leave out many authors whose work I love and many others whose work I haven’t had the chance yet to try. Below, I list some of the ones I left out, and works of theirs that I’ve enjoyed or that I really want to try. I end this post with a few links to help you find more writers. Thanks for coming along on this journey with me, and as always, if you have any favorites you want to recommend, please leave a note in the comments.
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Zettel, Zoline

And so we come to the end of the alphabet. For this final installment in my series on women writers of science fiction and fantasy, I turn to Sarah Zettel and Pamela Zoline. If you’ve enjoyed other works by these authors, if something I say strikes a chord for you, or if you have any other authors you’d like to recommend, please leave a comment. Continue reading

X, Yarbro, Yelinek, Yolen

Here we are at the penultimate post in this series. I looked, but I couldn’t find any speculative fiction writers whose names started with X, and very few writers at all. So X clearly doesn’t mark the spot here. Perhaps another good choice for a pseudonym? Instead of X authors today, I’m skipping along to Y, with books by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and Jane Yolen and a short story by Kathryn Yelinek. As always, if there are other books by these authors you’ve enjoyed — or other authors you think I should check out — please leave a comment. Continue reading

Weis, Willis, Wonders

Today’s helping of women writers of science fiction and fantasy includes books by Margaret Weis and Connie Willis, as well as a short story (her first pro sale!) by Brooke Wonders. If you’ve enjoyed something else by these authors, or just have some comment on the works I’m reviewing, please feel free to leave a comment on this post. Continue reading

Valente, Vaughn, Viehl

As promised, the next post in my women in science fiction and fantasy blog series, posting on Wednesday so we’re back to normal! Today, I discuss a short story by Catherynne Valente and books by Carrie Vaughn and S. L. Viehl. As usual, if you’ve read other books by these authors or have questions or comments about anything I say, please be sure to let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading! Continue reading

Uehashi, Underwood, Ursu

With this post, I’m caught up on the women in science fiction and fantasy posts, and Wednesday, posts resume their regular schedule. Today, I talk about books by Nahoko Uehashi and Anne Ursu, as well as a short story by Laura J. Underwood. Lots of fun this week. As ever, if you’ve read anything else by these authors, have other authors to recommend, or just like the sound of these, leave a note in the comments. Continue reading

Thomas, Turner

Today’s rather late helping of women writers of science fiction and fantasy includes a short story from Sarah Thomas and a novel from Megan Whalen Turner. I had intended to include Sheri Tepper, but it seems I left the library without The Margarets, which I’ve been wanting to read for a while. Distraction is inherent in going to the library with both kids, I guess. Thus, only two authors for this post. If you want to recommend other works by these authors, or suggest other authors for me to try, please feel free to do so in the comments. Continue reading

Smedman, Spencer, Springer

Welcome to another week of women writers of science fiction and fantasy. This week, I’m featuring the letter S — Lisa Smedman, Wen Spencer, and Nancy Springer. A reminder that although I’m only talking about one work by each of these women, they all have much more to read! As always, if the work of any of the authors sounds interesting to you, please do check them out — and if you have enjoyed something by them that I haven’t mentioned, let me know in the comments. Continue reading

Rickert, Rusch, Russell

R’s an easy letter, of course. Lots of names starting with R. Today’s helping of women writers of science-fiction and fantasy includes M. Rickert, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, and Mary Doria Russell. As always, if the work of any of the authors sounds interesting to you, please do check them out — and if you have enjoyed something by them that I haven’t mentioned, let me know in the comments. Continue reading

Quindlen . . .

I only found one author to fill the Q slot of this A to Z series — Anna Quindlen, with one of her children’s books. I’m open to hearing about authors I missed, and if someone wants a pen name in a little-frequented section of the alphabet, I can recommend this letter!

Happily Ever After by Anna Quindlen

This is the story of Kate, a tomboy who loves both baseball and fairy tales. Her aunt Mary gives her a magic baseball mitt, and Kate wonders, just once, what it would be like to be a princess. Her actions in the fairy tales are not what anyone expects, and she’s quite happy to go back to her own life.

This is a sweet little tale that I’m happy to share with my own daughter (even if I’m not a baseball person myself). A fairy tale for the modern age.

Anna Quindlen can be found on-line at annaquindlen.net.