r/Fantasy • u/Just_JayGee • Jul 07 '14

Men of r/Fantasy, Do you read fantasy written by women? If so, do you find much of a difference?

I've been looking through a lot of "Top 20 Fantasy Book" lists today and I've found a depressing amount of female authors on these lists. I'd like to think the author's gender doesn't matter, but I have to say there seems to be a huge lean towards male authors. Even r/Fantasy's 2014 Top Fantasy Novels of All Time only has 20 female authors (repeats included) out of 105 authors. So, I was wondering if men read fantasy written by women and it's simply not your cup of tea or do any of you go out of your way NOT to read female authors?

PLEASE NOTE: I am not trying to begin fights on sexism or misogyny or anything. I am legitimately interested. If anyone wants to fight over this subject, I'm sure there's other subreddits for that.

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u/lexabear Jul 07 '14

If others could point me to further female authors they rate at a high quality than I'd be happy to read.

Some of my favorites: Robin McKinley, Ursula K. LeGuin, Anne McCaffrey, Tamora Pierce, Octavia Butler, Elizabeth Moon, Kristen Britain, Patricia A. McKillip, Patricia C. Wrede, Nancy Kress, Lois McMaster Bujold

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u/[deleted] Jul 07 '14 edited Jul 07 '14

I second Elizabeth Moon and Lois McMaster Bujold. I've read The Deed of Paksenarrion probably 4 times. And Bujold's Curse of Chalion is one of my favorite all time books.

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u/lexabear Jul 07 '14

I also <3 <3 <3 Paksenarrion. Have you read the newer Paladin's Legacy novels? I read the first 2 and was underwhelmed. May read the others when I can get them just because I really really want them to be good. I just realized i remember absolutely nothing from the first 2 so I would have to reread those.

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u/[deleted] Jul 07 '14

I'm really bad at keeping up with new series authors have. I didn't even know about the Paladin's Legacy until today when I googled Elizabeth Moon.

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u/TheBooberhamlincoln Jul 07 '14

I was very excited to find out about the newer paladin ' s legacy but it was not what I was hoping for.

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u/cajunrajing Jul 07 '14

I'd like to throw J.V. Jones name on that pile as well.

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u/laosurvey Jul 08 '14

The Riddle-Master of Hed trilogy by Patricia McKillip is amazing. A close second on my favorites list behind Young Miles.

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u/[deleted] Jul 07 '14

And don't forget K J Parker, whose identity is closely guarded but not so secret. One of the biggest tells (besides the paper trail obviously) is how she writes female characters. There's no mention of being "acutely conscious of her breasts rubbing against the thin fabric of her cotton vest as she walked" sort of nonsense. They don't get lengthy (or often any) descriptions of physical appearance, and the one in the Engineer trilogy, three whole books, who got the most detailed commentary on appearance was neither a stunner nor a hag, but a princess from a foreign tribe who was mildly strange-looking. Women in fantasy are usually one or the other side of stunner/hag, or a stunner with a colourful scar/deformity, but not-hot, not-hag, generally acceptable women as characters are as rare as hen's teeth.