Your Success as a female author has challenges. One of them is to find mentors who inspire you no matter where you are in your career path. In my last two Monday posts, I shared the names of many women writers who have been very successful writing fiction. (If you missed them read “Who Does Your Greatest Success Look Like” and “Are You Aiming for Their Writing Success?”) The field of science fiction and fantasy novels has been dominated by men for a very long time. Being a female author of SF & F (science fiction and fantasy) increases the difficulty of reaching success. Yet, more and more women authors are entering the field. And many of them are flourishing. Let’s take a brief look and see if you can find a mentor or two. Perhaps you’ll find some inspiration to carry you through NANOWRIMO and the rest of your career.
The Best-Selling Science Fiction by Women
The best-selling books by female author of SF & F is difficult to determine. Methods of collecting that information are so variable as to make the data useless. Turning to Ranker again, I looked up the 100 best science fiction authors. The complete list is here.
Winnowing that list down to only females yielded 38 authors. Amongst them are one or two authors you can emulate. You can read about their methods and path to success and adapt them to what you need.
The Top Female Authors of S & SF
Different measuring sticks will yield different results. But these women qualify as accomplished authors whom you can use as a role model or mentor-from-afar.
- Ursula K. Le Guin
- Andre Norton
- Mary Shelley
- CJ Cherryh
- Anne McCaffery
- Octavia Butler
- Margaret Atwood
- Connie Willis
- Lois McMaster Bujold
- Marion Zimmer Bradley
- Tanith Lee
- James Tiptree, Jr. AKA Alice B Sheldon
- Nancy Kress
- Julian May
- Sheri S. Tepper
- Judith Merril
- Kate Wilhelm
- Joanna Russ
- Nnedi Okorafor
- Pat Cadigan
- Doris Lessing
- Barbara Hambly
- Catherine Asaro
- Jo Walton
- Karen Traviss
- Madeleine L’Engle
- Kathleen Ann Goonan
- Nalo Hopkinson
- Joan D. Vinge
- Ann Leckie
- Margaret Weis
- Maureen F. McHugh
- Diana Wynne Jones
- Shirley Jackson
- Kristine Kathryn Rusch
- Suzanne Collins
- Tanya Huff
- Zenna Henderson
The Short List
Isn’t it sad that out of 100 authors only 38 are female? Is there a successful female author of SF & F you’d add to the list? Did you say your name? If you didn’t, read the list above again. Read the works of several of those authors. Then choose one or two as your inspiration. Aim to be on the short list.
I hope you found a female author of SF & F or two whose careers or methods will help you. In my next post, I’ll share some tips and writing processes of some of these authors. I think you’ll find their methods and words will inspire you during NANOWRIMO and the months to come.