What’s better than a book with a complex female protagonist? I’ll tell you what’s better: a book with a complex female protagonist in space.
Though I have sadly come to accept that I will never achieve my dream of being part of a band of intrepid galactic adventurers, there’s no reason that I can’t at least live my truth by proxy. For too long, our space fiction has been relegated to Hans and Lukes; but in the era of Rey and Jyn, we need to celebrate the books that put women at the forefront of their own space-bound vessels. Here are my five favorite books about ladies livin’ large among the stars.
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Easily my favorite book of 2015, Chambers’ debut novel is equal parts Firefly and Mass Effect, a perfect combination. On the run from her past, Rosemary joins a rag-tag space crew on their wormhole-tunneling ship as their on-board accountant – but life catches up quick in the darkness. With a diverse cast of fully-realized characters (human, alien, and robot alike), it’s hard to not fall in love with every single member of the Wayfarer. The follow-up, A Closed and Common Orbit, is out this month, and it will break your heart. I know you’re into that.
Lightless by C.A. Higgins
If you like your space fiction with some serious authenticity, look no further than Lightless, written by a woman with an IRL physics degree. Althea is the resident engineer and computer scientist on-board the Ananke, an experimental military spacecraft on a secret mission. When the Ananke finds itself boarded by thieves, it is up to Althea to save her precious vessel. The book is written from a series of shifting perspectives, and has one of the most compelling female antagonists I’ve ever read. The sequel, Supernova, will leave you messed up in the best way.
Fortune’s Pawn by Rachel Bach
The first in Bach’s Paradox Trilogy, Fortune’s Pawn follows Devi, a bad-ass space merc for hire with a power suit that would make Master Chief jealous. Devi is tough, crass, unapologetic, strong, intelligent, everything I could possibly want in a protagonist – and when she finds herself caught up in a conspiracy of galactic proportions, it’s up to her to save as many people as she can. I’m not kidding when I tell you that Bach’s prose is addictive: I devoured this book in one cross-country plane ride, and stopped at the nearest bookstore I could find on my way to my hotel in order to grab the sequel so I could keep going.
Planetfall by Emma Newman
How many books about space star an engineer who also happens to be a bisexual neurodivergent woman of color? Meet Planetfall’s protagonist, Ren. Part of a planetary expedition, Ren is her colony’s 3D-printer engineer, responsible for creating almost all of the materials the humans need to survive in their new environment. But Ren is keeping a massive secret, and as things in her life begin to unravel, she starts to search for meaning outside of the bounds of science. An impossible-to-put-down book with an unbelievable conclusion.
Dark Orbit by Carolyn Ives Gilman
One of the rare sci-fi books that takes into account the time one would lose by traveling lightyears away from home, exoethnologist Sara is a nomad, a sociologist banished to the farthest reaches of space for that one time she accidentally caused a planetary rebellion. Now, she’s tasked with exploring a newly-discovered planet, never before touched by humanity – or so they think. Dark Orbit is a fascinating look at how a truly alien culture might evolve, both sociologically and biologically. I am desperate for a sequel. Wait, this is Tor, right? Can someone confirm a sequel? C’mon, guys, do me a solid. Hello?
Do you have a favorite book about awesome ladies in space? I’m always looking for new recommendations, so please let me know in the comments. And enjoy your galactic travels through fiction!
Top image: Alien (1979)
Sam Maggs is an assistant writer for BioWare and the author of The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy and her newest book, Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History. She has written for Marie Claire, PC Gamer, the Guardian, National Post, the Mary Sue, and more. You can geek out with her about Mass Effect or Jeff Goldblum on Twitter @SamMaggs.
C.J. Cherryh has written some awesome ladies — Bet Yeager in Rimrunners, Morgaine in the Morgaine books (admittedly, they’re all planet-bound, although technically they’re science fiction), Signy Mallory and various others in Downbelow Station and, of course, Pyanfar and Hilfy Chanur in The Pride of Chanur and its sequels.
And Jo Clayton — Aleytys in the Diadem books and Skeen in the Skeen trilogy spring to mind.
I love your “Five books about…” column. I send reserve requests to my library just about every time it comes out.
What about the Honor Harrington series by David Weber? Or the Kris Longknife series by Mike Shepherd?
There’s Adam-Troy Castro’s Andrea Cort series, Emissaries from the Dead, The Third Claw of God, and War of the Marionettes (plus some short stories in Analog). Cort is a very strong, rich, and complex character.
And if I may blow my own horn…
https://christopherlbennett.wordpress.com/only-superhuman/
Never forget Cordelia Vorkosigan (nee Naismith) from Lois McMaster Bujold’s “Shards of Honor” and “Barrayar”. Butts are liberally kicked in good measure!
Bobbie Draper from the Expanse series definitely counts (I cannot WAIT to see her on my TV). Chrisjen Avasarala is also kickass, but most of her asskicking happens on Earth, and is done politically.
And I just finished two YA novels by Alexandra Duncan, “Salvage” and “Sound”, which are AMAZING. Ava of “Salvage” grew up in a restrictive starship culture, Miyole of “Sound” has to choose between her lifelong dream as a scientist on-board a research vessel or going after some human traffickers.
@1 – Hoorah for a Jo Clayton mention! I love those books so much and no one ever seems to talk about them.
Burn Out by Kristi Helvig – great new series! It came out in 2014, and it’s really fun.
http://www.kristihelvig.com/books/
The second book is Strange Skies and is also really good.
The protagonist in Planetfall is an interesting character, but you can’t possibly describe her as kick-ass.
Unlike Jani Killian of the Jani Killian Chronicles.
I believe Jo Clayton’s books are being reprinted by Open Road Integrated Media.
And don’t forget Ann Leckie’s Imperial Radch trilogy: Ancillary Justice, Ancillary Sword, and Ancillary Mercy.
The Gap series by Stephen Donaldson, features Morn Hyland, she’s a kick ass heroine and is also one of my all time favourite set of science fiction books.
@8: “The protagonist in Planetfall is an interesting character, but you can’t possibly describe her as kick-ass.”
Well, there are multiple definitions for kick-ass. One is someone who’s tough and literaphorically (that is, somewhere between literally and metaphorically) kicks ass. Another is merely as another word for awesome. “I would be a kick-ass motivational speaker!” doesn’t mean that you would actually be fighting anyone. And “awesome” as pertains to fictional characters can be under any standards including “complex and interesting.”
But yes, the title did throw me at first, and I was about to object similarly that the lead of “Long Way To A Small Angry Planet”, while a good character, isn’t particularly tough or a fighter.
@6, @9 –Yes, they’ve done eBook editions of the Skeen trilogy, the Duel of Sorcery trilogy, and the first several Diadem books; here’s hoping the rest are in the queue.
Tanya Huff’s Confederation books (Valor’s Choice is the first) are excellent and the main is female Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr.
I liked the Serrano books by Elizabeth Moon. Tons of kickass women to choose from there.
Some great books mentioned here! Just finished the Skeen trilogy and am waiting for Closed and Common Orbit. I’ll add a few of my favorites.
The Gaea trilogy (Titan, Wizard and Demon) by John Varley. Cirroco, Gaby and Robyn are all strong characters.
The Alexis Carew series by J.A. Sutherland. Love this character and series.
Another by David Weber in addition to the HH books is Path of the Fury (the older short version is way way better than the newer extended one)
@11 Nailed it. Morn Hyland in Donaldson’s Gap Cycle is as strong and badass a female in space as I’ve ever read.
I immediately thought of Ky Vatta from the Vatta’s War series by Elizabeth Moon
Arafura Ness from Alastair Reynolds’s space opera Revenger.
I second the votes for Cherryh’s Chanur series and Varley’s Gaea trilogy!
The Vatta series of space operas are good, but let’s not leave out an earlier series by Elizabeth Moon, starting with a book perfect for this list: Hunting Party. One of my all-time favorites!
Seveneves
As MeanJellyBean and Rachel Neumeier both said, Titan, Wizard and Demon by John Varley. I am very fond of Cirocco Jones.
And Ann Leckie’s Ancillary Justice character – wonderful main character and ass-kicker extraordinaire!
Festina Ramos from James Alan Gardner’s “Expendables” is a personal favorite of mine. And “In Conquest Born” by C S Friedman has some good stuff too.
Chicks? Really?
Second for Bobby Draper from the Expanse books Pretty much defines the title.
Third recommendation for Morn Hyland from the Gap Series. Goes to the darkest of places and then emerges into something special.
Boss from Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s Diving Universe.
And I agree with another commenter: I find the use of the word “chicks” demeaning, even when it’s coming from a woman. Please just don’t.
I love Catherine Asaro’s Skolian Empire series. Her women are strong and complex, and the space battles in Primary Inversion are unlike any others I’ve read–I started with that one, it’s her first book, and I still love it years after I first read it.
How about every woman of Clan Kovalchuk, in the Liaden Universe by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.
The Larklight Trilogy has a few.
the Wess’har series by Karen Traviss. Now THAT’s a tough female character…
The series Vatta’s War by Elizabeth Moon is a great read. I recommend it
As a younger reader I loved Dr. Cherijo Torin from the Stardoc series…should probably go back and reread it.
I’d like to recommend Killashandra Ree, the Crystal Singer as written by the late Anne McCaffrey.
[mild spoilers…..]
She has a job which includes a bunch of diplomacy, mending musical instruments and mostly cutting precious crystal by channelling her singing voice via a space laser. She also gets the better of the fella sent to assassinate her.
“A Closed and Common Orbit, is out this month,”
Yay!
Just to add one that no one else has mentioned, Teresa “Rip” Tikhana in David Brin’s Earth. She’s not necessarily the heroine of the story (there isn’t really one hero/heroine), and it’s not all set in space, but she’s a kickass astronaut who has some very wild rides – in space shuttles and through underground rivers…
K. B. Wagers’ Behind the Throne. Princess Hailimi Mercedes Jaya Bristol ends up planetside, but starts out in space. N. K. Jemisin just said appreciative things about her in the NYTimes Book Review. “She knows who she is and knows full well that life as the ruler of an interstellar empire will be anything but glorious. She can also kill a man with the stem of a wineglass–the kind of skill that comes in handy over the course of the book’s multiple explosive assassination attempts…. Imagine the ‘Star Wars’ films if they had focused on Princess-turned-General Leia’s efforts to strengthen the Rebel Alliance, instead of Luke’s daddy issues.”
The Confluence series (Fluency and Remanence so far) by Jennifer Foehner Wells features a brilliant, and ass-kicking, female protagonist in space. Her new novel, The Druid Gene, appears to as well, but I haven’t read that one yet.
Love so many of these! Adding Jean Johnson’s Their Not To Reason Why series. Ia is a strong and complex character. Brilliant, driven and she can kick some serious ass, too.
Caroline Sula from Dread’s Empire Fall (Walter Jon Williams)
Hana Dempsey from Forever Watch (David B. Ramirez)
Sirocco Jones from the John Varley Gaia trilogy.
Hey, go back to the 60s and 70s for my all-time favourite kickass heroines – Telzey Amberdon, Trigger Argee, Nile Eckland, Danestar Gems and Pagadan – all from various books by James H. Schmitz. Possibly only Cordelia Naismith could take them on.
The Empress Game by Rhonda Mason is one of the most compelling page turners I’ve ever read. A great concept with an even greater character. The upcoming second book Cloak Of War is my most awaited novel of 2016!
“The Stars are Legion” has some of the most powerful and memorable female characters ever.