Best Sci-Fi Books for Women: Top 20 classic and current must-reads
By Zoe Assaf
Maybe it’s because I was destined from a young age to become a scientist, or maybe it’s that I was raised on my dad’s 16mm B-movies (giant monsters and mad scientists!), but I’ve been addicted to sci-fi/fantasy/horror since my preteen years. Whether it’s space opera, ghost stories, epic or trashy fantasy, I enjoy it all :) Lately I’ve been drawn to female and feminist authors, so here’s a list of my favorites. It includes classics and new works, with an emphasis on diverse genres in speculative fiction — enjoy!
Badass books from the last 20 years:
1. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (2003, biopunk) — One of my favorite dystopian novels. It is told by the last human being on a post-apocalyptic earth, recounting the story of a love-triangle and how runaway corporate genetic/ecological engineering destroyed humanity!
2. Fifth Season by NK Jemisin (2015, fantasy) — The novel takes place on an alternate earth in which extreme seismic events can hurl the planet into a ‘fifth’ season of catastrophic climate change. ‘Orogenes’ are a race of humans that harness geological power, and have been subjugated into a slave class by a cruel society. The story follows a woman who must hide her power while she pursues her…
