Reading science fiction like it matters since 1989.
For a separate project, I was asked to assemble a list of major books of science fiction written by women over the period 1984 to 2001. I restricted myself to works of science fiction (which eliminates certain works valued by the sf audience but published out of genre or specifically as horror or as fantasy), and novels and single author collections only, not anthologies. This list includes most of the nominees and winners of the major awards during the period but is not limited to them, nor does it include every last one. Every book here appeared on some “best of the year” or award nomination list.
1984
Chanur’s Venture, C. J. Cherryh
Divine Endurance, Gwyneth Jones
Extra(Ordinary) People, Joanna Russ
The Game Beyond, Melissa Scott
Native Tongue, Suzette Haden Elgin
Voyager in Night, C. J. Cherryh
World’s End, Joan D. Vinge
1985
Always Coming Home, Ursula K. Le Guin
The Best of . . ., Marion Zimmer Bradley
Brightness Falls from the Air, James Tiptree, Jr.
Cuckoo’s Egg, C. J. Cherryh
Fire Watch, Connie Willis
The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood
Infinity’s Web, Sheila Finch
The Kif Strike Back, C. J. Cherryh
Phoenix in the Ashes, Joan D. Vinge
Trinity and Other Stories, Nancy Kress
1986
Artificial Things, Karen Joy Fowler
Chanur’s Homecoming, C. J. Cherryh
A Door into Ocean, Joan Slonczewski
Dreams of Dark and Light, Tanith Lee
Escape Plans, Gwyneth Jones
The Journal of Nicholas the American, Leigh Kennedy
Tales of the Quintana Roo, James Tiptree, Jr.
Venus of Dreams, Pamela Sargent
Visible Light, C. J. Cherryh
The Warrior’s Apprentice, Lois McMaster Bujold
1987
After Long Silence, Sherri S. Tepper
Becoming Alien, Rebecca Ore
The Best of . . ., Pamela Sargent
Buffalo Gals and Other Animal Presences, Ursula K. Le Guin
Chance and Other Gestures of the Hand of Fate, Nancy Springer
Dawn, Octavia Butler
In Conquest Born, C. S. Friedman
A Mask for the General, Lisa Goldstein
Mindplayers, Pat Cadigan
Night’s Sorceries, Tanith Lee
1988
Adulthood Rites, Octavia Butler
An Alien Light, Nancy Kress
Busy About the Tree of Life, Pamela Zoline
(US title: The Heat Death of the Universe)
Catspaw, Joan D. Vinge
Crown of Stars, James Tiptree, Jr.
Cyteen, C. J. Cherryh
Falling Free, Lois McMaster Bujold
The Healer’s War, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
The Hidden Side Of The Moon, Joanna Russ
Hellspark, Janet Kagan
Kairos, Gwyneth Jones
Sheepfarmer’s Daughter, Elizabeth Moon
The Silent City, Élisabeth Vonarburg
1989
Being Alien, Rebecca Ore
Borders of Infinity, Lois McMaster Bujold
Children of the Wind, Kate Wilhelm
The City, Not Long After, Pat Murphy
Falcon, Emma Bull
Grass, Sherri S. Tepper
Heritage of Flight, Susan M Shwartz
Imago, Octavia Butler
Patterns, Pat Cadigan
Rimrunners, C. J. Cherryh
1990
Arachne, Lisa Mason
Brain Rose, Nancy Kress
Her Smoke Rose Up Forever, James Tiptree, Jr.
Lunar Activity, Elizabeth Moon
Points of Departure, Pat Murphy
Polar City Blues, Katherine Kerr
Raising the Stones, Sherri S. Tepper
The Silver Kiss, Annette Curtis Klause
The Start of the End of It All and Other Stories, Carol Emshwiller
The Vor Game, Lois McMaster Bujold
Winterlong, Elizabeth Hand
1991
Bone Dance, Emma Bull
Heavy Time, C. J. Cherryh
Mirabile, Janet Kagan
Reef Song, Carol Severance
Sarah Canary, Karen Joy Fowler
Synners, Pat Cadigan
The Ragged World, Judith Moffett
White Queen, Gwyneth Jones
A Woman Of The Iron People, Eleanor Arnason
1992
Æstival Tide, Elizabeth Hand
And the Angels Sing, Kate Wilhelm
China Mountain Zhang, Maureen McHugh
The Doomsday Book, Connie Willis
Hellburner, C. J. Cherryh
Home by the Sea, Pat Cadigan
In the Mother’s Land, Élisabeth Vonarburg
Jaran, Kate Elliott
Lost Futures, Lisa Tuttle
Unwillingly to Earth, Pauline Ashwell
1993
Alien Bootlegger and Other Stories, Rebecca Ore
The Aliens of Earth, Nancy Kress
Ammonite, Nicola Griffith
Beggars in Spain, Nancy Kress
Brother Termite, Patricia Anthony
Chimera, Mary Rosenblum
Crash Course, Wihelmina Baird
The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall, Anne McCaffrey
Dirty Work, Pat Cadigan
The Drylands, Mary Rosenblum
Icarus Descending, Elizabeth Hand
Impossible Things, Connie Willis
Mutagenesis, Helen Collins
Rainbow Man, M. J. Engh
Ring of Swords, Eleanor Arnason
Virtual Girl, Amy Thomson
1994
Alien Influences, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Beggars & Choosers, Nancy Kress
A Fisherman of the Inland Sea, Ursula K. Le Guin
Foreigner, C. J. Cherryh
The Furies, Suzy McKee Charnas
The Girl Who Heard Dragons, Anne McCaffrey
Larque on the Wing, Nancy Springer
Mirror Dance, Lois McMaster Bujold
North Wind, Gwyneth Jones
Parable of the Sower, Octavia Butler
Queen City Jazz, Kathleen Ann Goonan
Summer of Love, Lisa Mason
Trouble and Her Friends, Melissa Scott
1995
Bloodchild and Other Stories, Octavia Butler
The Color of Distance, Amy Thomson
Four Ways to Forgiveness, Ursula K. Le Guin
Gaia’s Toys, Rebecca Ore
Invader, C. J. Cherryh
Legacies, Alison Sinclair
Little Sisters of the Apocalypse, Kit Reed
Other Nature, Stephanie Smith
Primary Inversion, Catherine Asaro
Reluctant Voyagers, Élisabeth Vonarburg
Rider at the Gate, C. J. Cherryh
Shadow Man, Melissa Scott
Slow River, Nicola Griffith
1996
Beggars Ride, Nancy Kress
The Bones of Time, Kathleen Ann Goonan
Cetaganda, Lois McMaster Bujold
City of Diamond, Jane Emerson (pseud of Doris Egan)
Dreamweaver’s Dilemma, Lois McMaster Bujold
Inheritor, C. J. Cherryh
Looking for the Mahdi, N. Lee Wood
Mainline, Deborah Christian
Memory, Lois McMaster Bujold
Night Sky Mine, Melissa Scott
Reclamation, Sarah Zettel
Remnant Population, Elizabeth Moon
Synthesis and Other Virtual Realities, Mary Rosenblum
Unlocking the Air and Other Stories, Ursula K. Le Guin
Whiteout, Sage Walker
1997
The Arbitrary Placement of Walls, Martha Soukup
The Dazzle of Day, Molly Gloss
Deception Well, Linda Nagata
An Exchange of Hostages, Susan R. Matthews
Fool’s War, Sarah Zettel
Glimmering, Elizabeth Hand
The Last Hawk, Catherine Asaro
Mississippi Blues, Kathleen Ann Goonan
Mother Grimm, Catherine Wells
Once a Hero, Elizabeth Moon
Opalite Moon, Denise Vitola
1998
Beaker’s Dozen, Nancy Kress
Beholder’s Eye, Julie Czerneda
Black Glass, Karen Joy Fowler
The Children Star, Joan Slonczewski
Flesh and Gold, Phyllis Gotlieb
Halfway Human, Carolyn Ives Gilman
In the Garden of Iden, Kage Baker
Last Summer At Mars Hill, Elizabeth Hand
Mission Child, Maureen McHugh
Parable of the Talents, Octavia Butler
Playing God, Sarah Zettel
The Shapes of Their Hearts, Melissa Scott
To Say Nothing of The Dog, Connie Willis
Vast, Linda Nagata
1999
The Annunciate, Severna Park
A Civil Campaign, Lois McMaster Bujold
Code Of Conduct, Kristine Smith
The Conqueror’s Child, Suzy McKee Charnas
Precursor, C. J. Cherryh
Promised Land, Pat Cadigan
Silver Screen, Justina Robson
Sky Coyote, Kage Baker
Through Alien Eyes, Amy Thomson
2000
Crescent City Rhapsody, Kathleen Ann Goonan
The Fresco, Sherri S. Tepper
Midnight Robber, Nalo Hopkinson
Murphy’s Gambit, Syne Mitchell
Probability Moon, Nancy Kress
The Quantum Rose, Catherine Asaro
Sea as Mirror, Tess Williams
Sister Emily’s Lightship and Other Stories, Jane Yolen
The Telling, Ursula K. Le Guin
2001
Alien Taste, Wen Spencer
Bold as Love, Gwyneth Jones
Defender, C. J. Cherryh
Dervish Is Digital, Pat Cadigan
The Ghost Sister, Liz Williams
In the Company of Others, Julie Czerneda
Limit of Vision, Linda Nagata
Nekropolis, Maureen McHugh
A Paradigm of Earth, Candas Jane Dorsey
Passage, Connie Willis
Probability Sun, Nancy Kress
There was some discussion of this list on Twitter. The only glaring omission named was Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, which was a) clearly sf, b) nominated for the Nebula, and c) enormously influential.
There are a few works of fantasy included, despite Hartwell's goal of limiting the list to sf (e.g., Tanith Lee's Night's Sorceries, Elizabeth Moon's Sheepfarmer's Daughter) and at least one misspelling ("Susan Shwartz" as "Susan Schwartz", for which I blame myself).
I myself wonder why those particular start and end dates were chosen; I would be interested in hearing from David on that.
Posted by: Kevin J. Maroney | 03/12/2013 at 02:19 PM
David and I discussed this last month and he said that leaving off The Handmaid's Tale was purely accidental, as was the inclusion of an unambiguous fantasy novel (Sheepfarmer's Daughter). I've amended the list to reflect these changes.
Posted by: Kevin Maroney | 04/17/2013 at 11:13 PM