Ten Women – And the Future (#TenWomenAuthors)

There is a hashtag trending – #TenWomenAuthors – whereupon folks name ten women authors who’ve inspired and amazed.  I thought I’d add my ten in this article. Now, I could just keep adding and adding, but I’ve picked ones which had a particular influence on me in one way or another as I was exploring literature.

Tanith Lee – The first lady of dark fantasy as far as I’m concerned.

C.J Cherryh – Whose Foreigner books are a milestone to culture building and the power of diplomacy.

C. L. Moore – Who shattered so many boundaries, and who’s Jirel stories will always have an honored space on my shelves.

Leigh Brackett – Planetary romance? Check. Howard Hawks’ favorite screenwriter. Check.

Christa Faust – Torrid tales from the pulp underground.

Caitlin R. Kiernan – Chronicler of the deep histories.

P.D. James – My first lady of crime.

Sara Paretsky – On these mean streets, she charted the way for so many others.

Pat Cadigan – Still blowing minds all of these years.

Margaret Weis – My first real introduction to epic fantasy.

Now, I could keep adding: Elizabeth Bear, Cherie Priest, Elizabeth Moon, Jacqueline Carey, Kate Orman, Gemma Files… I could keep going.  And who knows who will added to this roster in the future. I just hope this encourages folks to dig into these author’s work.