Dear sisters,
in my quest to read more in 2023 I am looking for recommendations. I already have a prettey extensive list of non-fiction to catch up with and I need a few recommendations for a few novels to add but it's surprisingly hard to find something that suits my tastes.
I'd be so grateful for recommendations that fullfil the following criteria:
- ideally fantasy, historical or science-fiction setting and a plot that is not romance-centered, some romance is okay, but not as the main focus of the plot (please no murder mysteries, thrillers, romance novels, biographies, supersad real-life stories or the like, I don't really enjoy them)
- has an adult(!!!), female protagonist who is not an idiot, "mary sue" or pickme and is ideally by a female author (if the book and protagonist is really good, I'd accept a male author, too)
- please not the 1001st iteration of "teen girl finds out she has magical powers/is the chosen one/is secretly a princess/alien/fairy and goes on a quest to save the world... and finds "true love" on the way" or "girl/woman who was raped/saw her parents murdered/saw her little sister kidnapped becomes a supertough assassin to take revenge... and finds "true love" on the way". I know that's the plot of 95% of fantasy, historical or science fiction novels with female protagonists. I am looking for the other 5%.
A few examples of what I enjoy (not all of them match all the criteria): pretty much all of Marion Zimmer Bradley's novels and short-story-collections if anyone still remembers them, Lynn Flewellings Tamir-trilogy, Cornelia Funke's Inkheart-trilogy).
(I read English, German, Spanish and (halfway decent) French, if anyone has recommendations that may not have been translated yet).
Under the Skin by Michel Faber. Sci fi. Exquisite writing. Thought provoking themes. Three dimensional female protagonist. Male author that examines misogyny not ungracefully.
Well... 5% like you said!
Have you discovered NK Jemisin yet? Broken Earth series and Hundred Thousand Kingdoms might be what you're looking for.
She's a black author who reaches beyond the standard medieval Britain to write fantasy, and I think she's fantastic.
Not a female author or long read, but Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang which was adapted into the movie Arrival with Amy Adams.
Love in a Fallen City by Eileen Chang. Historical fiction (though it was not historical when it was first published) set in China and HK at the turn of the 20th century. Series of short stories that examines the life and roles of women in a patriarchal society. “Love” in a fallen city but not quite. The said “love” stories alternatively inspire pity and a practical understanding which the author explores with nuance.
The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird is a really cool sci-fi book, it's about a virus with a 90% mortality rate that only affects men. So basically the women have to take charge of everything.
I have the same frustration over books having either a pointless romantic subplot or a male main character. I read a lot and I thought I'd be able to think of something that fitted what you were looking for but nope. Nada. I also get not wanting to read about teenagers. I stopped wanting to read about them when I stopped being a teenager and I don't understand why there are so many books out there about them that are supposedly geared towards adults? Doesn't make sense at all. I usually read murder mysteries/thrillers for these reasons actually. It's quite easy to find books in these genres that are female written with no romantic subplot, sensible adult female main characters and a good plot. I understand they aren't for everyone though. While I do like fantasy/historical books too, it seems impossible to find ones that don't have either a male main character or a romantic subplot. That said, I did find one a long time ago that fit everything you're looking for, although the author was a man. I can't remember his name but if I do, I'll edit this comment to add it!
Ok, so... Anne McCaffrey is a great author for this, I finished The Ship Who Sang a while back and I loved it. It has love, but not romance.
Cheating Men Must Die, the protagonist is Su Luxia. It's a Chinese graphic novel, one of my favourites.
Never let me go - Kazuo Ishiguro. There's some romance, but it's not the main plot. Would call it Sci fi/Dystopian.
The Power by Naomi Alderman
“A science fiction novel by the British writer Naomi Alderman. Its central premise is women developing the ability to release electrical jolts from their fingers, thus leading them to become the dominant sex.”
really made me think!
Girl on a Train