This is designed to be an ongoing list of fantasy fiction written by women. Please leave a comment making a new suggestion – once this female author/book has been added your comment will be deleted in order to keep track so please don’t be offended!
(The comprehensive list is order by alphabetical last name of author)
Sarah Ash
Moths to a Flame
Songspinners
The Lost Child
Anne Bishop
Daughter of the Blood
Heir to the Shadows
Queen of the Darkness
Lois McMaster Bujold
The Spirit Ring
Angela Carter
The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman
The Magic Toyshop
The Passion of New Eve
Nights at the Circus
The Bloody Chamber
Phyllis Eisenstein
Born to Exile
In the Red Lord’s Reach
Sorcerer’s Son
The Crystal Palace
Shadow of Earth
In the Hands of Glory
Lynn Flewelling
Luck in the Shadows
Stalking Darkness
Traitor’s Moon
Diana Gabaldon
Outlander/Cross Stitch
Dragonfly in Amber
Voyager
The Drums of Autumn
Mary Gentle
Golden Witchbreed
Ancient Light
Rats & Gargoyles
The Architecture of Desire
Left to His Own Devices
A Hawk in Silver
Moon at Midday
Grunts!
Elizabeth Hand
Waking the Moon
Black Light
Robin Hobb
Assassin’s Apprentice – Robin Hobb
Royal Assassin – Robin Hobb
Assassin’s Quest – Robin Hobb
Ship of Magic – Robin Hobb
The Mad Ship – Robin Hobb
J V Jones
The Baker’s Boy
A Man Betrayed
Master in Fool
A Cavern of Black Ice
The Barbed Coil
Jenny Jones
Fly by Night
The Edge of Vengeance
Lies and Flames
The Webbed Hand
The Blue Manor
Firefly Dreams
The House of Birds
The Carver
Where the Children Cry
Katharine Kerr
Daggerspell
Darkspell
Dawnspell
Dragonspell
A Time of Exile
A Time of Omens
A Time of War
A Time of Justice
The Red Wyvern
The Black Raven
Valery Leith
The Company of Glass
Megan Lindholm
Harpy’s Flight – Megan Lindholm
The Windsingers – Megan Lindholm
The Limbreth Gate – Megan Lindholm
Luck of the Wheels – Megan Lindholm
The Reindeer People – Megan Lindholm
Wolf’s Brother – Megan Lindholm
The Wizard of the Pigeons – Megan Lindholm
Cloven Hooves – Megan Lindholm
Julian May
Black Trillium
Blood Trillium
Golden Trillium
Sky Trillium
Juliet E McKenna
The Thief’s Gamble
The Swordsman’s Oath
Patricia McKillip
The Riddle-Master of Hed
Heir of Sea and Fire
Harpist in the Wind
Moon-Flash
The Moon and the Face
The Sorceress and the Cygnet
The Cygnet and the Firebird
Winter Rose
The House on Parchment Street
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld
The Night Gift
Stepping from the Shadows
Fool’s Run
The Changeling Sea
The Book of Atrix Wolfe
Song for the Basilisk
Robin McKinley
Beauty
Rose Daughter
The Blue Sword
The Hero and the Crown
Rowan
Deerskin
The Stone Fey
Hope Mirrlees
Lud-in-the-Mist
Elizabeth Moon
Sheepfarmer’s Daughter
Divided Allegiance
Oath of Gold
Surrender None
Liar’s Oath
Melanie Rawn
Dragon Prince
The Star Scroll
Sunrunner’s Fire
Stronghold
The Dragon Token
Skybowl
The Ruins of Ambrai
The Mageborn Traitor
The Golden Key
Mickey Zucker Reichert
Godslayer
Shadow Climber
Dragon Rank Master
Shadows Realm
By Chaos Cursed
The Last of the Renshai
The Western Wizard
Child of Thunder
Beyond Ragnarok
Prince of Demons
The Children of Wrath
Spirit Fox
Sharon Shinn
Archangel
Jovah’s Angel
The Alleluia Files
The Shape-Changer’s Wife
Wrapt in Crystal
Alison Spedding
The Road and the Hills
A Cloud Over Water
The Streets of the City
Judith Tarr
The Isle of Glass
The Golden Horn
The Hounds of God
The Hall of the Mountain King
The Lady of Han-Gilen
A Fall of Princes
Arrows of the Sun
Spear of Heaven
Alamut
The Dagger and the Cross
White Mare’s Daughter
The Shepherd Kings
Ars Magica
A Wind in Cairo
His Majesty’s Elephant
Lord of the Two Lands
Throne of Isis
The Eagle’s Daughter
Pillar of Fire
King and Goddess
Queen of Swords
Freda Warrington
A Blackbird in Silver
A Blackbird in Darkness
A Blackbird in Amber
A Blackbird in Twilight
Taste of Blood Wine
A Dance in Blood Velvet
The Dark Blood of Poppies
Dark Cathedral
Pagan Moon
The Amber Citadel
The Rainbow Gate
Sorrow’s Light
Martha Wells
The Element of Fire
The Death of the Necromancer
City of Bones
Patricia Wrede
Shadow Magic
Daughter of Witches
The Harp of Imach Thyssel
Caught in Crystal
The Raven Ring
Dragonsbane
Searching for Dragons
Calling on Dragons
Talking to Dragons
Mairelon the Magician
Magician’s Ward
The Seven Towers
Snow White and Rose Red
Janny Wurts
Stormwarden
Keeper of the Keys
Shadowfane
The Curse of the Mistwraith
The Ships of Merior
Warhost of Vastmark
Fugitive Prince
Grand Conspiracy
Sorcerer’s Legacy
The Master of White Storm
That Way Lies Camelot
fantasymistressworks 
Pingback: Fantasy Mistressworks – how you can help! | fantasymistressworks
Such a great idea! I hope it’s OK for me to give multiple suggestions!
Assassin’s Apprentice – Robin Hobb (et al)
The Orphan’s Tales: In the Night Garden – Catherynne M. Valente (again, et al!)
Zoo City – Lauren Beukes
Mechanique – Genevieve Valentine
Orlando – Virginia Woolf
NIGHT CALLS by Katharine Eliska Kimbriel
KINDRED RITES by Katharine Eliska Kimbriel
WHEEL OF THE INFINITE by Martha Wells
SORCERY & CECELIA by Patricia Wrede & Caroline Stevermer
Sticking to one book per author, I suggest the following:
The Privilege of the Sword – Ellen Kushner
Assassin’s Apprentice – Robin Hobb
Melusine – Sarah Monette
Flora Segunda – Ysabeau S. Wilce
A Star Shall Fall – Marie Brennan
His Majesty’s Dragon – Naomi Novik
New Amsterdam – Elizabeth Bear
Kushiel’s Dart – Jacqueline Carey
Elfland – Freda Warrington
Weetzie Bat – Francesca Lia Block
A Wizard of Earthsea – Ursula K. Le Guin
Daughter of Smoke and Bone – Laini Taylor
Wicked Gentlemen – Ginn Hale
Arrows of the Queen – Mercedes Lackey
Dreamhunter – Elizabeth Knox
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms – N.K. Jemisin
I’ll cut off there, though I could go on and on. š Many of those are just a lone book from a larger series, too.
Kindred – Octavia Butler,
Some possible suggestions – The Red Magician by Lisa Goldstein; Wizard of the Pigeons by Megan Lindholm; War for the Oaks by Emma Bull; Rats and Gargoyles by Mary Gentle; Familiar Spirit by Lisa Tuttle.
I’ll send more through once I go through what I have on Goodreads!
The Gate To Women’s Country – Sheri S Tepper
Beauty – Sheri S Tepper
Singer From The Sea – Sheri S Tepper
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell – Susannah Clarke
The Goblin Market – Christina Rossetti
Sylvia Townsend Warner – Lolly Willowes
Stella Gibbons – Ticky
Angela Carter – The Bloody Chamber
Margo Lanegan – Tender Morsels
Kelly Link – Magic For Beginners
Ellen Kushner – Swordspoint
C L Moore – Black Gods & Scarlet Dreams
Frances Sherwood – The Book of Splendour
Firstly, I’d not include Mary Gentle’s A Hawk In Silver, but list Rats & Gargoyles as a far better and more significant work.
Books I would like to see listed however:
Lisa Goldstein – The Red Magician; Tourists
Patricia Geary – Strange Toys
Suzy McKee Charnas – The Vampire Tapestry
Elizabeth Hand – Mortal Love
Jenny Jones – Blue Manor
more to follow when I catch up
What an excellent idea! Here are a few, off the top of my head:
The Darwath trilogy by Barbara Hambly (The Time of the Dark; The Walls of Air; The Armies of Daylight)
The Ladies of Mandrigyn, also by Barbara Hambly
Forgotten Beasts of Eld, by Patricia McKillip
The Dark is Rising series, by Susan Cooper
The Middle Kingdoms series, by Diane Duane (The Door Into Fire; The Door Into Shadow; The Door Into Sunset)
Lord of Snow and Shadows (first of trilogy; the sequels are Prisoner of the Iron Tower and Children of the Serpent Gate) – Sarah Ash
Paladin of Souls (picking this one over Curse of Chalion because of Ista) – Lois McMaster Bujold
[Something by CJ Cherryh – don’t know her fantasy well enough to pick]
The King’s Peace – Jo Walton (or Tooth and Claw)
The Crystal Cave – Mary Stewart
Hawk of May – Gillian Bradshaw (although there may be something later that’s more characteristic)
Flight into Fire – Jenny Jones
… will add more when either I think of them, or I find my library list
Living with Ghosts – Kari Sperring
Babylon Steel – Gaie Sebold
Sourdough & Other Stories – Angela Slatter
Shades of Milk & Honey – Mary Robinette Kowal
Soulless – Gail Carriger
Walking the Tree – Kaaron Warren
Somewhere Beneath Those Waves – Sarah Monette
The Drowning City – Amanda Downum
A Madness of Angels – Kate Griffin
Living with Ghosts – Kari Sperring
Shades of Milk & Honey – Mary Robinette Kowal
The Drowning City – Amanda Downum
Walking the Tree – Kaaron Warren
Empress – Karen Miller
Somewhere Beneath Those Waves – Sarah Monette
Sourdough & Other Stories – Angela Slatter
A Madness of Angels – Kate Griffin
Babylon Steel – Gaie Sebold
Soulless – Gail Carriger
Pingback: Eastercon Update « SF Mistressworks
The Ship Who Sang – Anne McCaffrey This is the book that made me believe I could take control of my own life.
I love that book too! But it is science fiction. Anne McCaffrey is a SF writer and should properly go on the SFmistressworks list because those are bioengineered dragons on the colony planet Pern. However she did write No-one Noticed the Cat, An Exchange of Gifts, If Wishes Were Horses and Black Horses for the King which are fantasy
Great idea for a site!
I feel that one or two of the suggestions so far are more sf than fantasy – for instance Zoo City is included in the 21st century SF by women site just started by Michaela Staton (http://daughtersofprometheus.wordpress.com/about/). Not necessarily a problem but you may like to link to a definition or otherwise clarify how you aim to select fantasy rather than sf (if you do)?
I have no immediate suggestions of books yet but a suggestion for formatting – I think it would be really great & useful to have the books organized by publication date, as this gives a sense of the progression of the genre.
Personally I think The Tamir Triad is Lynn Flewelling’s best work, particularly “The Bone Doll’s Twin”.
Sylvia Kelso — Amberlight
Some Aussie Mistresses:
Joanne Anderton – Debris
KJ Bishop
Trudi Canavan
Isobelle Carmody
Kylie Chan
Alison Croggan
Sara Douglass – Battle Axe trilogy
Grace Dugan
Jennifer Fallon – Hythrun Chronicles
Kate Forsyth
Pamela Freeman – Castings Trilogy
Alison Goodman
Lian Hearn
Sylvia Kelso
Margo Lanagan – Tender Morsels and Sea Hearts
Glenda Larke – Watergivers Trilogy et al
Juliet Marillier – Sevenwaters series
Sophie Masson
Karen Miller – Godspeaker trilogy et al
Tansy Rayner Roberts – The Creature Court trilogy et al
Lucy Sussex
Kim Wilkins
Louise Cooper — the Time Master trilogy (Initiate, Outcast, Master), the Indigo series, etc.
P.C. Hodgell — God Stalk, Dark of the Moon, etc.
Tanith Lee — too many to list, but I’d start with the Birthgrave trilogy, The Storm Lord, Anackire, the Flat Earth series (Night’s Master, Death’s Master, etc.).
C.J. Cherryh — The Paladin, Rusalka, Fortress in the Eye of Time, etc.
Ellen Kushner — Swordspoint, Thomas the Rhymer
Emma Bull — War for the Oaks
Pamela Dean — Tam Lin
Kara Dalkey — the Goa trilogy
I can’t believe that Andre Norton, Tanith Lee, Louise Cooper, CJ Cherryh have been omitted.
Here’s a list of works not mentioned above, with authors being limited to to just one book each (it’s too long as it is!) The list contains both “traditional” fantasy as well as more “literary” fantasy.
Acker, Kathy – Pussy, King of the Pirates (1996)
Aiken, Joan – The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (series) (1963)
Brackett, Leigh – Sword of Rhiannon (1953)
Bradley, Marion Zimmer – Darkover series
Byatt, A.S. – The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye (1997)
Carrington, Leonora – The Hearing Trumpet (1974)
Chant, Joy – Red Moon and Black Mountain (1970)
Cherryh, C. J. – Gate of Ivrel (1977)
Darrieussecq, Marie – Pig Tales (1996)
Dean, Pamela – Tam Lin (1991)
Dorsey, Candas Jane – Black Wine (1997)
Ducornet, Rikki – Phosphor in Dreamland (1995)
Dunn, Katherine – Geek Love (1983)
Ekman, Kerstin – The Forest of Hours (1998)
Emshwiller, Carol – Carmen Dog (1988)
Erdrich, Louise – The Antelope Wife (1988)
Fowler, Karen Joy – Sarah Canary (1991)
Gilman, Greer – Moonwise (1991)
Gordon, Karen Elizabeth – Paris Out of Hand (1986)
Gorodischer, Angelica – Kalpa Imperial (1983)
Hodgell, P.C. – God Stalk (1982)
Hoffman, Nina Kiriki – The Thread That Binds the Bones (1993)
Hopkinson, Nalo – Brown Girl in the Ring (1998)
Jackson, Shirley – The Haunting of Hill House (1959)
Kendall, Carol – The Firelings (1981)
Kiernan, Caitlin R. – Candles for Elizabeth (1998)
Kurtz, Katherine – Deryni Rising (1970)
Laubenthal, Sanders Anne – Excalibur (1973)
Lee, Tanith – The Birthgrave (1975)
Lessing, Doris – Briefing for A Descent into Hell (1971)
Levy, Deborah – Beautiful Mutants (1989)
Lindskold, Jane – Changer (1998)
Lynn, Elizabeth A. – Watchtower (1979)
MacAvoy, R.A. – Damiano (1983)
Martin, Valerie – Mary Reilly (1990)
Meagher, Maude – Fantastic Traveller (1931)
Morrison, Toni – Beloved (1987)
Oates, Joyce Carol – Zombie (1995)
Ortese, Anna Maria – The Iguana (1987)
Paxson, Diana L. – Lady of Light (1982)
Pierce, Meredith Ann – The Darkangel (1982)
Pollack, Rachel – Godmother Night (1996)
Rice, Anne – Interview with the Vampire (1976)
Rowling, J. K. – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (1997)
Salmonson, Jessica Amanda – Ou Lu Khen and the Beautiful Madwoman (1985)
Sherman, Delia – The Porcelain Dove (1993)
Snyder, Midori – The Innamorati (1998)
Springer, Nancy – Larque on the Wing (1994)
Stevens, Francis (Gertrude Barrows Bennett) – The Citadel of Fear (1918)
Stevermer, Caroline – A College of Magics (1994)
Taylor, Lucy – The Safety of Unknown Cities (1999)
Tennant, Emma – Hotel de Dream (1976)
Tuttle, Lisa – Lost Futures (1992)
Volsky, Paula – Illusion (1992)
Walker, Wendy – The Secret Service (1992)
Walton, Evangeline – The Island of the Mighty (1936)
Windling, Terri – The Wood Wife (1996)
Winterson, Jeanette – Sexing the Cherry (1989)
Wrightson, Patricia – The Dark Bright Water (1978)
Yarbro, Chelsea Quinn – Ariosto (1980)
Yolen, Jane – Briar Rose (1992)
And of course the Deryni novels of Katherine Kurtz, especially the first trilogy
Following the examples given so far, here are some representative books from authors I don’t think I see mentioned yet:
Moongather (Duel of Sorcery series) – Jo Clayton
The Idylls of the Queen – Phyllis Ann Karr
Deryni Rising (et. al.) – Katherine Kurtz
Tea with the Black Dragon – R.A. MacAvoy
The Porcelain Dove – Delia Sherman
The Innamorati – Midori Snyder
The Wolf of Winter – Paula Volsky
The Winter Prince – Elizabeth Wein
Staying with the examples above, here are some representative titles from authors I don’t think I see mentioned yet and would like to see on the list:
Moongather (Duel of Sorcery series) – Jo Clayton
The Idylls of the Queen – Phyllis Ann Karr
Deryni Rising (et. al.) – Katherine Kurtz
Swordspoint – Ellen Kushner
Tea with the Black Dragon – R.A. MacAvoy
The Porcelain Dove – Delia Sherman
The Innamorati – Midori Snyder
The Wolf of Winter – Paula Volsky
The Winter Prince – Elizabeth Wein
Barbara Hambly, one of my favorite authors ever. Published from the mid 80s to today.
Highlights:
The TIme of the Dark, The Walls of Air, The Armies of Daylight, The Silent Tower, The Silicon Mage, The Stranger at the Wedding, Bride of the Rat God, Dragonsbane, Dragonshadow
Iām sure Iāve left some favorites out.
Hmm, WordPress seems to have eaten my first comment – let me try again with a shorter one:
Acker, Kathy – Pussy, King of the Pirates (1996)
Aiken, Joan – The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (series) (1963)
Brackett, Leigh – Sword of Rhiannon (1953)
Bradley, Marion Zimmer – Darkover series
Byatt, A.S. – The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye (1997)
Carrington, Leonora – The Hearing Trumpet (1974)
Chant, Joy – Red Moon and Black Mountain (1970)
Darrieussecq, Marie – Pig Tales (1996)
Dean, Pamela – Tam Lin (1991)
Dorsey, Candas Jane – Black Wine (1997)
That seemed to have worked better. Some more:
Dorsey, Candas Jane – Black Wine (1997)
Ducornet, Rikki – Phosphor in Dreamland (1995)
Dunn, Katherine – Geek Love (1983)
Ekman, Kerstin – The Forest of Hours (1998)
Emshwiller, Carol – Carmen Dog (1988)
Erdrich, Louise – The Antelope Wife (1988)
Fowler, Karen Joy – Sarah Canary (1991)
Gilman, Greer – Moonwise (1991)
Gordon, Karen Elizabeth – Paris Out of Hand (1986)
Gorodischer, Angelica – Kalpa Imperial (1983)
Hodgell, P.C. – God Stalk (1982)
Hoffman, Nina Kiriki – The Thread That Binds the Bones (1993)
Hopkinson, Nalo – Brown Girl in the Ring (1998)
Jackson, Shirley – The Haunting of Hill House (1959)
Kendall, Carol – The Firelings (1981)
Kiernan, Caitlin R. – Candles for Elizabeth (1998)
Kurtz, Katherine – Deryni Rising (1970)
Laubenthal, Sanders Anne – Excalibur (1973)
Lee, Tanith – The Birthgrave (1975)
Lessing, Doris – Briefing for A Descent into Hell (1971)
Levy, Deborah – Beautiful Mutants (1989)
Lindskold, Jane – Changer (1998)
Lynn, Elizabeth A. – Watchtower (1979)
MacAvoy, R.A. – Damiano (1983)
Martin, Valerie – Mary Reilly (1990)
Meagher, Maude – Fantastic Traveller (1931)
And the rest:
Morrison, Toni – Beloved (1987)
Oates, Joyce Carol – Zombie (1995)
Ortese, Anna Maria – The Iguana (1987)
Paxson, Diana L. – Lady of Light (1982)
Pierce, Meredith Ann – The Darkangel (1982)
Pollack, Rachel – Godmother Night (1996)
Rice, Anne – Interview with the Vampire (1976)
Rowling, J. K. – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (1997)
Salmonson, Jessica Amanda – Ou Lu Khen and the Beautiful Madwoman (1985)
Sherman, Delia – The Porcelain Dove (1993)
Snyder, Midori – The Innamorati (1998)
Springer, Nancy – Larque on the Wing (1994)
Stevens, Francis (Gertrude Barrows Bennett) – The Citadel of Fear (1918)
Stevermer, Caroline – A College of Magics (1994)
Taylor, Lucy – The Safety of Unknown Cities (1999)
Tennant, Emma – Hotel de Dream (1976)
Volsky, Paula – Illusion (1992)
Walker, Wendy – The Secret Service (1992)
Walton, Evangeline – The Island of the Mighty (1936)
Windling, Terri – The Wood Wife (1996)
Winterson, Jeanette – Sexing the Cherry (1989)
Wrightson, Patricia – The Dark Bright Water (1978)
Yarbro, Chelsea Quinn – Ariosto (1980)
Yolen, Jane – Briar Rose (1992)
Lots of stuff by Tanith Lee:
Birthgrave
Vazkor Son of Vazkor (published as Shadowfire in the UK)
Quest for the White Witch
Sung in Shadow
Heroine of the World
The Storm Lord
Anackire
The White Serpent
Kill the Dead
Lycanthia
Law of the Wolf Tower
The Winter Players
Juliet Marillier -Daughter of the Forest
Sarah Douglass – Sinner
Kristine Kathryn Rusch – The Sacrifice, also The Changeling
Kate Elliot – King’s Dragon
Jonathan Wylie – Dream Weaver (technically a husband/wife team)
Jane Lindskold – Changer
Holly Lisle – Fire in the Mist
And has anyone mentioned Jo Clayton yet?
P.C. Hodgell – God Stalk, Dark of the Moon
Morgan Llywelyn – Druids
Paula Volsky – Illusions, The Wolf of Winter
Cinda Williams Chima (YA Fantasy):
The Heir Chronicles – The Warrior Heir, The Wizard Heir, The Dragon Heir, The Sorcerer Heir
The Seven Realms series – The Demon King, The Exiled Queen, The Gray Wolf Throne,The Crimson Crown
Kushiel’s Chosen – Jacqueline Carey
Son of Shadows – Juliet Marillier
Across the Nightingale Floor – Lian Hearn
The Magician’s Guild – Trudi Canavan
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Tanya Huff’s Blood series, Quarter series, Smoke series, Circle of Light and Dark, Summon the Keeper, Second Summoning.
Nalo Hopkinson: Brown Girl in the Ring
Michelle West:
The Book of the Sundered: Into the Dark Lands, Children of the Blood, Lady of Mercy, Chains of Darkness, Chains of Light
The Hunter Duology – Hunter’s Oath, Hunter’s Death
The Sun Sword Series – The Broken Crown, The Uncrowned King, The Shining Court (the last three were published after 2000)
There was also Jane Gaskell’s Atlan saga.
Pingback: Women in SF&F Month: Resources | Fantasy Cafe | Reviews of Fantasy and Science Fiction Books
A couple suggestions of authors:
Carol Berg
Susanna Clark
C. S. Friedman
Elizabeth Haydon
Ellen Kushner
Nancy McKenzie
Lackey, Mercedes
McCaffrey, Anne
Le Guin, Ursula K.
Cherryh, C.J
Lee, Tanith
Hobb, Robin
Elliott, Kate
May, Julian
Wurts, Janny
Bishop, Anne
Kerr, Katherine
Bujold, Lois Mcmaster
Carey, Jacqueline
Springer, Nancy
Hambly, Barbara
Tepper, Sheri S
Carmody, Isobelle
Marillier, Juliet
Bradley, Marion
Canavan, Trudi
Flewelling, Lynn
Gentle, Mary
Rawn, Melanie
Snyder, Maria V.
Friedman, Celia
Furey, Maggie
Jones, J. V.
Lindholm, Megan
Macavoy, R. A
Miller, Karen
Monette, Sarah
Dart-Thornton, Cecilia
Douglass, Sara
Vinge, Joan D
Zettel, Sarah
Boyer, Elizabeth H.
Briggs, Patricia
Lynn, Elizabeth A.
Mckinley, Robin
Borchardt, Alice
Hearn, Lian
Jemisin, N. K.
Jones, Jenny
Novik, Naomi
Vaughan, Elizabeth
Britain, Kristen
Fallon, Jennifer
Jones, Diana Wynne
Kennealy, Patricia
McIntosh, Fiona
McKillip, Patricia A.
Roberson, Jennifer
Rusch, Kristine Kathryn
Valente, Catherynne M.
Yolen, Jane
Ash, Sarah
Berg, Carol
Cashore, Kristin
Corran, Mary
Daniells, Rowena Cory
De Bodard, Aliette
Douglas, Carole Nelson
Duane, Diane
Fisher, Jude
Gabaldon, Diana
Gee, Emily
Graham, Jo
Jones, Gwyneth
Kerner, Elizabeth
Martin, Gail Z.
Mills, K. E
Reichert, Mickey Zucker
Resnick, Laura
Scarborough, Elizabeth
Vaughan, Beth
Wilkins, Kim
Baldry, Cherith
Bertin, Joanne
Clarke, Susanna
Downum, Amanda
Goodman, Alison
Huff, Tanya
McKenna, Juliet E.
Micklem, Sarah
Norton, Andre
Nye, Jody Lyn
Palmer, Jessica
Paxson, Diana L.
Price, Susan
Siegel, Jan
Swainston, Steph
Walton, Evangeline
Wells, Martha
Wrede, Patricia C.
Billingsley, Franny
Cooper, Elspeth
Cooper, Louise
Coulson, Juanita
Emerson, Ru
Hauf, Michele
Haydon, Elizabeth
Kowal, Mary Robinette
Kurtz, Katherine
L’Engle, Madeline
Lowe, Helen
Lyle, Anne
Mirrlees, Hope
O’Shea, Pat
Perry, Anne
Rhodes, Jenna
Walton, Jo
Wood, N Lee
Shuler, Linda lay
Shwartz, Susan
That’s 114 female fantasy authors that I have, that have written at least one fantasy book that I have.
I also have an additional 104 writers in 4 categories under investigation to see if they have written fantasy. I need some clarification on what we can include
The 4 categories are
*51 Science fiction writers
*27 UF/Paranormal Fantasy writers – Are we including vampires in our list of fantasy (eg Anne Rice, Mary Shelley, Charlaine Harris)?
*16 YA/children’s authors
*9 Historical Fantasy
The YA/Children’s Authors I was considering are
Aiken, Joan
Black, Holly
Collins, Suzanne
Nesbit, Edith
Duey, Kathleen
Mackay, Sheena
McCaughrean, Geraldine
Webb, Catherine
Wilkinson, Carole
Funke, Cornelia
Croggon, Alison
Hoffman, Mary
Ibbotson, Eva
Lassiter, Rhiannon
Lo, Malinda
Oldfield, Jenny
and the Historical fantasy
Auel, Jean M
Stewart, Mary
Renault, Mary
Sampson, Fay
Harris, Claire Winger
Chapman, Vera
Bradshaw, Gillian
Hollick, Helen
Paver, Michelle
I will post again in the next few days if any of the SF writers have written a fantasy
As you may have guessed from the list I posted above, I have a lot of books, and whether as a cause or consequence I look at and create lots of lists in my investigations as to what to be on the look out for and what to buy next. One list I have made is pre-tolkien fantasy, and to my surprise there are actually some women there. So here is a list of the earliest
female Fantasy writers I found (before 1950)
Sara Coleridge – Phantasmion (1837)
Margaret Oliphant – The Beleagured City (1880)
Marie Corelli – The Soul of Lilith (1892)
Edith Nesbit – Five Children and It (1902), The Phoenix and the Carpet (1904). The story of the Amulet (1906).
Francis Stevens – The Citadel of Fear (1918), The Labyrinth (1919), The Heads of Cerberus (1919), Avalon (1919) Claimed (1920) (Interestingly was not publicly known to be feamle until 1952)
Ethel Cook Eliot – The Wind Boy (1923)
Sylvia Townsend Warner – Lolly Willowes (1926)
Hope Mirrlees – Lud-in-the-mist (1926)
C L Moore – Jirel of Joiry (1934)
P. L Travers – Mary Poppins (1934)
Evangelline Walton The Virgin and the Swine/The Island of the Mighty (1934)
Enid Blyton – Adventures of the Wishing Chair (1937), The Enchanted Wood (1939)
If you want to go even futher back apparently Madame d’Aulnoy was as important a writer as Perrult in the 1690s. Margaret Cavendish wrote a Utopia called The Blazing World in 1666 and there were women such as Clara Reeve and Anne Radcliffe writing gothic novels in the 1790’s
Given this list I don’t think it can be doubted that women have been in the fantasy genre from the beginning