Mothers of Invention
Hit shows like Outlander and The Handmaid’s Tale are evidence of the large appetite for female-driven fantasy novels. Here are ve to look out for in 2
Mainstream geek culture is in the middle of a feminist revolution, most obviously in the world of comic book superheroes but also in the esoteric world of fantasy publishing. “I get a little emotional when I go into a bookstore these days and see so many fantasy novels about women, written by women,” says Sarah Maas, author of the wildly popular Throne
of Glass series. “Robin Mckinley, Mercedes Lackey, Tamora Pierce and so many others all paved the way for us.”
If there is a godmother of what is becoming a pop culture moment, it’s Ursula K. Le Guin, who died at 88 in January. Best known for epic tales of sorcery, dragons and spaceships, Le Guin sold millions of copies of her
Earthsea series—five novels that she began publishing in 1968. Inspired by the work of J.R.R. Tolkien and Philip K. Dick, Le Guin was a passionate feminist who dramatically changed the way female fantasy and sci-fi characters were written—to the point where male writers like Neil Gaiman were influenced by her.
Fantasy and sci-fi have proved to be fertile ground for feminism (see Margaret Atwood and, in her way, J.K. Rowling), but double standards remain. No one, for example, would describe Richard Morgan’s 2002 sci-fi novel, Altered Carbon, as erotic or romantic, despite both being true. But if a woman had written the book, says Amy King of the feminist nonprofit Vida, it might have been “quarantined into specialized fiction or ‘chick lit.’”
Best-selling author Diana Gabaldon has talked about this, criticizing retailers, publishers and critics who label her Outlander series as romance instead of time-travel adventure, historical fiction or any of the many other genres she weaves into her novels. As a result, literary elites and mainstream publishers often dismiss books like hers, further widening the gender gap—this when 57 percent of paranormal and urban fantasy submissions are from women authors.
“The good thing is that people are now talking about the double standard,” says King, who sees a positive evolution. “We’re too close to it right now to see the big changes. It’s like a diagonally climbing line that’s slow but steady.”
Hit television series like Outlander (on Starz) and Atwood’s The Hand
maid’s Tale (Hulu) have exposed the popularity of female-driven fantasy series and attracted more readers to the novels of authors like Maas, whose
Throne of Glass is in development at Hulu. And dozens more adaptation opportunities are due this year. Here are the five fantasy novels that we’re most excited about.