Meme-ery and Kibbitzing

A few years back, I posted some comments about a “great books in genre” list. One of the comments had to do with the lack of female writers on the list, and I tossed out 20 examples of great genre books by women.

Sandra MacDonald has taken that kind of effort to a whole new level, creating a periodic table of fabulous women writers in genre over the last 75 years. It’s kind of a cross-promotion for her new book, but it’s a pretty impressive thing in its own right. (And nice that she left three spaces for adding more, since my list of 20 includes three authors that aren’t on her list).

And, I see on my pal Gwenda’s blog (among others), that it’s become one of those “what have you read” memes. Since I was bugging Gwenda about her picks, I guess it’s only fair that I put mine out there too.

Following the rules, I’ve bolded the ones I own books by, italicized the women I’ve read something by, and starred those I’m unfamiliar with. For the editors, I’m assuming this means owning books they’ve edited, reading work they’ve edited, etc. I guess that means plain text is people I’ve heard of, but not read. As usual, I’ve also added some comments of my own. Results after the jump, in the interest of attention conservation.

Andre Norton–I’ve got a lot of her paperbacks, mostly read them in my teens
C. L. Moore–I just started reading her recently, and just tonight I heard Jack Vance say she was one of his biggest influences, which makes me want to find more of her
Evangeline Walton–I have only her Mabinogion books, read during my high school period of fascination with all the Celtic myth cycles
Leigh Brackett–I only have the Skaith books, and the one she wrote with Hamilton, but I think I’ve read a ton of her short work
Judith Merril–I don’t think I’ve actually read anything by her, I know her as the patron of the Merrill Collection.
Joanna Russ–Assigned reading as a text book in university
Margaret St. Clair*
Katherine MacLean*
Carol Emshwiller–Small Beer Press rocks.
Marion Zimmer Bradley–I have linear feet of her books.
Zenna Henderson
Madeline L’Engle–I suspect that very soon I’m going to be rereading some of these books, this time with my daughter. We’ll have to read A Wrinkle In Time before Hope Larson’s comic book adaptation comes out.
Angela Carter
Ursula LeGuin
Anne McCaffrey–I used to have a lot more of her books, but I got rid of all the Dragon ones several moves ago.
Diana Wynne Jones–Linear feet here too. I am greatly saddened by the news about her health, but look forward to reading many of her books with my daughter over the next few years.
Kit Reed
James Tiptree, Jr.–SFBC collections to the rescue here.
Rachel Pollack–Some comics and a book about tarot cards here.
Jane Yolen–There should be something like double bold for authors with whom you’ve danced, in their kitchen.
Marta Randall*
Eleanor Arnason*
Ellen Asher–Let’s just say I bought a lot more stuff from the SFBC when Ellen and Andrew were running the show.
Patricia A. McKillip
Suzy McKee Charnas
Lisa Tuttle–only her GRRM collaboration, I’m afraid
Nina Kiriki Hoffman–I’ve had her stuff since the very early days of Wildside Press
Tanith Lee
Pamela Sargent
Jayge Carr*
Vonda McIntyre
Octavia E. Butler
Kate Wilhelm
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Sheila Finch*
Mary Gentle–May be the author on here I have the strongest range of feelings about. Some of her books are brilliant and well-beloved-by-me, and at least one is absolutely dreadful.
Jessica Amanda Salmonson*
C. J. Cherryh–Linear feet again. Hell, just the four series of Foreigner books take up a good amount of space, and that’s the tip of iceberg.
Joan D. Vinge
Teresa Nielsen Hayden–as both editor and author
Ellen Kushner
Ellen Datlow
Nancy Kress
Pat Murphy
Lisa Goldstein–I believe I have “the complete works” on my shelves, including pseudonymous. Love her writing.
Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
Mary Turzillo*
Connie Willis–Complete works, including quite a few fancy editions
Barbara Hambly–Linear feet again, including both works in genre and out
Nancy Holder–I’m actually kind of loathe to admit what I’ve read here
Sheri S. Tepper–Linear feet again, I’ve got about 20 of her novels, but for some reason I don’t seem to have bought anything after the mid-90s.
Melissa Scott–Linear feet, “the complete works”, love her stuff. Wish she would put out something new.
Margaret Atwood–My antipathy is strong.
Lois McMaster Bujold–Working on replacing my Miles books with NESFA editions as they come out.
Jeanne Cavelos*
Karen Joy Fowler–Gwenda put me on to her years ago, and I have most of her novels now
Leigh Kennedy*
Judith Moffett
Rebecca Ore
Emma Bull–Complete works. And there should be a triple bold for authors with whom you’ve both toured Machinery Hill, and drank MacAllan 25 directly from the bottle.
Pat Cadigan–Complete works. If you were paying attention you’d know her book Mindplayers was quite important to me.
Kathyrn Cramer
Laura Mixon*
Eileen Gunn
Elizabeth Hand
Kij Johnson
Delia Sherman
Elizabeth Moon
Michaela Roessner
Terri Windling
Sharon Lee
Sherwood Smith*
Katherine Kurtz
Margo Lanagan
Laura Resnick
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Sheila Williams
Farah Mendlesohn
Gwyneth Jones
Ardath Mayhar*
Esther Friesner
Debra Doyle
Nicola Griffith–Complete works, I think. (And Kelley’s novel and collection)
Amy Thomson*
Martha Wells–Complete works, I think. And I’ve probably given away a dozen copies of The Death Of The Necromancer over the years
Catherine Asaro
Kate Elliott
Kathleen Ann Goonan
Shawna McCarthy
Caitlin Kiernan
Maureen McHugh
Cheryl Morgan
Nisi Shawl*
Mary Doria Russell
Kage Baker–Complete works, I think, including a couple of small press and swanky edition
Kelly Link–Complete works. Double bold for authors who you’ve played Mafia with?
Nancy Springer
J. K. Rowling
Nalo Hopkinson
Ellen Klages
Tanarive Due
M. Rickert*
Theodora Goss
Mary Anne Mohanraj
S. L. Viehl*
Jo Walton
Kristine Smith–I believe I have all her novels
Deborah Layne*
Cherie Priest–I believe I have all her stuff, including some small press/limited stuff
Wen Spencer
K. J. Bishop
Catherynne M. Valente–Just got Palimpsest, but haven’t actually read it yet.
Elizabeth Bear–Complete works. Got into her via the Emma Bull – Shadow Unit connection, and ended up buying/reading everything to date, including some swanky limited editions (same thing happened with Monette)
Ekaterina Sedia
Naomi Novik–Complete works, including the swanky limited editions
Mary Robinette Kowal
Ann VanderMeer