Inspired by a combination of this post from Kameron Hurley and also Hurley sharing a recent Buzzfeed list of anticipated fantasy novels coming out this year, I thought that perhaps I should make my own list. I like fantasy fiction just as much as anyone else, and I guess some of the novels that I might be excited to see talked about are excluded from some lists. Which, is fine, each list is representative of the person who wrote it and representative of the viewpoint and goals of the person who wrote it.
I know I just posted a list of some stuff I was interested in coming out over the next few months, but I've had a chance to look through some other perspectives and I wanted to share an alternate list.
I tried to keep mostly with the Buzzfeed's list of fantasy meaning "epic secondary world fantasy", though The Three from Sarah Lotz just looked too damn interesting to leave off. Alphabetical by author.
Half a King, by Joe Abercrombie
The Goblin Emperor, by Katherine Addison
The Steles of the Sky, by Elizabeth Bear
Tropic of Serpents, by Marie Brennan
Fool's Assassin, by Robin Hobb
The Fifth Season, by N. K. Jemisin
The Leopard, by K. V. Johanson
The Lascar's Dagger, by Glenda Larke
The Three, by Sarah Lotz
Thorn of Emberlain, by Scott Lynch
Words of Radiance, by Brandon Sanderson
This isn't an exhaustive list of anything, but it does serve to show just how quickly and easily one can put together an alternate list of fantasy novels that is more inclusive of women. Of course, this list has eleven books, three of which are written by men. I suppose I could then be accused of discriminating against men and focusing more on women. In that case, it is mostly true. I focused more on women to build this list, except that I took perhaps five minutes (or less) to come up with this list.
I knew I wanted to list more women as an answer to the Buzzfeed list, which included just one. These are all novels I am legitimately interested in reading. Some are authors I am have read and am familiar with, others would be new to me.
What I am not saying is that any of the novels Sean Fagan listed out are not worthy of being read, of being excited for, or that they are not books Fagan is legitimately interested in reading. If you take his list on its own and on its own merits, it is a list of books that one man is interested in reading and that he thinks are some of the best works of fantasy to come out for a while (though, I disagree with his closing thought on The Magician's Land being the most anticipated fantasy novel of the last 25 years, to which I say Harry Potter, Wheel of Time, and any Ice and Fire novel). I think all of that is true. On its own.
But when taken as part of a larger context and conversation, what you have is one list after another list and women are unintentionally marginalized by lack of inclusion. Each on its own is not remarkable, but taken together they show a pattern.
So, here is a list of fantasy novels coming out in 2014 that I think are interesting and exciting.
1 comment:
Most of those books are on my list too--without even thinking about the gender divide. So, win-win!
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