Recommended SFF Reading for Women from Bustle.com

Bustle.com has an interesting little article by Crystal Paul entitled Sci-Fi Books Every Woman Should Read.

First, the article dispenses with the stereotypes surrounding SFF:

Thinking of a science fiction reader may conjure up images of a nerdy white man clutching his worn copy of The Hobbit in one hand and a PlayStation controller in the other. But hold up: That's definitely, definitely not the case. Women aren't only welcome in sci-fi, they freakin' thrive here. You see, not only do women read science fiction, but there are also tons of women writing science fiction, and they do it damn well, too!

And since science fiction is a genre of literature with a long history of highlighting social issues, including gender and feminism, that’s a really really good thing. Because that's the case, there's so much that this genre has to offer every woman, even if she doesn't think she's a "sci-fi kind of gal."

It then gives a list of recommended reading "for women" although I think it applies equally to any SFF fan:

1. Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
2. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin
3. The Salt Fish Girl by Larissa Lai
4. Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
5. Filter House by Nisi Shawl
6. Ink by Sabrina Vourvoulias
7. The Female Man by Joanna Russ
8. Ancient, Ancient by Kiini Ibura Salaam
9. Ancillary Justice by Anne Lecke
10. Octavia’s Brood by Walidah Imarisha and Adrienne Maree Brown
11. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

There were a couple on there that I had not heard of and look forward to checking out.

For a list aimed at women and focusing on feminist themes, it was a little strange to see the author describe Ancillary Justice as:

When the lead character of a novel is simultaneously a sentient spaceship as well as the bunch of ungendered “clones” that man the ship, you know you’ve got an interesting novel on your hands. Gender, religion, culture, and tyranny get a mind-blowing treatment here.[emphasis added]

But who am I to judge?