Grand Mistresses of Genre Fiction Reading Challenge 2018
It's lonely at the top, especially if you're a woman at the top of a field in which women are outnumbered two to one. These are the Queens of Speculative Fiction, the ones we all admire or aspire to! This challenge was suggested by Dlw28, with modifying suggestions from our fearless leader, Cap (er, I mean, Dave Post).
We will be reading the works of the women who have been honoured with the SFWA's Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award (for science fiction,) the World Horror Convention Grand Master Award, or the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement. This includes authors and editors; short stories, novellas, magazines and novels. In alphabetical order, this list includes (and is limited to):
SFWA Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award:
World Horror Convention Grand Master Award:
World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement:
- Ellen Asher
- Betty Ballantine
- Marion Zimmer Bradley
- Susan Cooper
- Ellen Datlow
- Carol Emshwiller
- Angélica Gorodischer
- Diana Wynne Jones
- Madeleine L'Engle
- Ursula K. Le Guin
- Tanith Lee
- Patricia A. McKillip
- C. L. Moore
- Andre Norton
- Sheri S. Tepper
- Evangeline Walton
- Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
- Jane Yolen
- Diane Dillon has also received the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement, but because she is an illustrator, I didn't think I should include her work in the challenge because it's about what we're reading. Still, I won't stop you if you want to include her work! I did include the editors because, as any writer who is honest will tell you, a published work is a collaboration between a writer with an idea and an editor who knows how to make that idea into something.
If you want to limit your selection to the Empresses of Speculative Fiction (who have won two out of the three awards) that list includes:
Empresses of Speculative Fiction:
The rules:
- Re-reads must be at least five years old.
- Only works by these women are elgible, but read as many books by the same author/editor as you like.
- You are encouraged to overlap this challenge with other related challenges (such as Women of Genre Fiction, Author! Author! or 12 Awards in 12 Months.)
- Please share! I'm distressed by how many avid readers seem to have never heard of these gifted ladies, and this must be remedied!
Happy reading!
Challenge Details |
This challenge has expired. Please have a look at some of our other challenges for something that may interest you. |