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The Geek Girl Canon Challenge

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Nov. 19th, 2005 | 05:23 pm
mood: cranky cranky

The Guardian ran a poll (voted on by 132 people) to find the top twenty geek novels of all time. It's now become one of those 'bold what you've read memes. By all means, do so.
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/archives/2005/11/09/top_20_geek_novels_the_results.html

1. The HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Douglas Adams
2. Nineteen Eighty-Four -- George Orwell
3. Brave New World -- Aldous Huxley
4. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? -- Philip Dick
5. Neuromancer -- William Gibson
6. Dune -- Frank Herbert
7. I, Robot -- Isaac Asimov
8. Foundation -- Isaac Asimov
9. The Colour of Magic -- Terry Pratchett
10. Microserfs -- Douglas Coupland
11. Snow Crash -- Neal Stephenson
12. Watchmen -- Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
13. Cryptonomicon -- Neal Stephenson
14. Consider Phlebas -- Iain M Banks
15. Stranger in a Strange Land -- Robert Heinlein
16. The Man in the High Castle -- Philip K Dick
17. American Gods -- Neil Gaiman
18. The Diamond Age -- Neal Stephenson
19. The Illuminatus! Trilogy -- Robert Shea & Robert Anton Wilson
20. Trouble with Lichen - John Wyndham

But have you noticed anything about the list? Not a female name in sight. Not only that, but this isn't something that the writer of the article or any of the commenters have mentioned - though a couple of them throw names like Octavia Butler and Ursula Le Guin into the hat.

Sounds to me like the geek girls need a canon of their own. I must admit, my pre-90's SF & fantasy reading is pretty sketchy, and my background on women's SF particularly of the pre-80's variety is confined to stories in the Women of Wonder anthologies. I need a reading list, people! Please, please, send me nominations in the Comments - as many as you like - for essential geek girl reading. I'd love to hear your suggestions for the Geek Girl Canon. Female authors only - though work doesn't have to be feminist in nature, just essential reading for Geek Girls everywhere. I'll compile a list (possibly top 20, we'll see) and dedicate next year to reading every single one of them. (cept the ones I've already read - I'm hoping there will be a few).

And no, you don't need to be female to nominate books! And please comment on others' nominations, as to whether you agree or disagree.

Later edit: yes, the original list was novels, but I don't think this list has to be.
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Comments {69}

karenmiller

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from: [info]karenmiller
date: Nov. 19th, 2005 07:28 am (UTC)
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I nominate: In the Garden of Iden, by Kage Baker; Moon of Three Rings by Andre Norton; The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold.

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Tansy Rayner Roberts

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from: [info]cassiphone
date: Nov. 19th, 2005 12:07 pm (UTC)
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At least I've read one of those! Why Warrior's Apprentice as opposed to say, every book Bujold has ever written? What makes that one stand out for you?

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Nicholas

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from: [info]nwhyte
date: Nov. 19th, 2005 07:50 am (UTC)
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Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea books - certainly essential reading.

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from: [info]gillpolack
date: Nov. 19th, 2005 10:53 am (UTC)
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Everyone alrady lsited plus MZB - if Darkover isn't geeky, what is? McCaffrey and Mercedes Lackey. Joanna Russ. Tepper. Not Margaret Atwood (I love her writing but anyone who isn't sure what genre she writes in is not a geek nor subject to sad geek addictions). Joan Aiken. Susie McKee Charnas. Maxine McArthur (don't tell her I said so, though). Possibly Marianne de Pierres.
Given me ten minutes and the list will grow, but I think I will watch Harry Potter instead of making lists. Rowling should be be in the list.

But me, I regard geek-lists as the cult stuff that geeks read as well as the stuff that puts their interests to the fore. That is why the Pern series is more geekish than Neuromancer. How many people do you actually know who have read any Gibson?

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Tansy Rayner Roberts

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from: [info]cassiphone
date: Nov. 19th, 2005 12:04 pm (UTC)
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Specific books, not just authors!

I've read Gibson - but twas for uni. :) Now that's geeky!

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sister awakened

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from: [info]azhure
date: Nov. 19th, 2005 12:24 pm (UTC)
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I definitely agree with Marianne de Pierres - all three of her books - Nylon Angel, Code Noir and Crash Deluxe.

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Nicholas

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from: [info]nwhyte
date: Nov. 19th, 2005 01:43 pm (UTC)
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Sherri S Tepper: Grass and Raising the Stones (in that order).

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Niall Harrison

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from: [info]coalescent
date: Nov. 19th, 2005 11:00 am (UTC)
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I'm a bit ambivalent about the original list--I mean, I don't think 1984 or Brave New World are particularly geeky books. 'Science fiction' is not actually a synonym for 'geeky'; the geekiest book on the list is Cryptonomicon, which isn't sf.

I can't think of any books by women that are geeky in the way that Cryptonomicon is geeky. The closest I can get are some of Mary Gentle's books, or maybe Double Vision by Tricia Sullivan (published this year). Some suggestions by other people are here.

But if we're talking essential reading, and not just my artificially narrow definition of geekiness, then as a start I'd go for: Her Smoke Rose Up Forever by James Tiptree Jnr; The Best Of CL Moore; Cyteen by CJ Cherryh; The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell; The Year of Our War by Steph Swainston; and something by Carol Emshwiller, Eleanor Arnason, Nicola Griffith. Some of those are recent, some less recent.

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Tansy Rayner Roberts

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from: [info]cassiphone
date: Nov. 19th, 2005 12:06 pm (UTC)
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which somethings by Gentle, Emshwiller, Arnason, Griffith? Pick somethings, pretty please. I'm interested in specifics. The rest of the list is great, a good range of moderns & classics.

(secretly hopes he says Travel Light for Emshwiller as I have it on my To Read shelf)

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sister awakened

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from: [info]azhure
date: Nov. 19th, 2005 12:25 pm (UTC)
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I have to disagree with 1984 - personally, I consider it to be a geeky book. Probably because we tend to geek out and speak Newspeak far too much ;)

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Tamaranth

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from: [info]tamaranth
date: Nov. 19th, 2005 12:12 pm (UTC)
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Pat Cadigan -- especially Synners and Fools.
C J Cherryh -- especially Cyteen.
Tricia Sullivan's Maul
Justina Robson -- Silver Screen, Natural History, and the others
I second mention of Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow.
Gwyneth Jones' White Queen, North Wind, Phoenix Cafe
Karen Traviss? Though I haven't read City of Pearl, it might fit the remit.

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Happy Fun Nuala

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from: [info]hfnuala
date: Nov. 19th, 2005 12:13 pm (UTC)
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How about Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon? It's about autism and therefore pretty geeky. Also, a great book.

Cyteen is a great suggestion. And you'd have to include some Tiptree.

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(no subject)

from: anonymous
date: Nov. 19th, 2005 03:28 pm (UTC)
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Excellent project. I just put a post up about this in my journal, and I'll just paste in my list from there:

Wild Seed by Octavia Butler
Synners by Pat Cadigan
Downbelow Station by CJ Cherryh
Heritage of Hastur by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rats & Gargoyles by Mary Gentle
Queen City Jazzy by Kathleen Ann Goonan
Slow River by Nicola Griffith
Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson
Life by Gwyneth Jones
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin
Stranger Things Happen by Kelly Link
Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
China Mountain Zhiang by Maureen McHugh
Golden Vanity by Rachel Pollack
Natural History by Justina Robson
Harry Potter and the Alchemist’s Stone by JK Rowling
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge

--Christopher Rowe
http://christopherrowe.typepad.com

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(no subject)

from: [info]gillpolack
date: Nov. 19th, 2005 11:06 pm (UTC)
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How on *earth* could I have forgotten Octavia Butler and Maureen McHugh!! Thanks for the reminder. Probably means I need a re-read.

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from: [info]cherylmorgan
date: Nov. 19th, 2005 06:06 pm (UTC)
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Some excellent suggestions already. Here are a few more you might try:

- Lyda Morehouse, Archangel Protocol (and the rest of the series)
- Chris Moriarty, Spin State
- Linda Nagata, Limit of Vision
- Amy Thomson, Virtual Girl

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(no subject)

from: [info]ringman
date: Nov. 19th, 2005 06:17 pm (UTC)
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Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang - Kate Wilhelm
Snake Inside - Liza Tuttle
Adventures in Time and Space with Max Merriwell - Pat Murphy
Riddle-Master of Hed (and sequels) - Patricia McKillip
Lens of the World (and sequels) - Robin A McAvoy
Briefing for a Descent in Hell - Doris Lessing
Crossfire - Nancy Kress
Bride of the Rat God - Barbara Hambly
Parable of the Talents (and sequel) - Octavia Butler

I may have a strange idea of what's geeky!
Geoffrey Thorpe

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(no subject)

from: [info]gillpolack
date: Nov. 19th, 2005 11:11 pm (UTC)
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I have to admit, I was going to put Kate Wilhelm (along with Connie Willis) and McKillip and McAvoy and Hambly are three of my top favourite authors. I resiled because I just wasn't sure about their inner level of geekdom. Thinking about it a second time, I would put Wilhelm and Willis but not the others. If Charles de Lint isn't geek then nor is McKillip. And yes, of all her novels, Bridge of the Rat God is most geekish (also the most fun - my *favourite* Hambly is the first Benjamin January one, but the one I tell people to read is Bride of the Rat God).

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Not the girl you think I am

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from: [info]birdsflying
date: Nov. 19th, 2005 11:09 pm (UTC)
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I came in via [info]nwhyte. I'd suggest Atwood's Oryx and Crake, even though I have a strange love/hate thing going with it (and most of sci-fi/fantasy novels as well.)

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(no subject)

from: [info]gillpolack
date: Nov. 19th, 2005 11:19 pm (UTC)
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Oryx and Crake is good *because* of the levels of argument it attracts, though. Also because Atwood gives a different genre definition for it every time she is interviewed.

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Mili

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from: [info]elmyra
date: Nov. 19th, 2005 11:23 pm (UTC)
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Margaret Attwood - The Handmaid's Tale

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(no subject)

from: anonymous
date: Nov. 20th, 2005 12:28 am (UTC)
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Hey Tansy (and everyone else)

This list is a cool idea... sadly, it made me realise how few female science fiction authors I have on my bookshelf (as opposed to fantasy authors, where the opposite is true)... I've read lots of the authors mentioned at short fiction level, but not novels... more stuff to add to my enormous teetering "to read" pile!

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benpayne

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from: [info]benpayne
date: Nov. 20th, 2005 12:28 am (UTC)
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(that was me by the way)

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Tansy Rayner Roberts

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from: [info]cassiphone
date: Nov. 20th, 2005 02:16 am (UTC)
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Chris McClaren posts his list here: http://www.chrismclaren.com/blog/archives/2005/11/19/geek-book-meme/ (though he clarifies these are great books by female authors rather than specifically geek books)


K.J. Bishop - The Etched City
Emma Bull - Bone Dance (I know that lots of people would say “War For The Oaks”, but I prefer this one.)
Pat Cadigan - Mindplayers (One of my favourite books.)
Pamela Dean - Tam Lin
Karen Joy Fowler - Sarah Canary
C. S. Friedman - Madness Season (Again, I expect lots of people would argue for the Coldfire stuff, or In Conquest Born, but this is my favourite. )
Mary Gentle - Ash
Lisa Goldstein - The Dream Years
Eileen Gunn - Stable Strategies and Others
Margo Lanagan - Black Juice
Ursula K. LeGuin - The Disposessed
Kelly Link - Magic For Beginners
Julian May - Intervention
Maureen McHugh - China Mountain Zhang
Linda Nagata - Memory
Melissa Scott - Trouble And Her Friends
Sherri Tepper - The True Game
Joan D. Vinge - The Snow Queen
Martha Wells - Death Of The Necromancer
Connie Willis - Doomsday Book

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chrismclaren

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from: [info]chrismclaren
date: Nov. 20th, 2005 03:07 am (UTC)
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Nice to see Rowe and I have some items in common, and even more authors in common. Looking at his list, I can't believe I didn't come up with Justina Robson. That's a pretty big oversight.

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Tansy Rayner Roberts

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from: [info]cassiphone
date: Nov. 20th, 2005 02:20 am (UTC)
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And [info]megmccarron posts her list of geek girl love here: http://www.livejournal.com/users/megmccarron/69204.html?mode=reply&style=mine

She qualifies her list as being books of geek girl love that she first read between the ages of 10-18:

1. Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. LeGuin (inherited the book from my mommy. have sinced passed down to sister. maybe not her best, but nearly an heirloom.)
2. Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood (I don't care if she hates on genre. This book scared the shit out of me when I was 16. I had to look to see that it was published in 1984 just so I could tell myself it wasn't about to happen tomorrow).
3. A Wrinkle in Time, Madeline L'Engel (OMG! Read these books more times than I can count!!!)
4. The Mount, Carol Emshwiller (Okay. All Carol ever. still.)
5. Magic for Beginners, Kelly Link (nearly life-changing now; head would have exploded any earlier; but still on this list)
6. The Falling Woman, Pat Murphy (archeology!! romance!! awesomeness!!)
7. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling (y'know.)
8. Lioness Quartet, Tamora Pierce (I cannot BELIEVE more people haven't mentioned it. It's geek girl to the MAX)
9. The Dark is Rising, Susan Cooper (can't totally remember, again; but I loved their house. reminded me of mine from when little)
10. Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold (not impressed at 22; would have LOVED at 15)
11. Magic or Madness, Justine Larbalestier (loved at 22, would have died of happiness at 15)
12. Tithe, Holly Black (ditto)
13. The Midwife's Apprentice, Karen Cushman (no idea what the plot is. But when I saw the cover on Amazon I felt joy)
14. Dealing with Dragons, Patricia C. Wrede (Peeps stared a facebook group about this yo!)
15. The Hero and the Crown, Robin McKinley (oh sweet god how i loved this)
16. The Ear, The Eye, and the Arm, Nancy Farmer (I loved this book! I have no idea what it was about! But I know I loved it!)
17. Weetzie Bat, Francesca Lia Block (For some reason I read this so fast didn't realize it took place in LA. Glad to rediscover, now that I've actually been to Canter's)
18. The Egypt Game, Zilpha Keatley Snider (ahh! I read this five billion times! Zilpha how I loved thee!!)
19. Sexing the Cherry, Jeanette Winterson (for the older years/ the OMG I like sex w/ girls years)
20. Orlando, Virginia Woolf (see note on # 19)

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Meghan

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from: [info]megmccarron
date: Nov. 20th, 2005 03:05 am (UTC)
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Boy, my "ironic" OMG speak sounds pretty ridiculous here. But god. That's really how these books make me feel. Note, it's books I'd either read b/w 10-18, or would have loved then. Mostly b/c I think so much of this geek list discussion has involved phrases such as, "Well, i loved it at 16, not now" or "It's too late for me to read this now and enjoy it." We're talking about formative books here, it seems, more than just simple geekery. Also, I've since switched out Midwife's Apprentice w/ my true Cushman fave, Catherine called Birdy.

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Ophelia Repenting

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from: [info]deoirfola
date: Nov. 20th, 2005 12:53 pm (UTC)
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Margaret Weis' Star of the Guardians trilogy.

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Ka'ela Ja'el

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from: [info]kaelajael
date: Nov. 23rd, 2005 12:18 am (UTC)
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I second this series!!

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Ophelia Repenting

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from: [info]deoirfola
date: Nov. 20th, 2005 12:56 pm (UTC)
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OH! And Midori Snyder's New Moon trilogy, but that's not strictly sci-fi.

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from: [info]habseligkeit
date: Nov. 20th, 2005 03:44 pm (UTC)
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Marge Piercy - Woman on the Edge of Time. There's a definite feminist sci-fi canon: Octavia Butler, Ursula LeGuin, Margaret Attwood, to name but a few.

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Ratfan

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from: [info]ratfan
date: Nov. 23rd, 2005 05:57 am (UTC)
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Okay...came up with this list at work while typing court transcripts [they don't pay enough to get the brain too]:

Dragonflight - Anne McCaffrey
Cyteen - C.J. Cherryh
Beggars In Spain - Nancy Kress
Bone Dance - Emma Bull
Forbidden Tower - Marion ZB (Darkover)
A Wrinkle In Time - Madeleine L'Engle
[could have picked any one but this one started it off and was the one I read as a child]
The Giver - Lois Lowry [creepiest kids book ever read..gibber....]
The Doomsday Book - Connie Willis
Clan of the Cave Bear - Jean M. Auel
Barryar - Lois McMaster Bujold
Dreamsnake - Vonda McIntyre
Tea With the Black Dragon - R.A. MacAvoy
Tea in an Empty Cup - Pat Cadigan
[yes, it was before the tea break...]
Tehanu - Ursula K. LeGuin
Sargasso Sea - Andre Norton
[may have title wrong, this one is from memory, I read it yonks and yonks ago and no longer have it but it floated up when I was considering this list]

Ratfan

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(no subject)

from: [info]looneymoth
date: Nov. 24th, 2005 06:15 am (UTC)
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Okay, here's my two cents. I'm giving up on impartiallity and just listing a few more favourites.

* The Earthsea Trilogy - Ursula le Guin (NB: the trilogy, not the other two that got tacked on the end)
* Harry Potter - JK Rowling. (Is HP even in the realm of geekdom any more?)
* Lioness Quartet - Tamora Pierce (Ah TP, let me have your babies).
* The Dark is Rising Sequence - Susan Cooper (Bran is lovely, Will is too. The siblings are twits, but who cares?)
* Tithe - Holly Black
* Beauty - Robin McKinley (no words to describe this!)
* Tam Lin - Pamela Dean (I really wanted uni to be like this book. What an embarrassing thing to say!)
* Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
* The Black Jewels Trilogy - Anne Bishop (Bliss!)
* The Darkangel Trilogy - Meredith Anne Pierce (Just beautiful)

Most of the titles people have contributed seem to tend toward the fantasy (as opposed to 'hard' SF) end of the speculative fiction spectrum. Maybe I'm just more likely to recognise the fantasy ones? Hmmm.. I think I need to read more.....

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