G.X. Todd's Blog, page 2
July 2, 2018
July ’18 #ReadWomenSF – Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
In honour of the Arthur C. Clarke Awards this month (2018’s winner due to be announced on 18th July), we’ve taken a vote on four books that have either won or been short-listed for the prize in the past. The votes have been counted and the book we’ll all be reading this month will be ANCILLARY JUSTICE by Ann Leckie. Pack your astronaut ice-cream, y’all, because we’re going into space!
Our #ReadWomenSF Twitter chat will be scheduled for Monday 30th July at 8pm (BST), so be sure to make a note of it in your calendars. All you need to do is grab yourself a copy from somewhere (ask your local library if they have it in stock!) and read along with the rest of us. Below is the blurb for Ancillary Justice (and the three other books that were nominated for this month’s book – all worth putting on your TBR piles). Amazon links are in the titles.
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (Winner, 2014) – #ReadWomenSF’s book for July 2018
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They made me kill thousands, but I only have one target now.
The Radch are conquerors to be feared – resist and they’ll turn you into a ‘corpse soldier’ – one of an army of dead prisoners animated by a warship’s AI mind. Whole planets are conquered by their own people.
The colossal warship called The Justice of Toren has been destroyed – but one ship-possessed soldier has escaped the devastation. Used to controlling thousands of hands, thousands of mouths, The Justice now has only two hands, and one mouth with which to tell her tale.
But one fragile, human body might just be enough to take revenge against those who destroyed her.
____________________________________________________
After Atlas by Emma Newman (Shortlisted, 2017)
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Gov-corp detective Carlos Moreno was only a baby when Atlas left Earth to seek truth among the stars. But in that moment, the course of Carlos’s entire life changed. Atlas is what took his mother away; what made his father lose hope; what led Alejandro Casales, leader of the religious cult known as the Circle, to his door. And now, on the eve of the fortieth anniversary of Atlas‘s departure, it’s got something to do why Casales was found dead in his hotel room-and why Carlos is the man in charge of the investigation.
To figure out who killed one of the most powerful men on Earth, Carlos is supposed to put aside his personal history. But the deeper he delves into the case, the more he realizes that escaping the past is not so easy. There’s more to Casales’s death than meets the eye, and something much more sinister to the legacy of Atlas than anyone realizes…
Dreams Before the Start of Time by Anne Charnock (Shortlisted 2018 – Winner to be announced 18th July)
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In a near-future London, Millie Dack places her hand on her belly to feel her baby kick, resolute in her decision to be a single parent. Across town, her closest friend—a hungover Toni Munroe—steps into the shower and places her hand on a medic console. The diagnosis is devastating.
In this stunning, bittersweet family saga, Millie and Toni experience the aftershocks of human progress as their children and grandchildren embrace new ways of making babies. When infertility is a thing of the past, a man can create a child without a woman, a woman can create a child without a man, and artificial wombs eliminate the struggles of pregnancy. But what does it mean to be a parent? A child? A family?
Through a series of interconnected vignettes that spans five generations and three continents, this emotionally taut story explores the anxieties that arise when the science of fertility claims to deliver all the answers.
[THE WILDCARD] The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (Winner, 1998)
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Set in the 21st century – a number of decades from now – The Sparrow is the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest and talented linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who – in response to a remarkable radio signal from the depths of space – leads a scientific mission to make first contact with an extraterrestrial culture.
In the true tradition of Jesuit adventurers before him, Sandoz and his companions are prepared to endure isolation, suffering – even death – but nothing can prepare them for the civilisation they encounter. Or for the tragic misunderstanding that brings the mission to a devastating end. Once considered a living saint, Sandoz returns alone to Earth horrifically maimed, both physically and spiritually, the mission’s sole survivor – only to be blamed for the mission’s failure and accused of heinous crimes.
Written in clean, effortless prose and peopled with memorable characters who never lose their humanity or humour, The Sparrow is a powerful, haunting fiction – a tragic but ultimately triumphant novel about the nature of faith, of love and what it means to be ‘human’ and widely considered to be a classic of the genre.
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Remember, this is a “hop on, hop off” Read Along, so feel free to read this month’s book even if you haven’t joined us before. And don’t forget to follow the hashtag on Twitter to keep up-to-date with group members’ reading progress and follow @gemtodd so you don’t miss anything #ReadWomenSF related. Happy reading!
#ReadWomenSF
Read the Voices series. DEFENDER and HUNTED are available to buy now.
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#ReadWomenSF – Voting for July 2018’s Book
Just to make things interesting, there’ll be FOUR choices for this month’s #ReadWomenSF. The Arthur C. Clarke Awards have such a great selection of science-fiction written by women (that have either won or been short-listed for the prize), I thought it would be nice to have a little wider choice this time around. Thanks to everyone who DMd me with their nominations. (Unfortunately, not all choices were viable, purely because the availability options for some books were severely limited.)
Our #ReadWomenSF Twitter chat will be scheduled for Monday 30th July at 8pm (BST), so be sure to make a note of it in your calendars. Now, without further ado, here are this month’s choices:
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (Winner, 2014)
[image error]
They made me kill thousands, but I only have one target now.
The Radch are conquerors to be feared – resist and they’ll turn you into a ‘corpse soldier’ – one of an army of dead prisoners animated by a warship’s AI mind. Whole planets are conquered by their own people.
The colossal warship called The Justice of Toren has been destroyed – but one ship-possessed soldier has escaped the devastation. Used to controlling thousands of hands, thousands of mouths, The Justice now has only two hands, and one mouth with which to tell her tale.
But one fragile, human body might just be enough to take revenge against those who destroyed her.
After Atlas by Emma Newman (Shortlisted, 2017)
[image error]
Gov-corp detective Carlos Moreno was only a baby when Atlas left Earth to seek truth among the stars. But in that moment, the course of Carlos’s entire life changed. Atlas is what took his mother away; what made his father lose hope; what led Alejandro Casales, leader of the religious cult known as the Circle, to his door. And now, on the eve of the fortieth anniversary of Atlas‘s departure, it’s got something to do why Casales was found dead in his hotel room-and why Carlos is the man in charge of the investigation.
To figure out who killed one of the most powerful men on Earth, Carlos is supposed to put aside his personal history. But the deeper he delves into the case, the more he realizes that escaping the past is not so easy. There’s more to Casales’s death than meets the eye, and something much more sinister to the legacy of Atlas than anyone realizes…
Dreams Before the Start of Time by Anne Charnock (Shortlisted 2018 – Winner to be announced 18th July)
[image error]
In a near-future London, Millie Dack places her hand on her belly to feel her baby kick, resolute in her decision to be a single parent. Across town, her closest friend—a hungover Toni Munroe—steps into the shower and places her hand on a medic console. The diagnosis is devastating.
In this stunning, bittersweet family saga, Millie and Toni experience the aftershocks of human progress as their children and grandchildren embrace new ways of making babies. When infertility is a thing of the past, a man can create a child without a woman, a woman can create a child without a man, and artificial wombs eliminate the struggles of pregnancy. But what does it mean to be a parent? A child? A family?
Through a series of interconnected vignettes that spans five generations and three continents, this emotionally taut story explores the anxieties that arise when the science of fertility claims to deliver all the answers.
[THE WILDCARD] The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (Winner, 1998)
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Set in the 21st century – a number of decades from now – The Sparrow is the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest and talented linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who – in response to a remarkable radio signal from the depths of space – leads a scientific mission to make first contact with an extraterrestrial culture.
In the true tradition of Jesuit adventurers before him, Sandoz and his companions are prepared to endure isolation, suffering – even death – but nothing can prepare them for the civilisation they encounter. Or for the tragic misunderstanding that brings the mission to a devastating end. Once considered a living saint, Sandoz returns alone to Earth horrifically maimed, both physically and spiritually, the mission’s sole survivor – only to be blamed for the mission’s failure and accused of heinous crimes.
Written in clean, effortless prose and peopled with memorable characters who never lose their humanity or humour, The Sparrow is a powerful, haunting fiction – a tragic but ultimately triumphant novel about the nature of faith, of love and what it means to be ‘human’ and widely considered to be a classic of the genre.
__________________________________________________________
There’s your lot. Voting is open from now until midnight tomorrow (3rd July), and you can find the poll on my twitter @gemtodd. Happy voting!
#ReadWomenSF
#ReadWomenSF Book Review – KINDRED (June 2018)
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This month’s #ReadWomenSF book was my very first foray into the works of Octavia E. Butler. Recently re-released with BEAUTIFUL new cover art by Yeti Lambregts, Kindred is a time-travelling historical novel set between 1970s California and pre-civil war Maryland. With this new edition, I’m sincerely hoping this book finds lots of new readers because, honestly, I have no clue how Butler has passed me by for so many years. She’s SUCH a great writer. And, more importantly, she’s an important one.
Kindred discusses and dissects many different subjects: slavery, oppression, class, race, rape, toxic love, interracial love, sisterly love, fate, and it’s all done with such a deft, wisely touch you soak it all in without once being thrown from the story. Yes, there are harrowing scenes. Yes, there are moments when you feel helpless rage at the more troubling issues depicted within the pages. But never do you feel it’s done for sensationalist reasons. If anything, the setting and the story are so genuinely authentic this could be a true historical retelling of a slave’s life in 19th Century America – and it’s all the more devastating for it. Although, it was interesting to hear one member of our #ReadWomenSF group say that apparently Butler dialled back some of the violence so as to not upset readers.
For me, though, what Butler does best is show the complexities of the time period and the people in it. No one is fully good, and no one is fully evil. There is moral ambiguity in many of the characters’ actions (and inactions), and yet Butler compels the reader to keep looking, keep reading, don’t turn away. And though that might make for an uncomfortable read at times, it also makes for an essential one. Highly recommended from everyone who read it for this month’s book.
#ReadWomenSF
June 7, 2018
June ’18 #ReadWomenSF – KINDRED by Octavia E. Butler
The group has voted and our third read for #ReadWomenSF is KINDRED by Octavia E. Butler. Which is ace because I’ve been hankering to read Butler since we started this. Kindred or Dawn were the two I had my eye on, and Kindred is only 99p on Kindle at the moment, so grab yourself a copy while it’s cheap.
However, for those of you who joined me for last month’s read, WHO FEARS DEATH by Nnedi Okorafor, (which I will hopefully be writing a review of at some point), I fear we’ll be diving into more tough issues and some heavy topics with this book, too. So I’m sorry! But let’s hope there are some bright moments amidst all the harshness.
I’d definitely recommend adding the other two books from our choices this month to your reading lists – they sound awesome (I’ll include info for them at the bottom of this post, too). The date for our Twitter chat will be Monday 2nd July at 8pm (GMT). Please stick it in your calendars or make a note of it somewhere handy.
Thanks and let’s get reading!
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
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In 1976, Dana dreams of being a writer. In 1815, she is assumed a slave.
When Dana first meets Rufus on a Maryland plantation, he’s drowning. She saves his life – and it will happen again and again.
Neither of them understands his power to summon her whenever his life is threatened, nor the significance of the ties that bind them.
And each time Dana saves him, the more aware she is that her own life might be over before it’s even begun.
Octavia E. Butler’s ground-breaking masterpiece is the extraordinary story of two people bound by blood, separated by so much more than time.
_____________________________________
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
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Set in the 21st century – a number of decades from now – The Sparrow is the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest and talented linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who – in response to a remarkable radio signal from the depths of space – leads a scientific mission to make first contact with an extraterrestrial culture.
In the true tradition of Jesuit adventurers before him, Sandoz and his companions are prepared to endure isolation, suffering – even death – but nothing can prepare them for the civilisation they encounter. Or for the tragic misunderstanding that brings the mission to a devastating end. Once considered a living saint, Sandoz returns alone to Earth horrifically maimed, both physically and spiritually, the mission’s sole survivor – only to be blamed for the mission’s failure and accused of heinous crimes.
Written in clean, effortless prose and peopled with memorable characters who never lose their humanity or humour, The Sparrow is a powerful, haunting fiction – a tragic but ultimately triumphant novel about the nature of faith, of love and what it means to be ‘human’ and widely considered to be a classic of the genre.
_______________________________________
The Female Man by Joanna Russ
[image error]A landmark book in the fields of science fiction and feminism.
Four women living in parallel worlds, each with a different gender landscape. When they begin to travel to each other’s worlds each woman’s preconceptions on gender and what it means to be a woman are challenged.
#ReadWomenSF
May 9, 2018
COMPETITION – Immortalize your name forever in the Voices series
Ever wanted to see your name in print, forever immortalised in writing? Do you want to be a named character in a book who I will most likely kill off in some gnarly, gory fashion? (Full disclosure – some of my characters have been known to die.) Well, I’m offering one person the chance to have a character named after them in Book 3 (due to be published Summer 2019). It will be a character of my creation but it will have YOUR name (or a friend/loved one’s name of your choosing*).
I will also send you a finished early proof copy of the book once one becomes available (up to four whole months prior to official publication), so you can show all your friends and family that you will now live on into eternity.
“How can I make this happen?!” I hear you all cry. Easy! You just need to pre-order my new book HUNTED and show me your legit proof of purchase – be it a screenshot of an email, a photograph of an order, or whatever form it comes in.
Send your entries to gxtoddauthor@gmail.com, and please attach the photo/screenshot to your email. In the Subject box write ‘HEY, TODD, I WANNA BE IN YOUR BOOK’ and be sure to tell me exactly what name you’d like to see used**.
The winner will be picked (at my discretion) and informed via email on HUNTED’s publication day: 31st May 2018.
PLACES TO BUY HUNTED
You can order a copy from Amazon in hardback or in ebook for your Kindle or Kobo.
Or maybe you fancy a limited Special Edition version from Goldsboro Books (signed, numbered and with beautiful sprayed-edge pages). Only 250 copies to be printed.
Perhaps you’re more of a Waterstones or Foyles customer and would rather order from them.
And there’s always WHSmith, Blackwell’s, Wordery, and hive.co.uk to consider, too.
Lots of options. Good luck!
#HearTheVoices
*Any name put forward must be a useable name and not some made-up one like Booky McBookface. I know what people are like. I’m covering my bases.
**Seriously, I’m not calling a character Wanky P. Noodlemeister.
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April 30, 2018
May ’18 #ReadWomenSF – WHO FEARS DEATH
Well, voting didn’t go to plan. We had two joint winners with 45% of the vote each. So, beings as I don’t get to take part in any Twitter polls I post, I guess I get the deciding vote. So for May, we’ll be reading… WHO FEARS DEATH by Nnedi Okorafor. I know this title probably has more of its roots planted in Fantasy than Sci-fi, but it has been described as “Science Fantasy”, so it dips its toes into SF at least a little. And I wanted us to read a Okorafor book at some point for #ReadWomenSF, so this is a good pick. Also, as it’s going to be made into a HBO series, we’ll be ahead of the game!
Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
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An award-winning literary author enters the world of magical realism with her World Fantasy Award-winning novel of a remarkable woman in post-apocalyptic Africa.
In a post-apocalyptic Africa, the world has changed in many ways; yet in one region genocide between tribes still bloodies the land. A woman who has survived the annihilation of her village and a terrible rape by an enemy general wanders into the desert, hoping to die. Instead, she gives birth to an angry baby girl with hair and skin the colour of sand. Gripped by the certainty that her daughter is different – special – she names her Onyesonwu, which means ‘Who fears death?’ in an ancient language.
It doesn’t take long for Onye to understand that she is physically and socially marked by the circumstances of her conception. She is Ewu – a child of rape who is expected to live a life of violence, a half-breed rejected by her community. But Onye is not the average Ewu. Even as a child, she manifests the beginnings of a remarkable and unique magic. As she grows, so do her abilities, and during an inadvertent visit to the spirit realm, she learns something terrifying: someone powerful is trying to kill her.
Desperate to elude her would-be murderer and to understand her own nature, she embarks on a journey in which she grapples with nature, tradition, history, true love, and the spiritual mysteries of her culture, and ultimately learns why she was given the name she bears: Who Fears Death.
_______________________________
The next #ReadWomenSF Twitter chat will be a little later for May (because I’m in the States and will miss the last Monday of the month deadline). So it will be on Monday 4th June at 8pm (GMT). Stick it in your diaries now before you forget and I forget and we’ll never read anything together ever again *weeps*
Please do add the other two books to your readings lists anyway, because they do sound amazing (Amazon links in titles):
The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley
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Somewhere on the outer rim of the universe, a mass of decaying world-ships known as the Legion is travelling in the seams between the stars. For generations, a war for control of the Legion has been waged, with no clear resolution. As worlds continue to die, a desperate plan is put into motion. Zan wakes with no memory, prisoner of a people who say they are her family. She is told she is their salvation – the only person capable of boarding the Mokshi, a world-ship with the power to leave the Legion. But Zan’s new family is not the only one desperate to gain control of the prized ship. Zan must choose sides in a genocidal campaign that will take her from the edges of the Legion’s gravity well to the very belly of the world. Zan will soon learn that she carries the seeds of the Legion’s destruction – and its possible salvation.
Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon
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Lou is different to ‘normal’ people. He interacts with the world in a way they do not understand. He might not see the things they see, however, but he also sees many things they do not. Lou is autistic.
One of his skills is an ability to find patterns in data: extraordinary, complex, beautiful patterns that not even the most powerful computers can comprehend. The technology company he works for has made considerable sums of money from Lou’s work. But now they want Lou to change – to become ‘normal’ like themselves. And he must face the greatest challenge of his life. To understand the speed of dark.
SPEED OF DARK is a powerful near-future science fiction thriller, the theme of which is both universal and intensely personal. It is dedicated to the author’s own autistic son, and to other parents of autistic children, ‘in the hope that they also find that delight in difference’.
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See you on the 4th June.
Find out more about #ReadWomenSF in my original blog post .
And don’t forget you can buy my books DEFENDER and HUNTED here.
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May ’18 #ReadWomenSF – VOTING
Another three books to whittle down for May’s #ReadWomenSF Read Along, the poll for which will be pinned to my Twitter @gemtodd page. If you don’t use Twitter, feel free to comment on here or on my Facebook page and I’ll be sure to add your votes.
I’ll update this post when the poll ends at 23:59 Wednesday 2nd May. The next #ReadWomenSF Twitter chat will be a little later for May (because I’m in the States and will miss the last Monday of the month deadline). So it will be on Monday 4th June at 8pm (GMT). Stick it in your diaries now before you forget and I forget and we’ll never read anything together ever again *weeps*
For May’s selection I’ve tried to take cost into consideration (difficult this time around tbh), but there are options on eBay, too. Right, onto the books (Amazon links in titles):
The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley
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Somewhere on the outer rim of the universe, a mass of decaying world-ships known as the Legion is travelling in the seams between the stars. For generations, a war for control of the Legion has been waged, with no clear resolution. As worlds continue to die, a desperate plan is put into motion. Zan wakes with no memory, prisoner of a people who say they are her family. She is told she is their salvation – the only person capable of boarding the Mokshi, a world-ship with the power to leave the Legion. But Zan’s new family is not the only one desperate to gain control of the prized ship. Zan must choose sides in a genocidal campaign that will take her from the edges of the Legion’s gravity well to the very belly of the world. Zan will soon learn that she carries the seeds of the Legion’s destruction – and its possible salvation.
Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon
[image error]
Lou is different to ‘normal’ people. He interacts with the world in a way they do not understand. He might not see the things they see, however, but he also sees many things they do not. Lou is autistic.
One of his skills is an ability to find patterns in data: extraordinary, complex, beautiful patterns that not even the most powerful computers can comprehend. The technology company he works for has made considerable sums of money from Lou’s work. But now they want Lou to change – to become ‘normal’ like themselves. And he must face the greatest challenge of his life. To understand the speed of dark.
SPEED OF DARK is a powerful near-future science fiction thriller, the theme of which is both universal and intensely personal. It is dedicated to the author’s own autistic son, and to other parents of autistic children, ‘in the hope that they also find that delight in difference’.
Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
[image error]
An award-winning literary author enters the world of magical realism with her World Fantasy Award-winning novel of a remarkable woman in post-apocalyptic Africa.
Now optioned as a TV series for HBO, with executive producer George R.R. Martin!
In a post-apocalyptic Africa, the world has changed in many ways; yet in one region genocide between tribes still bloodies the land. A woman who has survived the annihilation of her village and a terrible rape by an enemy general wanders into the desert, hoping to die. Instead, she gives birth to an angry baby girl with hair and skin the colour of sand. Gripped by the certainty that her daughter is different – special – she names her Onyesonwu, which means ‘Who fears death?’ in an ancient language.
It doesn’t take long for Onye to understand that she is physically and socially marked by the circumstances of her conception. She is Ewu – a child of rape who is expected to live a life of violence, a half-breed rejected by her community. But Onye is not the average Ewu. Even as a child, she manifests the beginnings of a remarkable and unique magic. As she grows, so do her abilities, and during an inadvertent visit to the spirit realm, she learns something terrifying: someone powerful is trying to kill her.
Desperate to elude her would-be murderer and to understand her own nature, she embarks on a journey in which she grapples with nature, tradition, history, true love, and the spiritual mysteries of her culture, and ultimately learns why she was given the name she bears: Who Fears Death.
So, yep, GO VOTE. The poll closes 23:59 (GMT) on Wednesday 2nd May.
#ReadWomenSF
#ReadWomenSF Book Review: ALL SYSTEMS RED (April 2018)
We had our first #ReadWomenSF chat this evening and it went great! Big thank you to everyone who joined in. It would be nice to see some more fellas in next month’s though. Tom doesn’t really count.
PERSONAL VERDICT: I thought All Systems Red by Martha Wells was a very strong read. The main character of MurderBot was an instant classic protagonist; it had won me over by the fourth page. It’s cynical, jaded, TV-loving, avoidant, doesn’t like humans much. I suspect I warmed to it so much because I could relate so well. But MurderBot is more than it seems. Not only is it a security bot (or SecUnit) tasked with protecting its human scientists, it has also overriden its safety protocols. As it says at the start of the novella – it could now be a serial killer if it wanted. If there weren’t so many TV shows it would rather watch.
I won’t go into story details (that’s what the blurbs are for on Amazon and Goodreads). I’ll just say, I’d give it a solid 8.5/10 or 4.5 stars out of 5. Here’s what some of the others thought:
We had an interesting chat about how we envisaged MuderBot, too. At no point does Wells refer to it as she or he (as far as I can remember), and yet most of us attributed a gender to the SecUnit. I found myself thinking of her as female, and had to constantly check myself.
So yep, we’re all brainwashed. I think we need a psychiatrist specialising in gender studies involved on our chat so they can explain all this stuff to us. Anyhow, our first read was a success! And there are more MurderBot novellas on the way (the next landing in May). It will definitely be going on a lot of our reading lists.
Check out my next blog for May’s #ReadWomenSF book choice. Cheers!
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March 26, 2018
April ’18 #ReadWomenSF – ALL SYSTEMS RED
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In my previous blog post I set up a poll to choose what we’ll be reading for our first ever #ReadWomenSF Read Along, and the people have spoken. For April, our eyeballs will be getting all down and dirty with Martha Wells’ ALL SYSTEMS RED. At the time of picking the titles for next month, I didn’t realise it was only 156 pages long, though, which is both good and bad. Good because I really, really like novellas. Bad because we might all be finished reading it in two days straight. With that in mind, I’ve also bought the 2nd place book (WOMAN ON THE EDGE OF TIME) as it’s only 99p on Kindle. Which, frankly, is silly money and we should all buy it anyways.
Honestly, you’re welcome to read any of the three books listed. I picked them because they all sound ace and I want to read them. So we can discuss any and all of them on 30th April. I don’t want to be a book tyrant and dictate what you absolutely must read. But you must read one of the three books I chose. Or else you’ll be blacklisted. Forever. Or at least until next month (or you give me LEGO).
Right, so the reading time is from now until 30th April when we’ll have a Twitter discussion about what we’ve read (using the hashtag #ReadWomenSF). I’m thinking 8pm (GMT), but I’ll confirm that a little closer to the date. And for those of you who don’t use Twitter, I’ll write up an update and review of what’s discussed and post it on here.
That’s it, gang. HAPPY SCI-FI READING.
March 22, 2018
Read Along: Women and Science Fiction #ReadWomenSF
(A monthly Read Along book group for those who want to explore science fiction written by WOMEN. ALL CAPS.)
I recently did a panel event at the Women of the World festival in London with the title Do Women Dream of a Different Future: Women and Science Fiction and it didn’t take much research to find that women have always dreamt of a different future. Those of us who are writing within and around sci-fi today are standing on the shoulders of authors such as Ursula K. Le Guin, Margaret Atwood, Joanna Russ and Octavia Butler, and they have been dreaming for a long, long time already. It just feels like not everyone has been listening.
While checking out what is considered the “most famous works of science fiction”, I became increasingly disconcerted by the dominance of male authors on the lists. In one Top 50 I skimmed through, only four women made the cut. FOUR. What’s up with that?!
I was also aghast to realise that although I could reel off a whole stream of luminary male science fiction authors without really thinking about it, I began to stall after maybe seven women. It made me feel awful. As a woman, and as an author, I want to be shouting about women writers. I want to champion them, because it’s only when we all raise our voices together that we can be lifted up and given a fairer share of the spotlight. In another ten years, I hope to Christ we can have more than four women sci-fi authors in a Top 50 list.
With that in mind, for the rest of 2018, I will be reading science fiction written solely by women (and by “women” I mean anyone identifying as a woman), and I encourage you all to join me! It’ll be FUN. We’ll learn new things! We’ll have debates! Maybe we’ll find some new favourite authors! And during it all, we’ll be sharing the book and author love on social media so that everyone can enjoy it, too.
I’m predominantly a Twitter user, so I’ll be polling on there for what books to read each month (our first read starting from April 1st), but I will post updates on my Facebook page, too, if I can remember. The hashtag we’ll be using is #ReadWomenSF because I couldn’t think of anything better and sometimes being literal is the best option. It kind of sounds like an order, too, which I quite like. We’ll do a Twitter discussion on the last Monday of every month (so April 30th for our first one) to chat about the book and whatnot. And I’ll write a review and post it on here, too. Bam!
It’s a free-for-all Read Along, so you can read or not, skip a month or not, it’s totally up to you (I predict I’ll be reading alone some months, but that’s okay! I do all my reading alone anyhow). Just remember to use the hashtag or follow me (@gemtodd) so you can keep track of everything.
Books for April 2018
(Amazon links in titles. I’ve tried to pick books where there are cheaper buying options. Also worth asking your local library if they have copies.)
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
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In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.
But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.
On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid — a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.
But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it’s up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
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THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS. AGAIN.
Three terrible things happen in a single day.
Essun, masquerading as an ordinary schoolteacher in a quiet small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Mighty Sanze, the empire whose innovations have been civilization’s bedrock for a thousand years, collapses as its greatest city is destroyed by a madman’s vengeance. And worst of all, across the heartland of the world’s sole continent, a great red rift has been been torn which spews ash enough to darken the sky for years. Or centuries.
But this is the Stillness, a land long familiar with struggle, and where orogenes — those who wield the power of the earth as a weapon — are feared far more than the long cold night. Essun has remembered herself, and she will have her daughter back.
She does not care if the world falls apart around her. Essun will break it herself, if she must, to save her daughter.
Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy
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Often compared to Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Naomi Alderman’s The Power – Woman on the Edge of Time has been h ailed as a classic of speculative science fiction. Disturbing and forward thinking, Marge Piercy’s remarkable novel will speak to a new generation of readers.
After being unjustly committed to a mental institution, Connie Ramos is contacted by an envoy from the year 2137, who shows her a utopian future of sexual and racial equality and environmental harmony.
But Connie also bears witness to another potential outcome: a dystopian society of grotesque exploitation. One will become our world. And Connie herself may strike the decisive blow…
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So there we have it. We’ll stick to three titles to choose from this month. The Poll is open right now until Sunday 25th March (it’s my pinned tweet at @GemTodd). So go cast your votes (or comment below if you don’t use Twitter), and please, please share with your friends so we can get as many people as possible to read along and appreciate all things women and sci-fi! Cheers.
#ReadWomenSF
Buy your copies of DEFENDER AND HUNTED and get ready to #HearTheVoices
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