Paula Merwin asked Jo Walton:

I have huge admiration and respect for your writing, especially Among Others and My Real Children (a masterpiece). Inspired by you/Mori, I just read The Left Hand of Darkness but found it hard going ('scuse the pun) and a bit beyond me. Hence my question. Does Doris Lessing not figure high on your list? I am thinking of the Canopus in Argos series? How about Briefing for a Descent into Hell?

Jo Walton I love Lessing, but I regularly used the Canopus in Argus series as an example of how not to write science fiction. It's such a strange mix of great and clunky. I thoroughly recommend reading Lessing's non-SF, the Martha Quest books, and the Golden Notebook.

I'm assuming from what you say that you're a sophisticated reader who isn't familiar with SF.

I'd recommend Susan Palwick's "Shelter", Robert Charles Wilson's "Spin" and Octavia Butler's "Kindred". These are all character centered SF that start not too far away.

You might also want to look at my collection "What Makes This Book So Great" which is essentially just me burbling away about books I like.

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