Recs if you like The Tombs of Atuan (Earthsea Cycle, #2)...

JK Rowling is a bigot who uses her platform to hurt transfolks and other marginalized groups (plus she literally just quoted Mein Kampf on the bird site). If you're still supporting her in 2025, don't bother talking to me.

Clever, arresting and intentional SFF books by genre writers who really know how to play with and control language; not even necessarily immensely quotable or flowery, but wholly competent and meticulous.

All of Ursula K. Le Guin's major works. Not exhaustive due to some writing being hard to source sadly. Still a work in progress!

Feminism and female empowerment in fantasy and speculative fiction, inspired by the always iconic Éowyn. Only the first book in a series listed unless there’s something specific about a later book, and suggestions welcome!

A woman's place is in the revolution. Featuring magical/gifted women who disobey the powers that be and rage against the machine.

Audiobooks that are less than 10 hours long and are safe for work AKA not aiming to get you (too) horned up at your desk (no guarantees that you won't cry or get the creeps though). Recommendations welcome!

Books featuring labyrinths and mazes.

Books featuring enclosed and dark settings. Claustrophobic much?

Your favourite female fantasy writer's... favourite female fantasy writer. Works of SFF by female writers which proved critically lauded or influential to subsequent writers.

books that are literally or metaphorically set in labyrinths / mazes

classic, sprawling second-world epic fantasy books that feature traditional tropes, large ensemble casts and heavy political maneuvering.

Complete as of August 2026.

Have you ever wanted a PhD in English Lit? Do you think fantasy is a legitimate field of literary criticism? Would you like a glimpse into the psyche of someone who does?

These are the books included (or excerpted from) on my comprehensive exams list for a dissertation on fantasy. It is not even a remotely comprehensive list of fantasy texts and criticism (yes, I see the irony).

I don't read certain problematic authors. So this list will not contain those people. These are books with good prose, writing, plots, characters, and some have impact (One of K. Le Guin's books is a Ghibli movie, and it reads like one). This list will be updated more and more as I continue to read peak.

This is based on a lot of best list researching and only some of my own opinions. It is mostly a wish to read list. Please add your best lady writer picks so we can all have an army of lady writers to recommend to each other and celebrate!

books featured on the podcast Shelved By Genre

"I want to know about elfs. I want to know about dwarves. I want to know about: wizards. I want to know about: goblins. I want to know about: cyberpunks. I want to know about: rampant AI. I want to know about: Master Chief. I want to know about: gay wizards. Okay? Like that’s what I want to know about." - Cameron Kunzelman

Books that the Studio Ghibli movies are based on and their sequels