A nice long list of SF/F books and stories with old(er) women protagonists (or, in a few cases, prominent characters?).

I've started this list at Jessica's suggestion. If I've missed an author, let me know - and if you could suggest a particular book, that would be even better, because picking specific books is turning out to be the hardest part of making the list.

I'm trying to stick to one book per author, but that's been difficult in a few cases. So many of these women write/wrote multiple unrelated series, and it's not always easy for me to tell what their most popular book/series is. So far, I have more than one book listed for Tanith Lee and C.J. Cherryh and may go back and list additional books for some of the others.

On a related note, did you know that LibraryThing has a "Rating Statistics" feature on its author pages? It's been coming in very handy.

I can't imagine going two years without reading a single book by a female author.

On a semi-related note, this reminded me of a conversation I had a few months ago, when a male relative of mine told me he actively avoids reading books by female authors, particularly recent releases. We don't always see eye-to-eye on certain subjects, but I had thought books were a fairly safe and fun topic. Now I'm trying to remember if we've ever talked about female authors.

Overshadowed by the legacy of his deceased father, Hugo Ari is thrust into upholding his father’s reputation when the Techan enemy attacks and decimates Hugo’s hometown. Displaced after the siege, Hugo flees with the other survivors and seeks refuge in the depths of the mountains. But safety is not in merely hiding; in the capital city, an assembly of forces joins together to stop at nothing to capture the one who has the mark of a Remaker, the very mark that Hugo bears.

Captivating and imaginative, this debut novel by Ian Yamagata will keep readers on the edge of their seats as the fate of Hugo is determined! Will Hugo evade capture by the Techan forces, and can he persevere to save the world of Mythra? “Mark of the Remaker” will take you into a world where adventure is around every corner as Hugo embarks on the journey of a lifetime!