1. Octavia Butler
Octavia Butler was, in short, a revolutionary. However, she might not have described herself as such and might have preferred to get on with the work of writing and publishing. Still, her bibliography stands as some of the most striking and important work in the entire science fiction genre.
Butler recalled that she was only nine years old when she decided to become a science fiction writer, having decided that she could easily outwrite whoever had produced the script for the B-movie Devil Girl from Mars. That drive led to her becoming not just a major author, but the first prominent black female sci-fi writer and, so far, the only one to receive a MacArthur Fellowship (popularly called the “Genius Grant”).
Her earlier works include Patternmaster (1976) and Kindred (1979). The latter is a searing novel featuring Dana, a black woman who finds herself unwillingly pulled back from the modern day onto a 19th century Maryland plantation.
Xenogenesis
In the 1980s, Butler began publishing the Xenogenesis trilogy, now more often published as Lilith’s Brood. It follows what remains of humanity after a devastating nuclear war nearly kills our species. A few individuals are saved by the alien Oankali and revived after more than two centuries. However, their survival comes at a price: in order to continue the human species, they must merge with Oankali DNA.
Lilith, the protagonist of the first series book, Dawn, eventually agrees, though not without some serious soul-searching beforehand. However, the other humans in her group are far more hostile and provide significant resistance to the plan.
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You may also want to read Parable of the Sower (1993). This is the first in a duology that focuses on Lauren Oya Olamina. Young Lauren becomes a religious figure, thanks to her hyper-empathy and the collapse of modern society. Her belief system, Earthseed, pushes humanity towards its ultimate destiny: interplanetary travel. Lauren and her fellow believers only have to force the human species into its “adulthood” amidst great pain and suffering.
Those are the 20 female masters of science fiction to read — but you might have a favorite, too. Post your recommendations below!