On the horizon: Things

[azhure]

I have been deep in research mode the last few days.  Instead of writing, I have been reading.  Specifically, about corvids, beginning with an awesome book gifted to me by a wonderful friend – Bird Brains, the Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies and Jays.  I have a few more books on ravens to read through and then I start on some about shamanism.  Hopefully the men in the basement will get to work on all the interesting stuff that’ll be filtering down to them.

I am also contemplating starting a new project – I’m at the stage of working out if it’s going to be feasible.  I asked this question on Twitter and Facebook, so I’ll ask it here as well:

Which female Australian speculative fiction writers do you think are a “must read” in order to understand the shape of the field?

I’m interested in writers currently publishing as well as publishing in the past, of both short and long form fiction.

So far, I’ve had suggested: Margo Lanagan, Lucy Sussex, Rosaleen Love and Leanne Frahms, Kaaron Warren and Glenda Larke.

Mirrored from Stephanie Gunn.

Comments

[transcendancing]

I would say Marianne de Pierres and also Tansy Rayner Roberts, not just because I personally like their work, but Marianne has now got a very broad basis for books she's published and producing, and they're all of a good standard often appealing to different readership (guessingguessingguessing). Tansy I think is one of those I want to name because I think that she is on the cusp of being someone who shapes the field - and I think that this is important to capture as well.

With an argument like 'must read' I'd also include Robin Hobb, Jennifer Fallon, and Fiona McIntosh as well published authors who produce a specific kind of work - a work that is highly desired by publishers to market. Not necessarily for the books in content they produce but the style of book and the genre style.

Hope that makes sense? Prod me online if not :)

[fred_mouse]

Sarah Douglas - when I discovered her writing, I believed that she was the only Australian woman writing in the genre.

I have a personal fondness for the writing of Tess William, but she has written so little that I dont't know whether it counts as influential. However, 'Map of Power' is the only genre book tht I can think of that has random details about caring for children in a post apocalyptic type world.

As for influential when reading as a child, I would have to list RobIn Klein and Patricia Wrightson.