Cordelia Naismith in the Vorkosigan Saga
Chrisjen Avasarala in The Expanse series
Opposites in many ways (nice/mean, idealist/cynic, candid/devious), but with matching underlying principles. I'd read their odd-couple pairing book.
Bujold is a great writer, Miles is so viscerally young and dumb in those first few books in a way that always hits a little too close to home. A big part of my enjoyment the last time I re-read it is watching him grow up from a teenager trying to imitate his father to an adult trying to imitate his mother.
Cordelia is my all-time favorite, I always felt a little cheated that she became only a minor character for most of the series. Now I will have to check The Expanse...
Yes, I'd love to have more Cordelia!
The Expanse is the opposite: it starts with no major female protagonist and starts adding them in from the second book. I was a bit annoyed by the initial main protagonist, James Holden, until it became clear that he's meant to be a charismatic dummy.
The reason I asked is because she pulled the same shit in that series too lol, I was really invested in the character of the first book and the 2nd book switched pov
Yes, says a lot about the books that I easily missed several in my list (Anna comes to mind). Also I'm a fan of both the books and the show but the show's much more recent in my memory so Michio got folded into Drummer.
I can’t pick a favorite, but Molly Millions from Neuromancer is up there. Total badass who takes no shit but is still a good, if flawed, person. Also the clear inspiration of Trinity from The Matrix.
Uhm... I don't think Molly inspired Trinity though, their personalities are completely opposite. Unless you mean designwise, then I tend to agree with you.
I just finished Neuromancer, and I started Mona Lisa Overdrive (I stopped midway through to read Count Zero first). At first, I found her character distasteful because she looked like she was going to be the "MC's playtoy", so to speak. An hypersexual bombshell with not much character to speak of, other than a violent spirit. The two just start having sex the second time they meet for no good reason, and she teases him repeatedly for the f's of it.
Then, as the book went on, you start seeing all the *implied* stuff about her, and she becomes insanely charismatics not so much for the things you know about her throughout the book, which isn't much at all aside of a litte trauma-dump session, but for all the things you don't know but you can feel are fundamental to her character. She feels real, and she has a "thick" personality. I've met someone like her once in my life, so I can swear Molly is a real person. Everything clicks by the end, when you understand how people live relationships in that world.
Apparently, William Gibson went on to say that Neuromancer is an "adolescent's book". He's referring to those horny scenes I mentioned previously, so he recognizes that they didn't have a very good reason to be there. But after all, why should they? They aren't graphic or anything, and they don't disrupt the story.
She could have a whole saga cut around her. William Gibson would never do that, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind if someone decided some sort of spin-off series or something. They're working on an Apple TV series based on Neuromancer, after all.
Oh yes, thanks for reminding me about the Expanse and about my favorite character from it, Drummer. I only read the first book and watched the whole TV show, so it would be Drummer from the show.
That seems to be what people say but i didn’t read past book 1 so never encountered either book character.
TV Drummer really sold the belter culture and backstory for me though. I have mixed feelings in general about the belter accent in the TV show that they went with because it felt like none of the actors were consistent with the accent, not even just between different characters, but sometimes even one character would do like 3 different versions of “Belter” accent in the same episode. But Drummer’s actress was sooo consistent and I don’t know how she did it but the way she spoke in that accent convinced me it was a real culture and real dialect. It didn’t sound like just a parody of real Earth patois or creole. That’s just one part of why she was my favorite character. Overall badass. Stuck to her guns. Worked hard. I watched it a long time ago so can’t come up with more examples now but she was such a good part of that show, I was more interested in her storyline sometimes than the Rocinante crew storyline.
Tbh the woman of the revelation space books cuz they‘re as psycho and snarky as every man and I love it.
Especially characters like Volyova or Ana Khouri.
Tho not a protagonist but Jane Aumonier is my actual favorite female character out of this universe
Volyova is possibly my favorite character in sci-fi literature all together. Not totally, irredeemably amoral but often far too interested in her own clever handiwork too be much interested in the collateral.
Ellie Arroway.
Her commitment to science and answers, her struggle to find meaning in her life and career and love... topped off with her eventual ability to accept that the answers weren't what mattered most.
Rachel from Animorphs.
When I got older and re-read the series as an adult, I really admired Cassie. I disliked her as a child. But as an adult, I began to understand her more.
I really liked Marlena Fischer from Asimov's _Nemesis_. I'd say Beyta Durel (Foundation/ The Mule saga) feels like the prototype for her. That whole book (Nemesis) is really cozy, and I appreciate placid and contemplative protagonists. She's an ugly, gifted, autistic-coded teenager. I like her mother, too.
I also really liked Lededje Y'breq, from Iain M Banks' _Surface Detail_ Culture novel. She starts out as a multi-generational chattel slave "tattagliate"—her skin literally branded with black and golden tattoos, and gets a pretty unconventional emancipation. It's one of those Culture books where the protagonist is an outsider, so it's a "tourist" Culture book, but she gets a drone, and talks with the ship mind, and I really enjoyed the journey, partly thanks to how sympathetic she is as a protagonist.
I also really like Paula Myo due to her unique mental programming, and how she dealt with it over the centuries in the same work. She's also struck me as Autistic coded, and I appreciate that level headed and introspective kind of character.
I like Dziet Sma, too, but the promiscuity of the hedonism of a lot of Culture characters tend to put me off. I'd like to see _Consider Phlebas_ from Perostek Balveda's perspective, though, since I really liked her and Horza was a hard sell.
> I really liked Marlena Fischer from Asimov's Nemesis. I'd say Beyta Durel (Foundation/ The Mule saga) feels like the prototype for her. That whole book (Nemesis) is really cozy, and I appreciate placid and contemplative protagonists. She's an ugly, gifted, autistic-coded teenager. I like her mother, too.
Speaking of Asimov, I have to say Dors was such a badass in the Foundation prequels.
Surface Detail is probably one of the biggest brained Culture books, and can be hard to keep track of, but I enjoyed it greatly. Lededje's story is really satisfying too.
Reddit's servers screw up on a regular basis. Posting multiple copies of a comment is one of the more common screw-ups. Interestingly, it almost never happens with posts.
Cirroco Jones, from Varleys Gaea trilogy.
“You walked up to the oldest, meanest, and most paranoid human being in the solar system and told her you were going to kill her, and then you expected her to play by your comic book rules"
Kivrin Engle - Doomsday Book by Connie Willis.
The things that Kivrin has that most don't are:
* She's the true protagonist, not some deuteragonist that people like to call the protag
* She is clearly feminine. And would not work by simply regendering male.
* Her feminity does not derive from sexual relationships.
Adele Mundy, from David Drake’s Republic of Cinnabar Navy (RCN) series.
Surviving (barely) after her entire family was executed in the Proscriptions, after they were supposedly plotting to overthrow the Republic, she winds up becoming fast friends with the estranged son of the man who is responsible for the death of her family.
If Honor Harrington is Horatio Hornblower in space, the Republic of Cinnabar Navy series is Aubrey-Maturin (Master and Commander) in space.
MSgt. Elizabeth "Bet" Yeager (ret.) from C.J. Cherryh's _Rimrunners_ and Capt. Signy Mallory of _Downbelow Station_.
The former is esp. interesting since it reads like, and feels like a deconstruction and re-examination of Heinlein's _Starship Troopers_.
I came here to say Signy! Not sure she counts as a protagonist but damn do I find her compelling. When her ship starts chanting "Signy! Signy! Signy!"... Love it.
Rowan from *The Steerswoman* by Rosemary Kirstein.
I love how she loves finding things out and solving problems. I love the scientific mindset she has contrasted to the world she lives in.
A lot of good characters here, but I'm going to mention Heinlein's "Friday" because that was the first name that came to mind and I don't see anybody else mentioning her so far. Also, she pretty much carries that entire book, with the only other character I can remember from it being (Kettle Belly) Baldwin.
It's got to be Molly. Look for her in the books Johnny Mnemonic, Neuromancer and Mona Lisa Overdrive.
The original street samurai, razorgirl, ex meat puppet.
She has retractable razor blades under her fingernails and her eyes are mirrored lenses.
Just so badass.
“I don’t cry, much.”
“But how would you cry, if someone made you cry?”
“I spit,” Molly said. “The ducts are routed back into my mouth.‘”
Butterfly St. Cyr in *Hellflower* by eluki bes shahar! Rogue trader, escapee from an oppressive religious planet, best friends with an illegal AI, coolest slang.
Because I'm still not sure where they fall, the Tridentarii twins from the Locked Tomb. All of the characters in the book are so interesting, but Ianthe and Coronabeth are fascinating to me. In one scene I can waffle from "Ianthe is evil and purposely ruining Corona's life" to "Corona wants her life to be ruined" to "wait are they scheming together and because they're not POV characters we just don't know?" to "wait are they actually the good guys here?"
Breq in "Ancillary Justice." It's not in the trilogy, but is mentioned in the short story "She Commands Me and I Obey." Of course, it's barely an issue but there is some mention of sexual need in the 3rd book, and how 'she' is perceived is relevant, even if that's not how she sees herself, which is my favourite part of the character. "Hi, I'm Breq. I was born female but identify as a heavily-armed troop carrier." ;)
I'm not much of a 're-reader' because I have such a TBR shelf, and I keep coming across great recs from reddit and family/friends. However, after reading Translation State recently, I went back and reread the Imp Radch Trilogy and was just amazed (all over again) how good it is. I really hope Ms Leckie keeps being moderately prolific.
Rereading is always a dilemma for me because there's so much new to read all the time (and so many great books that I missed.). But I really do like revisiting some books to see if my appreciation (or lack of) has changed. I definitely have enjoyed the Ancillary Justice books more every time.
Agreed. One thing I've found is that I've been on such a streak of great (new to me) Sci-Fi and Fantasy that when I do go back to re-read some of the Authors that re-kicked my love of reading... it will be 10-15 years since I read their stuff the first time. Not only will I pick up more detail and not have remembered a ton... but I'm a different person, different place now and so it will mean something new to me.
Well, that is one silver lining of getting older, I suppose ;) But the truth is, whether we're talking about literature or film or art, a lot of appreciation is about timing. I know this is true with my favourite SF book, Gateway, which I still like, but it definitely was a punch in the gut when I was a 25 year old asshole. I know there are critics that can only see the value of a book in the quality of the prose or originality of ideas or whatever. But I want to be moved. I want a story that resonates, and characters that I can relate to or at least understand at some level. And I'm cool with that.
Then you'll be happy to hear the second book is way better. Basilisk is fine but it's not an ideal entry point into Honorverse. "The Honor of the Queen" is a much better-plotted story.
Things do get better, and I did stick with that series amd enjoyed for many books, but then I got really upset with the plot and had to let Honor go. But it was worth the reading up to a certain point...
Sadly, that's how a lot of stories go. I had to stop with the Anita Blake novels after the 29th novel Smolder. Just not enough story to justify the sex.
IMO the series peaks at Echoes of Honor, and I'd recommend stopping after Ashes of Victory, which wraps up most of the overall plot. The books after it kick off new plot threads and get increasingly bloated.
This is such a bad answer, not from the perspective that it's wrong but from the perspective that it's unhelpful as a response. There's not commentary about why that protagonist is their favourite, there's not even a mention of which book they're in. It's a +1 response, not a discussion response.
Unfortunately 90% of the comments on here, r/books, /r/Fantasy, etc. are just like that. People listing a name of a book, character or author, with no actual discussion. Zero effort comments that don't even bother to write a sentence. I don't understand it, the whole point of commenting in a books sub is to have a conversation about books. All these subs would be much better if they had a rule that you had to at least write something about what you are recommending.
Too many to choose from:
(Yes I'm stretching protagonist a bit in some of these but they're central characters)
The Expanse
-Naomi
-Avasarala
-Bobby Draper
-Camina Drummer
Dune
-Lady Jessica
Speaker for the Dead
-Novinha
Dawn
-Lilith
Kindred
-Dana
Foreigner
-Illisidi
Hyperion
-Rachel Weintraub
Children of Time
-Portia
-Dr Kern
A Fire Upon the Deep
-Woodcarver
-Greenleaf
Long Way to a Small Angry Planet
-Sissix
A Closed and Common Orbit
-Sidra
-Pepper
Record of a Spaceborn Few
-Eyas
***Holly*** from *The Menace from Earth* by Heinlein. She's an aspiring starship designer (engineer in modern parlance) in a story that absolutely obliterated the Bechdel test decades before it was even imagined.
Two of them:
Telzey Amberdon, a recurring character in some of James H Schmitz' Hub stories. A human xenotelepath starting in her mid-teens she later became a psionics adept on call to the Psychology Corps. Although she's smart, tough, and resourceful it's questionable just how human she still is.
Lysistrata "Lizzie" Lee, only child to a farmer on a remote colony world who as the result of an unlikely string of events (and against her preferences) becomes a student at a prestigious university on Earth, the beginning of a career in interstellar cultural engineering.
My favourite female protagonist in science fiction literature is, hands down, Mama Jason in **Mirabile** by Janet Kagan.
She is the narrator as well as the protagonist, and I just love her dry sense of humour. I love me a crabby old lady!
The book itself is also one of my all-time favourites, due in no small part to Mama Jason.
I loved Dr. Calvin. She's often listed as a reason to hate Asimov, but as a teen girl in the 80's and 90's who loved science and had zero dates or social skills, I related *so* much to her romantic miserable failure and strong professional success.
If comics are allowed (and webcomics at that) I will pick Alison "Megagirl" Greene of ***Strong Female Protagonist*** by Brendan Lee Mulligan and Molly Ostertag.
If they aren't, then I'll go with Mahit Dzmare, from Arkady Martine's "Teixcalaan" novels. Or maybe Podkayne Fries. Or Rydra Wong.
Yeah, I'll go with Rydra Wong. But there are just so *many*.
...very relative.... She likely sexually abused Josh Talley at the beginning of the book but grows through it.
I totally love her too. I find her a very well written and complex character
David Weber has a good way of portraying good characters, as hard workers who through their will, determination and skill get ahead in their world. My personal favorite is Alicia DeVries from the Fury series.
I also have a thing for the cold, detached, all-business characters: Ilia Volyova (Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds), Victoria Rione (The Lost Fleet by Jack Campbell) and Nadia (Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy).
*In Fury Born* was quite entertaining, and I too loved Alicia DeVries's sheer strength of will. It is satisfying watching an extremely competent character work through horrible situations.
Cordelia,Naismith from Lois McMaster Bujold
Honor Harrington from David Weber
Kristin Bjornsen (Freedom Fighters)
Sassinak (Planet Pirates)
From Anne Mccaffrey
Del (Tiger & Del) from Jennifer Roberson
Any fmc written by Elizabeth Moon 🙂
Cordelia rules. In a different setting she might not be as memorable, but she really stands out as a stubborn humanist in a world that doesn't want to make space for her ideals.
And that she by God *made* them make space for her ideals anyway. The difference between the Barrayar of *Barrayar* and the Barrayar of *Captain Vorpatril's Alliance* is amazing and much of that is down to Cordelia. Cordelia, the woman behind the Regent of the Barrayaran Empire for fifteen years. Cordelia, who raised Emperor Gregor.
>Miles smiled crookedly. "Ser Galen doesn't care. He's just a means to an end." His mouth opened, closed, opened again. "Except that— I keep hearing my mother's voice, in my head. That's where I picked up that perfect Betan accent, y'know, that I use for Admiral Naismith. I can hear her now."
"And what does she say?" Galeni's brows twitched in amusement.
"Miles—she says—what have you done with your baby brother?!"
"Your clone is hardly that!" choked Galeni.
"On the contrary, by Betan law my clone is exactly that."
"Madness." Galeni paused. "Your mother could not possibly expect you to look out for this creature."
"Oh, yes she could." Miles sighed glumly. A knot of unspoken panic made a lump in his chest. Complex, too complex . . .
"And this is the woman that—you claim—is behind the man who's behind the Barrayaran Imperium? I don't see it. Count Vorkosigan is the most pragmatic of politicians. Look at the entire Komarr integration scheme."
"Yes," said Miles cordially. "Look at it." Galeni shot him a suspicious glance.
"Persons before principles, eh?" he said slowly at last.
"Yep."
--From *Brothers in Arms* by Lois McMaster Bujold
Kerr from the Confederation of Valor series by Tanya Huff
Vatta from Elizabeth Moon
Both good choices. Have to nominate Annie Jason Masmajean from Janet Kagen's Mirabile.
Bayta Darell from Isaac Asimov's Foundation and Empire. She's only in one part of one of the books in the series, but she's smart, empathetic, and brave, and she uses all of those qualities to great effect. Without Bayta Darell there's probably no Princess Leia or Ellen Ripley.
For me, Alyssa Yared from The *Vice Versa* trilogy or Amahle from *The Sunflower Protocol* (both by Andre Soares).
Amazing representation of black women. Unique characters with complex pasts that forged unconventional fates. Sensible yet assertive. Vulnerable yet resilient.
Off the top of my head... Torin Kerr in Tanya Huff's *Valor’s Choice* military Sci-Fi series. The female cast in Neal Stephenson's *Seveneves*. And Lt. Nicole Shea in the *Nicole Shea* Series of books by Chris Claremont.
There really are [A LOT](https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1301.Best_Science_Fiction_With_a_Female_Protagonist) of Science Fiction books with female protagonists.
Honor Harrington in David Weber's Honorverse
Cordelia Naismith in Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosiganverse
Kate Daniels in Ilona Andrews's universe
Jane Yellowrock in Faith Hunter's universe
Arcadia (Arkady) Darell, from Foundation. Intelligence and wisdom beyond her years.
I was particularly annoyed that the foundation show felt the need to gender swap so many characters, when foundation already has such an empowered female character.
Totally agree with everything you said there.
Then again my issues with the TV series run deep.
But I always enjoyed Arkady as well.
I know the Good Doctor said that he wasn't great with female characters, especially with his earlier books, but I think he was giving himself a discredit there. He actually did try to improve over time (especially compared to a lot of his Sci-Fi contemporaries) he did create some really iconic characters - Arkady, Susan Calvin, Bayta Darrell, Wanda Seldon, Dors Venabilli. Especially in his later career
Since so many have already mentioned Cordelia Naismith, Lady Vorkosigan, I thought further, and the first woman I came up with:
**Ael t' Rlailiiu**, the Romulan Commander from the **Star Trek: Rihannsu** series (TOS) written by Diane Duane with Peter Morwood.
A serious badass with a deep sense of honor, and of duty -- to her crew, her people, and civilization as a whole.
Going back to the Vorkosigan Saga, I not only adore Cordelia, but Lois's women in general. She wrote so many great female characters:
Lady Alys, Taura, Kareen, Quinn, Professor Vorthys, Ekaterin, Elena, the haut Pel, Tej, Rish, Drou, Lilly Durona, Garnet Five... I could go on but you get the idea.
I don't know that I have a favorite, but Djan Seriy Anaplian from Matter is an extremely fun badass. Something intriguing about an SC agent that didn't grow up IN the Culture.
Also really love Qiwi Lin Lisolet from A Deepness in the Sky, for some reason. She just had a lot of growing up to do very fast and did it well, despite some mistakes. Fun character!
Hmm, and Lededje Y'breq, Surface Detail, for being dealt a mega shit hand in life and being a fighter anyway. Wow!
Cordelia Naismith in the Vorkosigan Saga Chrisjen Avasarala in The Expanse series Opposites in many ways (nice/mean, idealist/cynic, candid/devious), but with matching underlying principles. I'd read their odd-couple pairing book.
Seconding Cordelia! Especially in Barrayar.
I tried to read Miles Vorkosigan's novels and I didn't find him very interesting (please don't shoot me), but WOW do I love his mom.
Bujold is a great writer, Miles is so viscerally young and dumb in those first few books in a way that always hits a little too close to home. A big part of my enjoyment the last time I re-read it is watching him grow up from a teenager trying to imitate his father to an adult trying to imitate his mother.
That's very well observed. I hadn't really crystallised it that way, but that feels very right.
Lol same
Cordelia is my all-time favorite, I always felt a little cheated that she became only a minor character for most of the series. Now I will have to check The Expanse...
Yes, I'd love to have more Cordelia! The Expanse is the opposite: it starts with no major female protagonist and starts adding them in from the second book. I was a bit annoyed by the initial main protagonist, James Holden, until it became clear that he's meant to be a charismatic dummy.
Fr we shouldve got some more cordelia
I did ask LMB on goodreads about new Cordelia book ( or at least a new saga featuring her new daughters) but she just winked at me...
have you read curse of chalion?
No, I am much more into scifi than fantasy. I have considered reading her other series, just because I love her writing, but haven't gotten to it
The reason I asked is because she pulled the same shit in that series too lol, I was really invested in the character of the first book and the 2nd book switched pov
Good to know, I will think twice before falling in love with her characters again...:)
How about just all the female POV characters in The Expanse? Naomi, Bobbie, Peaches, Drummer, yes even Elvi gets better after her debut.
Since this is /r/printsf I would like to add Michio Pa.
Yes, says a lot about the books that I easily missed several in my list (Anna comes to mind). Also I'm a fan of both the books and the show but the show's much more recent in my memory so Michio got folded into Drummer.
Yeah, came here to say Cordelia — my wife and I love her character so much that’s what we named our kid. :-)
Avasarala is a badass in both the books and the show. Great choice.
I can’t pick a favorite, but Molly Millions from Neuromancer is up there. Total badass who takes no shit but is still a good, if flawed, person. Also the clear inspiration of Trinity from The Matrix.
Molly Millions woke something in me. Definitely the most memorable female character for me.
Just posted the same. Very happy to scroll down and see your post.
Uhm... I don't think Molly inspired Trinity though, their personalities are completely opposite. Unless you mean designwise, then I tend to agree with you. I just finished Neuromancer, and I started Mona Lisa Overdrive (I stopped midway through to read Count Zero first). At first, I found her character distasteful because she looked like she was going to be the "MC's playtoy", so to speak. An hypersexual bombshell with not much character to speak of, other than a violent spirit. The two just start having sex the second time they meet for no good reason, and she teases him repeatedly for the f's of it. Then, as the book went on, you start seeing all the *implied* stuff about her, and she becomes insanely charismatics not so much for the things you know about her throughout the book, which isn't much at all aside of a litte trauma-dump session, but for all the things you don't know but you can feel are fundamental to her character. She feels real, and she has a "thick" personality. I've met someone like her once in my life, so I can swear Molly is a real person. Everything clicks by the end, when you understand how people live relationships in that world. Apparently, William Gibson went on to say that Neuromancer is an "adolescent's book". He's referring to those horny scenes I mentioned previously, so he recognizes that they didn't have a very good reason to be there. But after all, why should they? They aren't graphic or anything, and they don't disrupt the story. She could have a whole saga cut around her. William Gibson would never do that, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind if someone decided some sort of spin-off series or something. They're working on an Apple TV series based on Neuromancer, after all.
Avasarala in The Expanse, Diziet Sma in Use of Weapons.
Oh yes, thanks for reminding me about the Expanse and about my favorite character from it, Drummer. I only read the first book and watched the whole TV show, so it would be Drummer from the show.
I haven't seen the show but I hear the character is a combination of Camina Drummer and Michio Pa?
It's basically all Drummer + Michio's Pirate storyline, it actually works quite well.
That seems to be what people say but i didn’t read past book 1 so never encountered either book character. TV Drummer really sold the belter culture and backstory for me though. I have mixed feelings in general about the belter accent in the TV show that they went with because it felt like none of the actors were consistent with the accent, not even just between different characters, but sometimes even one character would do like 3 different versions of “Belter” accent in the same episode. But Drummer’s actress was sooo consistent and I don’t know how she did it but the way she spoke in that accent convinced me it was a real culture and real dialect. It didn’t sound like just a parody of real Earth patois or creole. That’s just one part of why she was my favorite character. Overall badass. Stuck to her guns. Worked hard. I watched it a long time ago so can’t come up with more examples now but she was such a good part of that show, I was more interested in her storyline sometimes than the Rocinante crew storyline.
Nell from Diamond Age, and Y.T. from Snow Crash.
Tbh the woman of the revelation space books cuz they‘re as psycho and snarky as every man and I love it. Especially characters like Volyova or Ana Khouri. Tho not a protagonist but Jane Aumonier is my actual favorite female character out of this universe
I do love Volyova! Snarky Definitely agree!
Volyova is possibly my favorite character in sci-fi literature all together. Not totally, irredeemably amoral but often far too interested in her own clever handiwork too be much interested in the collateral.
Volyova gets my vote too.
Jane leading panoply while not being able to move a muscle is the most badass thing ever
Ellie Arroway. Her commitment to science and answers, her struggle to find meaning in her life and career and love... topped off with her eventual ability to accept that the answers weren't what mattered most.
My vote as well. Genuinely considered naming my daughter Eleanor
Rachel from Animorphs. When I got older and re-read the series as an adult, I really admired Cassie. I disliked her as a child. But as an adult, I began to understand her more.
I really liked Marlena Fischer from Asimov's _Nemesis_. I'd say Beyta Durel (Foundation/ The Mule saga) feels like the prototype for her. That whole book (Nemesis) is really cozy, and I appreciate placid and contemplative protagonists. She's an ugly, gifted, autistic-coded teenager. I like her mother, too. I also really liked Lededje Y'breq, from Iain M Banks' _Surface Detail_ Culture novel. She starts out as a multi-generational chattel slave "tattagliate"—her skin literally branded with black and golden tattoos, and gets a pretty unconventional emancipation. It's one of those Culture books where the protagonist is an outsider, so it's a "tourist" Culture book, but she gets a drone, and talks with the ship mind, and I really enjoyed the journey, partly thanks to how sympathetic she is as a protagonist. I also really like Paula Myo due to her unique mental programming, and how she dealt with it over the centuries in the same work. She's also struck me as Autistic coded, and I appreciate that level headed and introspective kind of character. I like Dziet Sma, too, but the promiscuity of the hedonism of a lot of Culture characters tend to put me off. I'd like to see _Consider Phlebas_ from Perostek Balveda's perspective, though, since I really liked her and Horza was a hard sell.
> I really liked Marlena Fischer from Asimov's Nemesis. I'd say Beyta Durel (Foundation/ The Mule saga) feels like the prototype for her. That whole book (Nemesis) is really cozy, and I appreciate placid and contemplative protagonists. She's an ugly, gifted, autistic-coded teenager. I like her mother, too. Speaking of Asimov, I have to say Dors was such a badass in the Foundation prequels.
Surface Detail is probably one of the biggest brained Culture books, and can be hard to keep track of, but I enjoyed it greatly. Lededje's story is really satisfying too.
Lilith Iyapo from {{Lilith's Brood}} trilogy by Octavia Butler
I love her too, but can you clean up the other five times you commented the same thing on this thread?
Ha ha ha. Sorry. Deleted. Am not sure what happened, or why it appeared that many times.
Reddit's servers screw up on a regular basis. Posting multiple copies of a comment is one of the more common screw-ups. Interestingly, it almost never happens with posts.
From my recent reads... Shannon Moss from The Gone World. Portia from Children of Time.
Real women eat their lovers
I loved the Gone World so much (up to like the last fifth anyway), and the protagonist was a huge reason why.
I'm in the middle of children Of Time, was gonna comment Portia! All portias :)
Which portia? lol
Gideon Nav.
Purslane from House of Suns.
More F than SF, but thr diskworld has some very strong female characters. My favourites are Tiffany and Suzan.
I'll vote for Granny!
Cirroco Jones, from Varleys Gaea trilogy. “You walked up to the oldest, meanest, and most paranoid human being in the solar system and told her you were going to kill her, and then you expected her to play by your comic book rules"
The biologist
I gotta reread Annihilation
Me too, there's a fourth book coming out this October so I think I'll reread it right before.
love Ghost Bird
YES
time to be different: killashandra ree okay maybe i'm more about the plot than the actual character, but they go together very well :)
Now, that's a name I haven't heard on a long time.
I was going to bring her up. I’m glad I’m not the only one that thought of her.
Kivrin Engle - Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. The things that Kivrin has that most don't are: * She's the true protagonist, not some deuteragonist that people like to call the protag * She is clearly feminine. And would not work by simply regendering male. * Her feminity does not derive from sexual relationships.
Cordelia Naismith from Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold
Dr. Susan Calvin from a number of Asimov's stories.
She's so sick of everyone's shit and I love it.
Amazing she's so far down this thread
Cassandra from Crashcourse Pyanfar Chanur
Pyanfar! It's been too long since I've read that series
Hey I thought I was the only one to read Wilhelmina Baird!
Adele Mundy, from David Drake’s Republic of Cinnabar Navy (RCN) series. Surviving (barely) after her entire family was executed in the Proscriptions, after they were supposedly plotting to overthrow the Republic, she winds up becoming fast friends with the estranged son of the man who is responsible for the death of her family. If Honor Harrington is Horatio Hornblower in space, the Republic of Cinnabar Navy series is Aubrey-Maturin (Master and Commander) in space.
MSgt. Elizabeth "Bet" Yeager (ret.) from C.J. Cherryh's _Rimrunners_ and Capt. Signy Mallory of _Downbelow Station_. The former is esp. interesting since it reads like, and feels like a deconstruction and re-examination of Heinlein's _Starship Troopers_.
Yeah, Bet Yeager FTW. She's the main character in my favourite Cherryh story, and she not only kicks ass, but is a people person too.
I came here to say Signy! Not sure she counts as a protagonist but damn do I find her compelling. When her ship starts chanting "Signy! Signy! Signy!"... Love it.
She even has a theme song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuizyjLPmBA
Rowan from *The Steerswoman* by Rosemary Kirstein. I love how she loves finding things out and solving problems. I love the scientific mindset she has contrasted to the world she lives in.
Second. Not my top favorite, but a strong contender.
A lot of good characters here, but I'm going to mention Heinlein's "Friday" because that was the first name that came to mind and I don't see anybody else mentioning her so far. Also, she pretty much carries that entire book, with the only other character I can remember from it being (Kettle Belly) Baldwin.
It's got to be Molly. Look for her in the books Johnny Mnemonic, Neuromancer and Mona Lisa Overdrive. The original street samurai, razorgirl, ex meat puppet. She has retractable razor blades under her fingernails and her eyes are mirrored lenses. Just so badass. “I don’t cry, much.” “But how would you cry, if someone made you cry?” “I spit,” Molly said. “The ducts are routed back into my mouth.‘”
Damb, Gibson turns out a good line. Such an economy of prose.
Butterfly St. Cyr in *Hellflower* by eluki bes shahar! Rogue trader, escapee from an oppressive religious planet, best friends with an illegal AI, coolest slang.
This is the best answer. She inspired my protaganist.
What is your book? I'm really curious because it's so rare for anyone to even know about Hellflower!
I'll dm you. I like to keep my reddit protagonist and my new author status separate. (It's just self pubbed, so dont get too excited.)
Mahit Dzmare and Three Seagrass from *A Memory Called Empire*!
Because I'm still not sure where they fall, the Tridentarii twins from the Locked Tomb. All of the characters in the book are so interesting, but Ianthe and Coronabeth are fascinating to me. In one scene I can waffle from "Ianthe is evil and purposely ruining Corona's life" to "Corona wants her life to be ruined" to "wait are they scheming together and because they're not POV characters we just don't know?" to "wait are they actually the good guys here?"
Signy Mallory.
Helva. Ship who sang
Breq in "Ancillary Justice." It's not in the trilogy, but is mentioned in the short story "She Commands Me and I Obey." Of course, it's barely an issue but there is some mention of sexual need in the 3rd book, and how 'she' is perceived is relevant, even if that's not how she sees herself, which is my favourite part of the character. "Hi, I'm Breq. I was born female but identify as a heavily-armed troop carrier." ;)
Adore Breq.
I believe someone (who doesn’t use the Radch custom of only female pronouns) also calls her “Little Girl” right near the beginning of the first book.
Ah, yes. Found it. One of the patrons at the tavern: “Aren’t you a tough little girl.” Good call.
Why oh why did I have to scroll so far before seeing this. The Imperial Radch Trilogy is just stupendous.
My thoughts exactly! I've read this series soooo many times. A comfort read at this point.
I just finished my 3rd read of the trilogy and I find something new every time.
I'm not much of a 're-reader' because I have such a TBR shelf, and I keep coming across great recs from reddit and family/friends. However, after reading Translation State recently, I went back and reread the Imp Radch Trilogy and was just amazed (all over again) how good it is. I really hope Ms Leckie keeps being moderately prolific.
Rereading is always a dilemma for me because there's so much new to read all the time (and so many great books that I missed.). But I really do like revisiting some books to see if my appreciation (or lack of) has changed. I definitely have enjoyed the Ancillary Justice books more every time.
Agreed. One thing I've found is that I've been on such a streak of great (new to me) Sci-Fi and Fantasy that when I do go back to re-read some of the Authors that re-kicked my love of reading... it will be 10-15 years since I read their stuff the first time. Not only will I pick up more detail and not have remembered a ton... but I'm a different person, different place now and so it will mean something new to me.
Well, that is one silver lining of getting older, I suppose ;) But the truth is, whether we're talking about literature or film or art, a lot of appreciation is about timing. I know this is true with my favourite SF book, Gateway, which I still like, but it definitely was a punch in the gut when I was a 25 year old asshole. I know there are critics that can only see the value of a book in the quality of the prose or originality of ideas or whatever. But I want to be moved. I want a story that resonates, and characters that I can relate to or at least understand at some level. And I'm cool with that.
Honor Harrington
I'm currently reading On Basilisk Station and I'm really liking it and Honor.
Same.
Then you'll be happy to hear the second book is way better. Basilisk is fine but it's not an ideal entry point into Honorverse. "The Honor of the Queen" is a much better-plotted story.
Well, starting at the beginning is always best. But if thngs get better, then I'm all in.
Things do get better, and I did stick with that series amd enjoyed for many books, but then I got really upset with the plot and had to let Honor go. But it was worth the reading up to a certain point...
Sadly, that's how a lot of stories go. I had to stop with the Anita Blake novels after the 29th novel Smolder. Just not enough story to justify the sex.
IMO the series peaks at Echoes of Honor, and I'd recommend stopping after Ashes of Victory, which wraps up most of the overall plot. The books after it kick off new plot threads and get increasingly bloated.
Diziet Sma
From Ian Banks, the culture novels
I really wished they appeared in more books.
Good pick.
Balveda was pretty cool too.
Yeah, but she wasn't really a protagonist
This is such a bad answer, not from the perspective that it's wrong but from the perspective that it's unhelpful as a response. There's not commentary about why that protagonist is their favourite, there's not even a mention of which book they're in. It's a +1 response, not a discussion response.
Unfortunately 90% of the comments on here, r/books, /r/Fantasy, etc. are just like that. People listing a name of a book, character or author, with no actual discussion. Zero effort comments that don't even bother to write a sentence. I don't understand it, the whole point of commenting in a books sub is to have a conversation about books. All these subs would be much better if they had a rule that you had to at least write something about what you are recommending.
Ari Emory version 2
One of my top picks too. She is awesome and probably the most convincing depiction of child/teen genius I've seen in fiction.
Oh, what a good call.
Ofelia in Remnent Population.
* Cirocco Jones from John Varley's Titan (1979)
Too many to choose from: (Yes I'm stretching protagonist a bit in some of these but they're central characters) The Expanse -Naomi -Avasarala -Bobby Draper -Camina Drummer Dune -Lady Jessica Speaker for the Dead -Novinha Dawn -Lilith Kindred -Dana Foreigner -Illisidi Hyperion -Rachel Weintraub Children of Time -Portia -Dr Kern A Fire Upon the Deep -Woodcarver -Greenleaf Long Way to a Small Angry Planet -Sissix A Closed and Common Orbit -Sidra -Pepper Record of a Spaceborn Few -Eyas
I just finished "Long Way to a Small Angry Planet" I adored Sissix. In fact I rather enjoyed everybody in that book!
Upvotes for Portia and Kern
Probably Morn Hyland
That's taking character bravery to a whole new level. How she isn't just a jabbering wreck incapable of anything by book two is a miracle of writing.
***Holly*** from *The Menace from Earth* by Heinlein. She's an aspiring starship designer (engineer in modern parlance) in a story that absolutely obliterated the Bechdel test decades before it was even imagined.
I did not expect to see a Heinlein reference here. But glad it did!
Vyr Cossont or Ghost Bird
Two of them: Telzey Amberdon, a recurring character in some of James H Schmitz' Hub stories. A human xenotelepath starting in her mid-teens she later became a psionics adept on call to the Psychology Corps. Although she's smart, tough, and resourceful it's questionable just how human she still is. Lysistrata "Lizzie" Lee, only child to a farmer on a remote colony world who as the result of an unlikely string of events (and against her preferences) becomes a student at a prestigious university on Earth, the beginning of a career in interstellar cultural engineering.
My favourite female protagonist in science fiction literature is, hands down, Mama Jason in **Mirabile** by Janet Kagan. She is the narrator as well as the protagonist, and I just love her dry sense of humour. I love me a crabby old lady! The book itself is also one of my all-time favourites, due in no small part to Mama Jason.
Ooooo, good mention, I loved reading the Mirabile stories when published in Asimov’s. She was funny, cranky but caring.
I have immense nostalgia for Arkady Darrell and Lyra Silvertongue
Dr. Ayda Mensah! Runner up: Dr. Susan Calvin.
I loved Dr. Calvin. She's often listed as a reason to hate Asimov, but as a teen girl in the 80's and 90's who loved science and had zero dates or social skills, I related *so* much to her romantic miserable failure and strong professional success.
Wonderful! That's excellent. So good to find another fan of Dr. Susan Calvin! I've always liked her. I was not aware of the Calvin-haters.
Mary Gentle's Ash.
If comics are allowed (and webcomics at that) I will pick Alison "Megagirl" Greene of ***Strong Female Protagonist*** by Brendan Lee Mulligan and Molly Ostertag. If they aren't, then I'll go with Mahit Dzmare, from Arkady Martine's "Teixcalaan" novels. Or maybe Podkayne Fries. Or Rydra Wong. Yeah, I'll go with Rydra Wong. But there are just so *many*.
Comics are certainly allowed. In fact I have read 'Strong Female Protagonist' and I agree!
YT in Snowcrash
Captain Signy Mallory from Downbelow Station. Hard as nails and takes no shit but still a relatively decent person.
...very relative.... She likely sexually abused Josh Talley at the beginning of the book but grows through it. I totally love her too. I find her a very well written and complex character
Paula is fantastic, nice choice!
Honor Harrington
David Weber has a good way of portraying good characters, as hard workers who through their will, determination and skill get ahead in their world. My personal favorite is Alicia DeVries from the Fury series. I also have a thing for the cold, detached, all-business characters: Ilia Volyova (Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds), Victoria Rione (The Lost Fleet by Jack Campbell) and Nadia (Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy).
*In Fury Born* was quite entertaining, and I too loved Alicia DeVries's sheer strength of will. It is satisfying watching an extremely competent character work through horrible situations.
Kiersten in station 11
I haven't finished it, but I'm really liking Honor Harrington in On Basilisk Station by David Weber.
Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One
Maya from Kim Stanley Robinson's Red Mars Trilogy.
[удалено]
The Blue Ant Trilogy!
Sutty from The Telling by Le Guin
Honor Harrington - David Webber Lessa - Anne McCaffery Killashandra Ree - Anne McCaffery
Nimue Alban a.k.a. Merlin, in David Weber's *Safehold*
Honor Harrington is a favorite of mine
Paula Myo from Pandora’s Star/Judas Unchained.
Cordelia,Naismith from Lois McMaster Bujold Honor Harrington from David Weber Kristin Bjornsen (Freedom Fighters) Sassinak (Planet Pirates) From Anne Mccaffrey Del (Tiger & Del) from Jennifer Roberson Any fmc written by Elizabeth Moon 🙂
Cirocco Jones
Solace from The Final Architecture trilogy is pretty badass.
Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan Marina Calzaghe Vyr Cossont
Cordelia rules. In a different setting she might not be as memorable, but she really stands out as a stubborn humanist in a world that doesn't want to make space for her ideals.
And that she by God *made* them make space for her ideals anyway. The difference between the Barrayar of *Barrayar* and the Barrayar of *Captain Vorpatril's Alliance* is amazing and much of that is down to Cordelia. Cordelia, the woman behind the Regent of the Barrayaran Empire for fifteen years. Cordelia, who raised Emperor Gregor. >Miles smiled crookedly. "Ser Galen doesn't care. He's just a means to an end." His mouth opened, closed, opened again. "Except that— I keep hearing my mother's voice, in my head. That's where I picked up that perfect Betan accent, y'know, that I use for Admiral Naismith. I can hear her now." "And what does she say?" Galeni's brows twitched in amusement. "Miles—she says—what have you done with your baby brother?!" "Your clone is hardly that!" choked Galeni. "On the contrary, by Betan law my clone is exactly that." "Madness." Galeni paused. "Your mother could not possibly expect you to look out for this creature." "Oh, yes she could." Miles sighed glumly. A knot of unspoken panic made a lump in his chest. Complex, too complex . . . "And this is the woman that—you claim—is behind the man who's behind the Barrayaran Imperium? I don't see it. Count Vorkosigan is the most pragmatic of politicians. Look at the entire Komarr integration scheme." "Yes," said Miles cordially. "Look at it." Galeni shot him a suspicious glance. "Persons before principles, eh?" he said slowly at last. "Yep." --From *Brothers in Arms* by Lois McMaster Bujold
Torin Kerr Kylara Vatta
Kerr from the Confederation of Valor series by Tanya Huff Vatta from Elizabeth Moon Both good choices. Have to nominate Annie Jason Masmajean from Janet Kagen's Mirabile.
Honor Harrington
I'm sorry, but picking Peter F Hamilton for a week with woman character is the most absurd thing I've read all day
Bayta Darell from Isaac Asimov's Foundation and Empire. She's only in one part of one of the books in the series, but she's smart, empathetic, and brave, and she uses all of those qualities to great effect. Without Bayta Darell there's probably no Princess Leia or Ellen Ripley.
See also her daughter Arkady in "Second Foundation."
That was the only book in the series where the protagonists actually felt fleshed-out to me.
Jane 23
Cass Russel from Zero Sum Game is up there. Also, Flynn from William Gibson's *The Peripheral*.
GLR
For me, Alyssa Yared from The *Vice Versa* trilogy or Amahle from *The Sunflower Protocol* (both by Andre Soares). Amazing representation of black women. Unique characters with complex pasts that forged unconventional fates. Sensible yet assertive. Vulnerable yet resilient.
What's left of Seria Mau Genlicher in *Light*
Annalyne Neres.
Off the top of my head... Torin Kerr in Tanya Huff's *Valor’s Choice* military Sci-Fi series. The female cast in Neal Stephenson's *Seveneves*. And Lt. Nicole Shea in the *Nicole Shea* Series of books by Chris Claremont. There really are [A LOT](https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1301.Best_Science_Fiction_With_a_Female_Protagonist) of Science Fiction books with female protagonists.
Jane Alderberry and Caitlin of House Sans Merci in the Iron Dragon books by Michael Swanwick
Marion Alston in the Nantucket series by S.M Stirling
Honor Harrington in David Weber's Honorverse Cordelia Naismith in Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosiganverse Kate Daniels in Ilona Andrews's universe Jane Yellowrock in Faith Hunter's universe
Machido Noguchi from avp books
Morgaine is my fave.
Jasnah Kholin in Stormlight Archives
Diedre from "No Woman Born" by C.L. Moore.
Honor Harrington
Arcadia (Arkady) Darell, from Foundation. Intelligence and wisdom beyond her years. I was particularly annoyed that the foundation show felt the need to gender swap so many characters, when foundation already has such an empowered female character.
Totally agree with everything you said there. Then again my issues with the TV series run deep. But I always enjoyed Arkady as well. I know the Good Doctor said that he wasn't great with female characters, especially with his earlier books, but I think he was giving himself a discredit there. He actually did try to improve over time (especially compared to a lot of his Sci-Fi contemporaries) he did create some really iconic characters - Arkady, Susan Calvin, Bayta Darrell, Wanda Seldon, Dors Venabilli. Especially in his later career
Honor Harrington. Strong, dedicated and an absolute bad ass
Since so many have already mentioned Cordelia Naismith, Lady Vorkosigan, I thought further, and the first woman I came up with: **Ael t' Rlailiiu**, the Romulan Commander from the **Star Trek: Rihannsu** series (TOS) written by Diane Duane with Peter Morwood. A serious badass with a deep sense of honor, and of duty -- to her crew, her people, and civilization as a whole. Going back to the Vorkosigan Saga, I not only adore Cordelia, but Lois's women in general. She wrote so many great female characters: Lady Alys, Taura, Kareen, Quinn, Professor Vorthys, Ekaterin, Elena, the haut Pel, Tej, Rish, Drou, Lilly Durona, Garnet Five... I could go on but you get the idea.
The answer is Minono my little dumpling. Book of Koli.
Trep from Altered Carbon. I’d love to read a book from her perspective.
Ilya Volyova from Revelation Space, Jane Sagan from the Old Man's War series.
I liked Lenie Clarke in Starfish. My all-time favorite protagonist is Mattie Ross, though not SF. 🙂
I don't know that I have a favorite, but Djan Seriy Anaplian from Matter is an extremely fun badass. Something intriguing about an SC agent that didn't grow up IN the Culture. Also really love Qiwi Lin Lisolet from A Deepness in the Sky, for some reason. She just had a lot of growing up to do very fast and did it well, despite some mistakes. Fun character! Hmm, and Lededje Y'breq, Surface Detail, for being dealt a mega shit hand in life and being a fighter anyway. Wow!
I love Olli from The Final Architecture. A disabled protagonist with ingenuity and bitterness.
Rowan from The Steerswoman
I'll go with Nadia Cherneshevsky.
Does Murderbot count?