Best Science Fiction Books with Female Main Characters

This list features the best books in science fiction featuring great female protagonists.
400

by
3.86 avg rating — 5,400 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
400

by
3.94 avg rating — 355 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
403

by
4.10 avg rating — 9,905 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
403

by
4.02 avg rating — 3,068 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
403

by
3.79 avg rating — 21,204 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
406

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 172,496 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
407

by
3.89 avg rating — 1,785 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
407

by
4.09 avg rating — 4,316 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
407

by
3.93 avg rating — 21,059 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
410

by
4.11 avg rating — 9,091 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
410

by
3.90 avg rating — 3,623 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
410

by
3.95 avg rating — 4,590 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
413

by
3.78 avg rating — 148 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
413

by
4.07 avg rating — 1,132 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
413

by
4.06 avg rating — 19,429 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
416

by
4.09 avg rating — 617 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
417

by
4.09 avg rating — 2,796 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
417

by
3.63 avg rating — 261 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
417

by
3.94 avg rating — 3,415 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
417

by
4.01 avg rating — 20,593 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
421

by
3.81 avg rating — 7,525 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
421

by
3.86 avg rating — 87,553 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
423

by
4.18 avg rating — 1,987 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
424

by
3.92 avg rating — 11,477 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
424

by
3.96 avg rating — 4,542 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
424

by
4.06 avg rating — 4,156 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
427

by
4.06 avg rating — 2,716 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
427

by
3.58 avg rating — 84,460 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
429

by
3.68 avg rating — 18,737 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
430

by
4.01 avg rating — 16,932 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
430

by
4.20 avg rating — 1,546 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
432

by
3.87 avg rating — 221 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
432

by
3.69 avg rating — 403,927 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
434

by
3.32 avg rating — 18,908 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
435

by
3.96 avg rating — 171 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
435

by
3.90 avg rating — 2,968 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
435

by
4.09 avg rating — 2,039 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
435

by
4.10 avg rating — 2,101 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
435

by
4.07 avg rating — 2,232 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
435

by
4.01 avg rating — 2,379 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
435

by
3.93 avg rating — 3,392 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
442

by
3.72 avg rating — 74 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
442

by
3.94 avg rating — 22,115 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
444

by
4.37 avg rating — 301 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
445

by
3.38 avg rating — 24 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
445

by
3.92 avg rating — 2,493 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
447

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 759 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
447

by
3.54 avg rating — 12,895 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
447

by
4.03 avg rating — 19,178 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
450

by
3.99 avg rating — 8,935 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
451

by
4.10 avg rating — 532 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
451

by
3.75 avg rating — 11,654 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
451

by
3.84 avg rating — 1,915 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
454

by
3.79 avg rating — 5,665 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
454

by
4.11 avg rating — 10,958 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
454

by
4.02 avg rating — 2,551 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
457

by
3.91 avg rating — 62,183 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
457

by
4.09 avg rating — 18,906 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
459

by
4.04 avg rating — 3,894 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
460

by
3.89 avg rating — 5,916 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
461

by
4.25 avg rating — 10,456 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
461

by
4.33 avg rating — 7,504 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
463

by
3.97 avg rating — 5,617 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
463

by
4.11 avg rating — 14,233 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
465

by
3.82 avg rating — 30,667 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
466

by
4.06 avg rating — 14,701 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
467

by
3.82 avg rating — 1,018 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
468

by
3.89 avg rating — 18,167 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
469

by
3.91 avg rating — 1,507 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
470

by
3.93 avg rating — 22,326 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
471

by
3.98 avg rating — 25,875 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
472

by
3.67 avg rating — 6,625 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
472

by
3.76 avg rating — 1,119 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
474

by
4.08 avg rating — 63,809 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
475

by
3.66 avg rating — 404 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
476

by
4.15 avg rating — 63,051 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
477

by
3.71 avg rating — 403 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
478

by
4.07 avg rating — 15,298 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
479

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 205 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
479

by
3.47 avg rating — 414 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
479

by
3.97 avg rating — 2,434 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
479

by
3.91 avg rating — 70,616 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
483

by
3.81 avg rating — 1,561 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
484

by
3.71 avg rating — 1,557 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
485

by
3.95 avg rating — 2,200 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
485

by
3.82 avg rating — 43,238 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
487

by
3.20 avg rating — 83 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
488

by
3.63 avg rating — 1,327 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
489

by
3.72 avg rating — 1,700 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
490

by
3.80 avg rating — 292 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
491

by
3.90 avg rating — 830 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
492

by
4.10 avg rating — 1,680 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
493

by
3.93 avg rating — 40,430 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
494

by
3.86 avg rating — 16,657 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
495

by
4.03 avg rating — 2,223 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
496

by
3.87 avg rating — 7,658 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
496

by
4.03 avg rating — 644 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
498

by
3.96 avg rating — 20,194 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
499

by
3.72 avg rating — 1,292 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.06 avg rating — 18 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
890 books · 880 voters · list created July 18th, 2009 by Kevis Hendrickson (votes) .
146 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Kevis 1711 books
799 friends
Greyweather 2660 books
65 friends
John 846 books
53 friends
Travis 533 books
23 friends
ma ri na 368 books
12 friends
Blue Eyed Vixen 16622 books
377 friends
Jerry 234 books
41 friends
Monique 402 books
19 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-13 of 13 (13 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by Monique (new)

Monique Guilland How few!


message 2: by CaliGirlRae (new)

CaliGirlRae So true. Certainly there's more SF books to add with awesome main female characters!


Kagama-the Literaturevixen Isnt the Meljean Brooks book more of a steampunk?


message 4: by Dawn (new)

Dawn Dragondrums has a male protagonist, BTW (Piemur).

Nice list.


message 5: by Karen (new)

Karen Love the Tamora Pierce but that is fantasy isn't?


message 6: by Lou (new)

Lou Bell No Sarah Zettel, or did I miss one? Fool's War is a classic!


message 7: by Marne (new)

Marne Wilson By what stretch of the imagination is the Mists of Avalon a science fiction book?


message 8: by Kevis (new)

Kevis Hendrickson Marne wrote: "By what stretch of the imagination is the Mists of Avalon a science fiction book?"

Good question, Marne. I think that book warrants removal.


message 9: by Anastasia (new)

Anastasia I deleted a score of books which are fantasy:
- Birthgrave by Tanith Lee (happens to be my favorite book ever... still not scifi, although you could argue that point, it's classical pulp sword & sorcery)
- Tamora Pierce books
- Golden Compass books by Pullman
- Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
- Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly
- Godstalk by P.C. Hodgell (great book)


message 10: by Sarah (new)

Sarah I cleaned out some fantasy books
- Tamora Pierce books (someone post have added them back in after Anastasia deleted them)
- Golden Compass books by Pullman (ditto)
- The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley


message 11: by Amy (new)

Amy I also have to say the Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin is also a fantasy novel. Mrs. Le Guin did write a number of Sci Fi books though.


message 12: by David (new)

David Leemon Monique wrote: "How few!"

I thought of five books to add to the list.


message 13: by Lida (new)

Lida Keshvarikanzagh The Deity I Did Not Want
After a long time, I finally read a book with a completely fresh and original idea. This is a short story available on Amazon Kindle, and it takes no more than 20 minutes to read — but it has so much to say. Once you start, you simply can't put it down. I highly recommend it to everyone!


back to top



Related News

  Here at Goodreads World Headquarters, we sort through a lot of books each month. Our monthly Readers' Most Anticipated Books feature is...

Anyone can add books to this list.