Best Science Fiction Books with Female Main Characters

This list features the best books in science fiction featuring great female protagonists.
500

by
4.36 avg rating — 14 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.40 avg rating — 15 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.75 avg rating — 8 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.52 avg rating — 95 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.42 avg rating — 43 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.68 avg rating — 170 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.72 avg rating — 800 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.95 avg rating — 22 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.80 avg rating — 255 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.05 avg rating — 20 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.74 avg rating — 988 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.95 avg rating — 22 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.66 avg rating — 150 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.60 avg rating — 140 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.90 avg rating — 10 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.94 avg rating — 277 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.58 avg rating — 66 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.64 avg rating — 11 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.62 avg rating — 16 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.31 avg rating — 78 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.74 avg rating — 5,048 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.48 avg rating — 135 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.87 avg rating — 100 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.74 avg rating — 35 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.36 avg rating — 162 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.80 avg rating — 54 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.08 avg rating — 12 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.96 avg rating — 108 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.95 avg rating — 175 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.33 avg rating — 15 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.67 avg rating — 112 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.73 avg rating — 3,456 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.88 avg rating — 34 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.03 avg rating — 383 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.83 avg rating — 6 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.24 avg rating — 17 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.79 avg rating — 400 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.90 avg rating — 315 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.68 avg rating — 99 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.26 avg rating — 209 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.43 avg rating — 30 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 5 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.26 avg rating — 19 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.19 avg rating — 47 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.70 avg rating — 292 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.92 avg rating — 12 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.01 avg rating — 231 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.80 avg rating — 5 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.51 avg rating — 258 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.58 avg rating — 26 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.56 avg rating — 16 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.09 avg rating — 904 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.22 avg rating — 18 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.09 avg rating — 2,463 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.05 avg rating — 204 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.97 avg rating — 397 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.67 avg rating — 3 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.60 avg rating — 881 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.84 avg rating — 19 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.63 avg rating — 7,966 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.62 avg rating — 8 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.81 avg rating — 59,911 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.09 avg rating — 2,123 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.24 avg rating — 45 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.44 avg rating — 429 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.90 avg rating — 70 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.84 avg rating — 5,342 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.10 avg rating — 21 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
2.25 avg rating — 4 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
2.99 avg rating — 427 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.05 avg rating — 1,000 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.27 avg rating — 154 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.20 avg rating — 267 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.47 avg rating — 101 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.92 avg rating — 12 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.96 avg rating — 54 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.27 avg rating — 194 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.88 avg rating — 4,124 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.93 avg rating — 15 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.80 avg rating — 127 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.11 avg rating — 35 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.54 avg rating — 125 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.75 avg rating — 4 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.96 avg rating — 21,308 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.76 avg rating — 3,547 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.14 avg rating — 14 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 5 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.03 avg rating — 13,188 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
3.91 avg rating — 47 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
500

by
4.54 avg rating — 24 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
594

by
0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
594

by
3.70 avg rating — 1,535 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
594

by
3.45 avg rating — 20 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
594

by
3.87 avg rating — 573 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
594

by
3.60 avg rating — 2,134 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
594

by
3.88 avg rating — 52 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
594

by
3.94 avg rating — 3,498 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.