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This list features the best books in science fiction featuring great female protagonists.
Score
A book’s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.
| 1 |
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The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)
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4.35 avg rating — 9,687,998 ratings
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| 2 |
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On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington, #1)
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4.14 avg rating — 48,560 ratings
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| 3 |
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A Wrinkle in Time (A Wrinkle in Time Quintet, #1)
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3.97 avg rating — 1,268,753 ratings
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| 4 |
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The Handmaid’s Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)
by
Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author)
4.15 avg rating — 2,354,185 ratings
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| 5 |
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Trading in Danger (Vatta's War, #1)
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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 16,132 ratings
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| 6 |
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Grimspace (Sirantha Jax, #1)
by
Ann Aguirre (Goodreads Author)
3.74 avg rating — 16,232 ratings
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| 7 |
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Cordelia's Honor (Vorkosigan Omnibus, #1)
by
Lois McMaster Bujold (Goodreads Author)
4.33 avg rating — 14,376 ratings
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| 8 |
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Crystal Singer (Crystal Singer, #1)
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4.14 avg rating — 21,769 ratings
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| 9 |
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Contact
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4.15 avg rating — 150,838 ratings
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| 10 |
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Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)
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4.11 avg rating — 3,635,366 ratings
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| 11 |
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Valor's Choice (Confederation, #1)
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3.99 avg rating — 8,853 ratings
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| 11 |
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Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)
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4.35 avg rating — 4,058,565 ratings
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| 13 |
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Dragonflight (Dragonriders of Pern, #1)
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4.08 avg rating — 142,715 ratings
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| 14 |
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Shards of Honour (Vorkosigan Saga, #1)
by
Lois McMaster Bujold (Goodreads Author)
4.07 avg rating — 39,678 ratings
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| 15 |
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The Ship Who Sang (Brainship, #1)
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4.04 avg rating — 26,338 ratings
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| 16 |
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Snow Crash
by
Neal Stephenson (Goodreads Author)
4.01 avg rating — 294,903 ratings
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| 17 |
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Kindred
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4.31 avg rating — 262,649 ratings
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| 18 |
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V for Vendetta
by
Alan Moore (Goodreads Author)
4.26 avg rating — 322,160 ratings
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| 19 |
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Dragonsong (Harper Hall, #1)
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4.26 avg rating — 58,429 ratings
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| 20 |
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Divergent (Divergent, #1)
by
Veronica Roth (Goodreads Author)
4.13 avg rating — 4,315,054 ratings
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| 21 |
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Doomsday Book (Oxford Time Travel, #1)
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4.03 avg rating — 63,917 ratings
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| 22 |
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Stardoc (Stardoc, #1)
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3.80 avg rating — 3,912 ratings
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| 23 |
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The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer
by
Neal Stephenson (Goodreads Author)
4.16 avg rating — 92,622 ratings
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| 24 |
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Fortune's Pawn (Paradox, #1)
by
Rachel Bach (Goodreads Author)
3.94 avg rating — 16,072 ratings
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| 25 |
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A Soldier's Duty (Theirs Not to Reason Why, #1)
by
Jean Johnson (Goodreads Author)
3.99 avg rating — 4,874 ratings
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| 26 |
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Dune (Dune #1)
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4.29 avg rating — 1,588,628 ratings
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| 27 |
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Parable of the Sower (Earthseed, #1)
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4.20 avg rating — 247,278 ratings
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| 28 |
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Command Decision (Vatta's War, #4)
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4.11 avg rating — 10,393 ratings
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| 29 |
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Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)
by
Marissa Meyer (Goodreads Author)
4.13 avg rating — 998,994 ratings
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| 30 |
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Dragonsinger (Harper Hall, #2)
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4.30 avg rating — 48,423 ratings
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| 31 |
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The Snow Queen (The Snow Queen Cycle, #1)
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3.94 avg rating — 13,093 ratings
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| 32 |
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Uglies (Uglies, #1)
by
Scott Westerfeld (Goodreads Author)
3.84 avg rating — 703,533 ratings
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| 33 |
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Sassinak (Planet Pirates, #1)
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3.93 avg rating — 8,551 ratings
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| 34 |
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Friday
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3.85 avg rating — 30,210 ratings
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| 35 |
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Impermanence
by
Daniel Frisano (Goodreads Author)
4.23 avg rating — 90 ratings
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| 36 |
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Hope For The Future
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4.89 avg rating — 36 ratings
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| 37 |
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Engaging the Enemy (Vatta's War, #3)
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4.08 avg rating — 10,144 ratings
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| 38 |
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Wool Omnibus (Silo, #1)
by
Hugh Howey (Goodreads Author)
4.23 avg rating — 267,740 ratings
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| 39 |
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Freedom's Landing (Catteni, #1)
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3.99 avg rating — 12,259 ratings
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| 40 |
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Virtues of War (Virtues of War, #1)
by
Bennett R. Coles (Goodreads Author)
3.69 avg rating — 313 ratings
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| 41 |
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Beggars in Spain (Sleepless, #1)
by
Nancy Kress (Goodreads Author)
3.93 avg rating — 8,854 ratings
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| 42 |
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Victory Conditions (Vatta's War, #5)
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4.10 avg rating — 9,348 ratings
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| 43 |
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The Eyre Affair (Thursday Next, #1)
by
Jasper Fforde (Goodreads Author)
3.88 avg rating — 136,472 ratings
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| 44 |
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In Fury Born (1) (Fury Series)
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4.31 avg rating — 7,353 ratings
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| 45 |
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Tehanu (Earthsea Cycle, #4)
by
4.06 avg rating — 57,731 ratings
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| 46 |
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Mutineer (Kris Longknife, #1)
by
Mike Shepherd (Goodreads Author)
3.90 avg rating — 5,880 ratings
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| 47 |
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Dreamsnake
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3.87 avg rating — 11,116 ratings
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| 48 |
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Leviathan (Leviathan, #1)
by
Scott Westerfeld (Goodreads Author)
3.92 avg rating — 94,379 ratings
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| 49 |
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The Iron Duke (Iron Seas, #1)
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3.85 avg rating — 17,175 ratings
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| 50 |
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City of Pearl (Wess'har Wars, #1)
by
Karen Traviss (Goodreads Author)
3.91 avg rating — 2,316 ratings
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| 51 |
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A Wind in the Door (Time Quintet, #2)
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3.99 avg rating — 131,323 ratings
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| 52 |
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Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga, #7)
by
Lois McMaster Bujold (Goodreads Author)
4.30 avg rating — 30,600 ratings
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| 53 |
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They Came to Help Us
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4.70 avg rating — 37 ratings
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| 54 |
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The Pride of Chanur (Chanur, #1)
by
C.J. Cherryh (Goodreads Author)
3.94 avg rating — 7,662 ratings
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| 55 |
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Primary Inversion (Saga of the Skolian Empire, #1)
by
Catherine Asaro (Goodreads Author)
3.74 avg rating — 4,259 ratings
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| 56 |
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Touched by an Alien (Katherine "Kitty" Katt, #1)
by
Gini Koch (Goodreads Author)
3.70 avg rating — 5,612 ratings
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| 57 |
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A Thousand Words for Stranger (Trade Pact Universe, #1)
by
Julie E. Czerneda (Goodreads Author)
3.89 avg rating — 2,887 ratings
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| 58 |
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Once a Hero (The Serrano Legacy, #4)
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4.08 avg rating — 5,426 ratings
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| 59 |
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A Galaxy Unknown (A Galaxy Unknown #1)
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3.95 avg rating — 3,502 ratings
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| 60 |
|
Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch, #1)
by
Ann Leckie (Goodreads Author)
3.99 avg rating — 116,563 ratings
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| 61 |
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Project Butterfly (Project Butterfly #1)
by
K.A. Angliss (Goodreads Author)
4.28 avg rating — 65 ratings
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| 62 |
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Fledgling
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3.80 avg rating — 38,237 ratings
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| 63 |
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Fledgling (Theo Waitley, #1; Liaden Universe, #12)
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4.27 avg rating — 3,223 ratings
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| 64 |
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Alien
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4.09 avg rating — 22,188 ratings
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| 65 |
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Marque and Reprisal (Vatta's War, #2)
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4.09 avg rating — 11,246 ratings
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| 66 |
|
Lilith's Brood (Xenogenesis, #1-3)
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4.37 avg rating — 21,666 ratings
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| 67 |
|
The Year of the Flood (MaddAddam, #2)
by
Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author)
4.07 avg rating — 131,648 ratings
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| 68 |
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Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos, #1)
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4.27 avg rating — 290,089 ratings
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| 69 |
|
The Time Traveler's Wife
by
Audrey Niffenegger (Goodreads Author)
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,847,939 ratings
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| 70 |
|
Remnant Population
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4.11 avg rating — 7,213 ratings
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| 71 |
|
Acorna: The Unicorn Girl (Acorna, #1)
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3.72 avg rating — 10,933 ratings
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| 72 |
|
He, She and It
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3.99 avg rating — 5,787 ratings
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| 73 |
|
The Rowan (The Tower and the Hive, #1)
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4.06 avg rating — 18,175 ratings
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| 74 |
|
According To Plan
by
C.E. Kilgore (Goodreads Author)
4.05 avg rating — 60 ratings
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| 75 |
|
Song of Scarabaeus (Scarabaeus, #1)
by
Sara Creasy (Goodreads Author)
3.62 avg rating — 2,909 ratings
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| 76 |
|
Survival (Species Imperative, #1)
by
Julie E. Czerneda (Goodreads Author)
3.96 avg rating — 2,220 ratings
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| 77 |
|
The Summer Queen (The Snow Queen Cycle, #3)
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4.07 avg rating — 3,357 ratings
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| 78 |
|
Sporting Chance (The Serrano Legacy, #2)
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3.98 avg rating — 4,319 ratings
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| 79 |
|
Killashandra (Crystal Singer, #2)
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4.08 avg rating — 15,798 ratings
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| 80 |
|
Biting the Sun (Four-BEE, #1-2)
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4.24 avg rating — 2,168 ratings
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| 81 |
|
The Silver Metal Lover (Silver Metal Lover, #1)
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4.04 avg rating — 4,192 ratings
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| 82 |
|
Death Drop (The D-Evolution, #1)
by
Sean Allen (Goodreads Author)
3.63 avg rating — 105 ratings
score: 900,
and
9 people voted
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| 83 |
|
Rimrunners (The Company Wars, #3)
by
C.J. Cherryh (Goodreads Author)
3.86 avg rating — 2,176 ratings
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| 84 |
|
Saga, Volume 1
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4.16 avg rating — 356,667 ratings
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| 85 |
|
Cyteen (Cyteen, #1-3)
by
C.J. Cherryh (Goodreads Author)
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 10,508 ratings
score: 856,
and
9 people voted
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| 86 |
|
Behemoth (Leviathan, #2)
by
Scott Westerfeld (Goodreads Author)
4.17 avg rating — 41,176 ratings
score: 853,
and
9 people voted
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| 87 |
|
Girl Genius: Omnibus Edition #1
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4.16 avg rating — 959 ratings
score: 850,
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9 people voted
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| 88 |
|
Wild Seed (Patternist, #1)
by
4.21 avg rating — 38,831 ratings
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| 89 |
|
The Hunger Games Trilogy Boxset (The Hunger Games, #1-3)
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4.50 avg rating — 232,595 ratings
score: 833,
and
9 people voted
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| 90 |
|
Archangel (Samaria, #1)
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4.05 avg rating — 10,825 ratings
score: 817,
and
9 people voted
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| 91 |
|
Inside Out (Insider, #1)
by
Maria V. Snyder (Goodreads Author)
3.82 avg rating — 25,024 ratings
score: 810,
and
9 people voted
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| 92 |
|
The Gate to Women's Country
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4.06 avg rating — 13,986 ratings
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| 93 |
|
Machinations (Last Resistance #1)
by
Hayley Stone (Goodreads Author)
3.80 avg rating — 382 ratings
score: 800,
and
8 people voted
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| 94 |
|
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, #1)
by
Becky Chambers (Goodreads Author)
4.17 avg rating — 178,383 ratings
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| 95 |
|
Reason For Vengeance (Dark Vengeance, #1)
by
Adrian D. Roberts (Goodreads Author)
4.11 avg rating — 76 ratings
score: 797,
and
8 people voted
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| 96 |
|
To Sail Beyond the Sunset
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3.88 avg rating — 11,609 ratings
score: 786,
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9 people voted
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| 97 |
|
Steel Beneath the Skin (Aneka Jansen, #1)
by
Niall Teasdale (Goodreads Author)
3.80 avg rating — 1,616 ratings
score: 779,
and
8 people voted
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| 98 |
|
Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2)
by
Marissa Meyer (Goodreads Author)
4.23 avg rating — 455,102 ratings
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| 99 |
|
All Clear: A Novel
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4.08 avg rating — 21,766 ratings
score: 775,
and
9 people voted
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| 100 |
|
The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth, #1)
by
N.K. Jemisin (Goodreads Author)
4.29 avg rating — 322,992 ratings
score: 774,
and
9 people voted
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890 books ·
880 voters ·
list created July 18th, 2009
by Kevis Hendrickson (votes) .
Kevis
1711 books
799 friends
799 friends
Greyweather
2660 books
65 friends
65 friends
John
848 books
53 friends
53 friends
Travis
533 books
23 friends
23 friends
ma ri na
368 books
12 friends
12 friends
Blue Eyed Vixen
16622 books
377 friends
377 friends
Jerry
234 books
41 friends
41 friends
Monique
402 books
19 friends
19 friends
More voters…
Comments Showing 1-13 of 13 (13 new)
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by
Monique
(new)
Dec 08, 2009 05:39PM
How few!
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So true. Certainly there's more SF books to add with awesome main female characters!
Isnt the Meljean Brooks book more of a steampunk?
Dragondrums has a male protagonist, BTW (Piemur).Nice list.
Love the Tamora Pierce but that is fantasy isn't?
No Sarah Zettel, or did I miss one? Fool's War is a classic!
By what stretch of the imagination is the Mists of Avalon a science fiction book?
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.
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)
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
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.
Monique wrote: "How few!"I thought of five books to add to the list.
The Deity I Did Not WantAfter 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!
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