I'm interested in having a diverse reading list. That means I'm interested for example in authors who are people of colour, queer, women or people of other marginalised genders, from different parts of the world outside Western Europe and North America, and other marginalised voices.
I love speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, post-apocalyptic, utopian) but I’m open to other genres too. I'm only looking for fiction at the moment.
I like books that help us imagine a different kind of society, question societal norms, and make us reflect on questions such as social inequality. I like it when the books bring a philosophical or political lens such as a feminist/queer/decolonial/anticapitalist/indigenous/environmentalist perspective.
Some of my favourite books/authors are:
– Octavia Butler
– The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
– Babel by R.F. Kuang
– Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy
– The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
– Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
– MaddAddam Trilogy by Margaret Atwood (I also loved The Handmaid's Tale and The Testaments)
– Emily St. John Mandel
Books that should have worked for me but didn’t:
– Becky Chambers – I don't know why, theoretically it's exactly what I want but I tried 2 books by her and they were ok but I couldn't really get into them
– The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
– The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
– A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
– Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
– The Power by Naomi Alderman
by Pauxli
9 Comments
I really enjoyed *Native Tongue*, which seems consistent with your list.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Tongue_%28Elgin_novel%29?wprov=sfla1
I think you would really enjoy Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang, it tackles a lot of the subjects you‘re interested in
And if you like short stories What it Means When a Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nnedi Arimah is a great collection
A School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan is a good Handmaiden’s Tale read-alike, but focuses more on income inequality and the experiences of people of color
You should try Kalpa Imperial by Angélica Gorodischer, an argentinian sci-fi book which was translated by Ursula K. Le Guinn herself! It has political commentary.
*Frankenstein* by Mary Shelley
*Ancillary Justice* by Ann Leckie
*The Left Hand of Darkness* by Ursula K. Le Guin
*Kindred* by Octavia Butler
Hum by Helen Phillips
Vagabonds by Eloghosa Osunde
The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera
Chlorine by Jade Song
Walking Practice by Dolki Min
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
A Half Built Garden by Ruthanna Emerys
Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh
Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland
The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey
Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq
Metal from Heaven by August Clarke
Dhalgren by Samuel Delany
Also, we have extremely similar taste, but I love Becky Chambers, and it kinda smarts to see you not like them
The Gate to Women’s Country by Sheri S. Tepper
This is a genre I’ve read a lot. Here’s some that I think might fit what you’re looking for:
The Blueprint
How High We Go in the Dark
We Cast a Shadow
American War
Underground Airlines