American Female Science Fiction Writers

Vote for Your Favourite American Female Science Fiction Writers

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 1 
Octavia Butler
(American Author Known for Her Science Fiction Novels)
Octavia Butler
14
Birthdate: June 22, 1947
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Pasadena, California, United States
Died: February 24, 2006

One of the finest African-American sci-fi authors, Octavia Butler was raised single-handedly by her widowed mother. Best known for the Patternist series and the short story Bloodchild, she often mingled mythology and spirituality in her work. She was the first sci-fi author to receive a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship.

 2 
Ursula K. Le Guin
(American Author Best Known for Her Works of Speculative Fiction)
Ursula K. Le Guin
12
Birthdate: October 21, 1929
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Berkeley, California, United States
Died: January 22, 2018

Ursula K. Le Guin was an American author. In a career spanning almost six decades, Ursula wrote about political and social themes like race and sexuality. Throughout her career, Ursula had a major influence on speculative fiction. Her book A Wizard of Earthsea is credited with inspiring ideas like 'wizard school', which was later popularized in the Harry Potter series.

 3 
Anne Rice
(American Author Best Known for Her Series of Novels ‘The Vampire Chronicles’)
Anne Rice
8
Birthdate: October 4, 1941
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Height: 5'2" (157 cm)
 4 
N. K. Jemisin
(Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer Known for Her 'Inheritance' Trilogy)
N. K. Jemisin
14
Birthdate: September 19, 1972
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Iowa City, Iowa, United States

N. K. Jemisin became the first writer to win the Hugo Best Novel award thrice consecutively and is best known for her Inheritance trilogy and her Broken Earth series. The African-American author is also a trained psychologist and has worked as a counsellor in several universities.

 5 
Marion Zimmer Bradley
(Writer)
Marion Zimmer Bradley
7
Birthdate: June 3, 1930
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Albany, New York, United States
Died: September 25, 1999
 6 
Nora Roberts
(Writer, Novelist, Screenwriter, Science fiction writer)
Nora Roberts
21
Birthdate: October 10, 1950
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Silver Spring

An author who has penned over 200 romance novels, Nora Roberts is also known by her pseudonyms such as J. D. Robb and Jill March. Apart from writing New York Times bestsellers such as Hideaway and Under Currents, she has also penned the suspense series In Death.

 7 
Anne McCaffrey
(American-Irish Writer Known for the 'Dragonriders of Pern' Science Fiction Series)
Anne McCaffrey
7
Birthdate: April 1, 1926
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Died: November 21, 2011

Anne Inez McCaffrey was an American-Irish writer, whose unpretentious down-to-earth style made her popular with children and adult alike. A prolific writer, she had around 100 titles to her credit, several of which were written in collaboration with her son. Best known for her juvenile fictions, including her Dragonriders of Pern series, she had been honored with many distinguished awards.

 8 
V. E. Schwab
(Writer)
V. E. Schwab
7
Birthdate: July 7, 1987
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: America
 9 
Charlaine Harris
(Author Who Specializes in Mysteries and Known for Her Book Series 'The Southern Vampire Mysteries')
Charlaine Harris
13
Birthdate: November 25, 1951
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Tunica, Mississippi, United States

Charlaine Harris is an American author best known for writing the popular book series The Southern Vampire Mysteries. Apart from being translated into several languages, the series was also adapted into a successful HBO TV series titled True Blood. The success of True Blood prompted NBC to adapt Harris' Midnight, Texas Trilogy into a TV series of the same name.

 10 
Nnedi Okorafor
(Writer)
Nnedi Okorafor
10
Birthdate: April 8, 1974
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
 11 
Lois McMaster Bujold
(Fiction writer)
Lois McMaster Bujold
6
Birthdate: November 2, 1949
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio, United States
 12 
Victoria Aveyard
(Novelist)
Victoria Aveyard
8
Birthdate: July 27, 1990
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, US
 13 
Annie Dillard
(Author)
Annie Dillard
6
Birthdate: April 30, 1945
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
 14 
G. Willow Wilson
(Journalist, Writer, Comics writer, Science fiction writer)
G. Willow Wilson
4
Birthdate: August 31, 1982
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: New Jersey
 15 
Andre Norton
(Writer)
Andre Norton
6
Birthdate: February 17, 1912
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Died: March 17, 2005
 16 
Tamora Pierce
(Writer)
Tamora Pierce
10
Birthdate: December 13, 1954
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: South Connellsville, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, US
 17 
Rebecca Skoot
(Writer)
Rebecca Skoot
6
Birthdate: September 19, 1972
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Springfield, Illinois, United States
 18 
James Tiptree Jr.
(Author)
James Tiptree Jr.
3
Birthdate: August 24, 1915
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, U.S
Died: May 19, 1987
 19 
Jane Roberts
(Poet, Writer, Psychic, Science fiction writer, Children's writer)
Jane Roberts
8
Birthdate: May 8, 1929
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Saratoga County
Died: September 5, 1984
 20 
Caitlín R. Kiernan
(Paleontologist)
Caitlín R. Kiernan
3
Birthdate: May 26, 1964
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Skerries, Ireland

Caitlín R. Kiernan is an Irish-born American author and paleontologist. A two-time winner of both the Bram Stoker and World Fantasy awards, Kiernan has written over 250 short stories and several novels. She has also won several other prestigious awards, such as the International Horror Guild Award, Barnes and Noble Maiden Voyage Award, and James Tiptree, Jr. Award.  

 21 
Elizabeth Moon
(American Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer)
Elizabeth Moon
3
Birthdate: March 7, 1945
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: McAllen, Texas, United States
 22 
Joanna Russ
(Writer)
Joanna Russ
3
Birthdate: February 22, 1937
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: April 29, 2011
 23 
Jane Jensen
(Video game designer, Writer)
Jane Jensen
3
Birthdate: January 28, 1963
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Palmerton, Pennsylvania, United States
 24 
C. L. Moore
(Writer)
C. L. Moore
2
Birthdate: January 24, 1911
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Died: April 4, 1987
 25 
Pat Cadigan
(Writer)
Pat Cadigan
2
Birthdate: September 10, 1953
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Schenectady, New York, United States
 26 
Judith Merril
(American-Canadian Science Fiction Writer, Editor and Political Activist)
Judith Merril
3
Birthdate: January 21, 1923
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died: September 12, 1997

Sci-fi author Judith Josephine Grossman, better known by her pen-name, Judith Merril, is also known for editing several anthologies. After her father’s suicide, she was raised by her mother in the Bronx. That Only A Mother remains one of her best-known short stories and has been part of many anthologies.

 27 
Diana L. Paxson
(Writer)
Diana L. Paxson
2
Birthdate: February 20, 1943
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, United States
 28 
Daína Chaviano
(Cuban-American Writer)
Daína Chaviano
2
Birthdate: February 19, 1957
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Havana, Cuba

Daína Chaviano is a Cuban-American writer best known for her fantasy and science fiction books. Along with Elia Barceló and Angélica Gorodischer, Chaviano is often counted among the three most prominent female science fiction and fantasy writers in the Spanish language. Over the course of her career, Daína Chaviano has won many prestigious awards including the International Dublin Literary Award.

 29 
Sandra McDonald
(American Science Fiction and Fantasy Author)
Sandra McDonald
6
Birthdate: October 12, 1966
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Revere, Massachusetts, United States