Greatest Sci-fi Books Written by Women (My Top 5)

I wanted to make another one of these lists, knowing what a monumental task I had ahead of me. I decided to settle for the top five books, but I couldn’t just choose any five books. There are so many amazing science fiction books written by women that it was hard to choose the first five. This became my definitive ranking to start off. Here are the top five greatest science fiction books written by women.

Frankenstein – Mary Shelley

We all know about Frankenstein. However, if you somehow don’t, here’s a quick summary of the book itself.

We all know about Frankenstein. However, if you somehow don’t, here’s a quick summary of the book itself. Victor Frankenstein, as a young boy, develops an interest in alchemy. This translates to an interest in science, and, after his mother’s death, he attends university as a chemistry student. In his dormitory, he crafts a body and brings it to life. However, he flees from it, and so begins a wild chase through Europe as the monster seeks his revenge.

The book was written by a then-eighteen-year-old Mary Shelley and published in 1818. Surprisingly, Shelley’s name didn’t appear on the book until 1821. Adapted into many formats, including films, such as the 1931 version and the 2025 version of the book, Frankenstein is considered one of the greatest books of all time. It’s also considered the greatest Gothic novel of all time. A classic for sure. I read this book a couple of years ago, and it remains on of my favorite books ever. You need to read it! Of course, I needed to place this book at number one because of how how influential it is. However, it also remains stunningly and vividly well-written even by today’s standards.

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The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood

Next, a more recent book but one that deserved a spot on this list. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. By recent, however, I mean 1985, though you may know about this book because of the television series of the same name. In a quick summary of the book, after the overthrow of the U. S. government, a new rule developed in its place: the Republic of Gilead. This totalitarian rule grants strict roles for women and sets up a patriarchal system. The story follows a woman named Offred, who acts as a handmaid. A handmaid’s only purpose is to bear children.

This book won a variety of awards when it was first published, including the first Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1987. It was also nominated for other awards, including the Booker Prize. Besides the television series, which premiered in 2017, the book also spawned a 1990 film. The book also deals with themes of women’s oppression and rights, reproductive rights, patriarchal and theocratic rule, and more. This book remains a must-read for everyone, especially in this political climate.

The Left Hand of Darkness – Ursula K. Le Guin

I’m actually reading this book right now! Of course, I needed to include this on the list of greatest books because of how influential it’s been in the genre, but for other reasons as well. The book, published in 1969, is part of Le Guin’s The Hainish Cycle series of books. In it, Genly Ai, a native of Earth, travels to the planet Gethin. He attempts to complete his mission of turning this planet over to the Ekumen, a planet federation. The Gethinians’ values of topics such as sex and gender, however, create a barrier between Ai and the native people.

The Left Hand of Darkness won both the Hugo and Nebula Award for science fiction the following year, and for good reason. This book remains one of the first examples of feminist science fiction and one of the first examples of the use of androgyny. Besides its focus on sex and gender, the book also deals with themes of religion, society, and political opposition, making it relevant today. It’s considered one of the best science fiction books of all time, with some critics citing it as even more influential than Tolkien.

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A Wrinkle in Time – Madeleine L’Engle

Next, this might be a children’s book, but it belongs on the lists of greatest science fiction books for sure. I’m talking about A Wrinkle in Time. I remember reading this book when I was about eleven and loving it. Honestly, I should reread it and do a review! The book follows Meg Murry, her brother Charles Wallace, and friend Calvin. Meg and Charles Wallace’s father disappeared several years ago. The children meet the strange beings Mrs. Who, Mrs. What, and Mrs. Which, who explain that Meg’s father disappeared while “tessering.” Tessering involves traveling through space and time. Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin end up traveling with Mrs. Who, What, and Which to find the childrens’ father.

Written by Madeleine L’Engle, the book appeared in 1962. It won several awards, including the Newberry Award. It’s considered one of the most important and greatest children’s books of all time, as well as an influential book in young adult science fiction. The book’s themes involve darkness vs. light, good vs. evil, as well as religion and scientific reason. Four more books followed, making this series a quintet.

Kindred – Octavia Butler

Lastly, I needed to include this book in my top five for sure. This book, Kindred by Octavia Butler, explores themes of race as well as gender, making it highly important for the greater canon of science fiction and general literature. The book follows Dana, a woman capable of time traveling between the present (1976) and the 19th century, where she finds herself at a plantation. She meets one of her ancestors, Alice, who had been forced into slavery. While witnessing the horrors of slavery in the antebellum south, Dana tries to find a way to get back to her own time period.

Hailed as one of the greatest science fiction books and one of the greatest books in African American literature, Kindred deserves a spot on this list. The book, published in 1979, centers its themes on history, race, gender, interracial marriage, and more, modeling its structure after slave narratives. It offers a condemnation of slavery and a critique of how American history portrays the past, specifically through media.

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I plan to expand on this list in the future, but for now, I think I can say these books constitute the top five science fiction books written by women. However, many more women authors and books have come before and since. I look forward to documenting more of them. In the meantime, thank you for taking the time to read. See you all next week for another book review!

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