Here are some books I’ve read that I’d like to recommend to readers.
1. Kelley Eskridge’s Dangerous Space collection. Eskridge is a fabulous writer and what she does with gender in Dangerous Space just blew my mind. I remember reading Dangerous Space back when I was still learning how to ask questions and my thought was that if I was going to interview Kelley Eskridge, I would have to read her work. I’ve never regretted purchasing Dangerous Space. It’s filled with so much mind-blowing goodness and it’s one of those books where I found myself ecstatic, despairing, and over all completely taken out of myself.
2. Women of Other Worlds: Excursions through Science Fiction and Feminism edited by Helen Merrick, co-edited by Tess Williams. This book is basically a collection of essays, criticisms, and stories. There’s a compilation of a discussion around Kelley Eskridge’s short story, And Salome Danced. I found the discussion to be very interesting and the insight that Eskridge provides into the writing of it are thought-provoking and which would probably be helpful to writers interested in continued explorations of gender in their work.
3. I just love Nalo Hopkinson’s work. It’s very hard to pick a favorite, but Midnight Robber and Salt Roads compete for a place as all time favorite on my shelf. The way Nalo deals with sexuality and gender in these novels are so very thought-provoking. I also love how she treats and acknowledges the sexuality of her characters. Perhaps, I’ve just been looking for stories like this all my life.
4. Nisi Shawl has two books out. Filter House which won the Tiptree and Something More and More. I loved reading both of these books as they showed me what a writer can do with voice and character and story. The range in Nisi’s stories just astounds me. Her stories provoke while they entertain the reader.
5. Bloodchild and other stories by Octavia Butler is a collection of her short work and her essays. I like the way the stories in this collection examine not only the issues of race, but also the issues of power and privilege. Octavia Butler also wrote the deeply intense Kindred which also deals with these issues of power, privilege and race. Everything I’ve read by Octavia Butler is simply brilliant. If you haven’t read her yet, I recommend that you do. You wont’regret it.
I’ll post more books that I’ve read next time. I hope you enjoyed reading these little book list. Happy hunting for the books.