Taking a cue from Erin, who went off of the list I found earlier, I put together my list of top science fiction and fantasy heroines.

However, I only like to watch science fiction, not read it, so all the science fiction heroines are from TV and movies.

I’m sure there are lots I forgot, so I am intending to keep working on it. But feel free to mention someone you think I forgot–or more importantly a book or movie you think I should check out, so I can add to my list!

ADDENDUM the First: Link corrected.

The Devil in Music (1997) Kate Ross

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Whom the Gods Love (1995) Kate Ross

Alexander Falkland has been killed. His head smashed in with a poker while one of his famous parties rages upstairs. But Alex is the darling of the ton (it took me awhile to figure this one out; the ton is the bon ton, or high society in London) and no one has the faintest idea who would have wanted to kill him. So Malcolm Falkland, Alexander’s father, hires Julian Kestrel to assist Bow Street in this investigation, believing that the darlings of society will talk to Alexander when they wouldn’t talk to Bow Street.

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Green Rider (1998) Kristen Britain

Karigan G’ladheon is on her way home after getting suspended from school when a Green Rider, arrows in his back, comes across her, and begs her to carry his message satchel to the King. Meanwhile, in various spots throughout the kingdom, bad things are happening.

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The Writer Beware list of the 20 Worst Literary Agents

• The Abacus Group Literary Agency
• Allred and Allred Literary Agents (refers clients to “book doctor” Victor West of Pacific Literary Services)
• Capital Literary Agency (formerly American Literary Agents of Washington, Inc.)
• Barbara Bauer Literary Agency
• Benedict Associates (also d/b/a B.A. Literary Agency)
• Sherwood Broome, Inc.
• Desert Rose Literary Agency
• Arthur Fleming Associates
• Finesse Literary Agency (Karen Carr)
• Brock Gannon Literary Agency
• Harris Literary Agency
• The Literary Agency Group, which includes the following:
  • Children’s Literary Agency
  • Christian Literary Agency
  • New York Literary Agency
  • Poets Literary Agency
  • The Screenplay Agency
  • Stylus Literary Agency (formerly ST Literary Agency, formerly Sydra-Techniques)
  • Writers Literary & Publishing Services Company (the editing arm of the above-mentioned agencies)
• Martin-McLean Literary Associates
• Mocknick Productions Literary Agency, Inc.
• B.K. Nelson, Inc.
• The Robins Agency (Cris Robins)
• Michele Rooney Literary Agency (also d/b/a Creative Literary Agency, Simply Nonfiction, and Michele Glance Rooney Literary Agency)
• Southeast Literary Agency
• Mrk Sullivan Associates
• West Coast Literary Associates (also d/b/a California Literary Services)

If you’re curious as to why I have posted this, please read this post on Making Light.

Rearranging bookshelves requires a will of iron.

Unfortunately, when it comes to books, I have a will of aluminum foil.

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Cut to the Quick (1993) Kate Ross

Reading the T. F. Banks books put me in the mood for another Victorian mystery, and lucky for me, I had one waiting here to read.

Julian Kestrel is a dandy. He’s making his mark on London society by being a sharp dresser, and the perfect gentleman–even if he doesn’t actually seem to be a gentleman.

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Hellblazer: Original Sins (1987) Jamie Delano

So. Well.

I first came across Constantine in the Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes, when Constantine helps Morpheus get his bag of sand back. He was a strange character, and I wasn’t sure about him. But I was curious.

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For those of you playing along at home, I’ve finally come out of my depression enough that it feels safe to start working on my story again.

I haven’t written anything new yet, because it’s been awhile and I have to re-immerse myself back in the tale, but I’ve been through it from page one, and rewriting things as I deem necessary. I still have on passage I know I need to rewrite, I wrote it solely to amuse myself, but I think only a handful of other people will get the joke, so for such a major plot point, I’d best make some changes. (Basically, the start of a major scene is a huge Deep Space Nine joke. Amusing to me, not so much to anyone else.)

All this, of course, assuming that I can slow down my current reading binge.

I give it 50/50 odds right now.

War for the Oaks (1987) Emma Bull

Wow. I’ve been bypassing this book for years. Initially, because wasn’t on the shelves. Then when the reprint came out, because the cover made it look like something I wouldn’t like.

Boy was I wrong.

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Last night we finally saw “Memoirs of a Geisha.” (First part: excellent. Second part: Bleh.) Afterwards, I wanted the book to check that the movie really had diverged that much in the second half, because it’s been a really long time since I read Memoirs of a Geisha–I believe I read it the year it came out, in 1997.)

It’s not here.

I looked on every bookshelf. Michael looked on every bookshelf. I went back and looked again.

Then I noticed that I didn’t see my copy of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. So we both looked for that.

It’s not here.

It this point I was somewhat distraught. Because I’d re-read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil in October, so I knew I wasn’t imagining that I owned it.

Then I went to pick up the next book I wanted to read. I decided I wanted to finally read China Mieville’s Perdido Street Station.

Not here.

Now, it’s possible that I borrowed “Memoirs” from my mother. Possible. And it’s possible that Perdido Street Station ended up at the used bookstore the last time we culled the books. And it’s also possible that “Midnight” is in Baltimore with my grandmother.

It’s possible.

However, it was very disconcerting to look for three different books, and find that they were no longer there. I mean, I know precisely on the bookshelf where Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil should be. (Living room. Bookshelf by the entertainment center. Middle shelf. Far left. Beside Midnight in Sicily and The Madman and the Professor.) I may have a lot of books, but if it’s a book I really liked, I can to tell you precisely where that book is. So to look for three books in a row and find them all missing is rather upsetting. (I decided not to check on my favorite books, on the off chance that looking for these books was causing them to disappear.)

So I won’t be re-reading Memoirs of a Geisha immediately. But I’m going to find a copy soon, because I really loved the book, I don’t want the second part of the movie to get stuck in my mind, displacing the book I enjoyed so much.

ADDENDUM the First:
If you’d like my recommendation on the movie: Rent it. When the planes and WWII intrude on the story, turn the movie off and return it. Then go get the book.

I love listening to Sound & Spirit.

Even without all the other things I love about XM radio, I’d keep it just so I could continue to listen to Sound & Spirit, which isn’t available locally. (That’s become a mantra recently. “No, WV public radio doesn’t have THAT show either.”)

Anyway.

This week’s show was on courage, and I found it very interesting. I never knew that courage meant something else in medieval times. I mean, I knew that its etymology is French (and Latin), meaning, “from the heart,” but I never thought of courage as relating to… er… well…

I’m suddenly thinking that I’ve missed an awful lot in some of the books I’ve been reading over the years.

For your edification, the traditional ballad: My Husband’s Got No Courage in Him

Blood Pact (1993) Tanya Huff

Surprisingly, I like Blood Pact a lot more than Blood Lines, the last book, although it was quite different than the previous four. In this book they battle not magic, but science: a group of researchers are reanimating the dead.

I say surprisingly because the researchers were creating zombies. Vicki, Mike, and Henry kept speaking of Dr. Frankenstein, but really, it was zombies.

I HATE zombies.

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Blood Trail (1992) Tanya Huff

Okay, I did have a very strong drink to celebrate the end of the semester, so that may have been part of the reason why I laughed out loud several times last night while reading this book. Or, it could be that the book was actually amusing. Your call.

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Blood Lines (1993) Tanya Huff

In the third book in the Victory Nelson Private Investigator series, an ancient mummy is released from his bindings and takes up where he left off–gathering power and souls for his God. Several strange deaths draw Mike Celluci, and then Vicki Nelson and Henry Fitzroy onto the case.

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