Strong Female Characters

[_ocelott_]

You know what's a problem? Strong female characters. First of all, why do we have to specify "strong" when referring to "female characters?" Why is this not a given? The default for male is not "strong" or "wusstastic," so why do we have to be so specific about the chicks? It just creates complications, especially when the writer of a book or

Comments

[kat_nic]

I nominate Kerowyn from By The Sword. I think she's the most believable female fighter I've ever read. She is not some perfectly coifed waif with a sword, she gets down and dirty with the boys (and other girls, by the way), and wears real armor, not some metal push up bra/girdle thing. Plus I like that it starts out with her as an adolescent, so we get to see what made her choose the life she did (mercenary) and watch her grow and change, as opposed to starting the story when she's already a kick ass merc. Please don't let the hideous cover art dissuade from you from reading it.

[tracykitn]

Yes! I second this! Actually, a lot of Mercedes Lackey's female characters are a bit like this--I quite like Talia from the Queen's Own series, and Tarma and Kethry as well. They all had flaws and foibles that made them appear that much more strong and appealing when they overcame whatever was in front of them despite, or even because of, what they'd suffered through.

[caffyolay]

I really love Patricia Briggs's Mercy Thompson. She's a garage mechanic who consorts with werewolves but she herself 'changes' into a coyote. And she's normal with weaknesses and fears but is strong in the fact that she's very brave. I love the series - Moon Called is the first book.

Why stop at one?

[ed_rex]

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned the series to you before, but what the hell - I'll do it again.

Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy is chock-full of not just strong, but well-rounded female characters. Smart, talented, humourous, observant, flawed, neurotic, passionate ... more or less the full gamut of humanity's strengths and weaknesses.

[faerylite]

Oh, yes, I really don't like 'strong heroine' == 'snarky bitch'. If a male character behaved like that, no one would hang out with him.

The heroines in Anya Bast's Witch series are interesting people without needing to kick ass or give snark all the time. But that's a different heroine for each book -- I think it's harder to keep the same MC interesting for book after book.

[tirra_lyrra]

This! I can't stand female characters who are supposed to be badass, but are really just brats with a bad attitude.

What about Brienne from Song of Ice and Fire? She's good in a fight and hangs out with the boys, but gets solidly mocked for it and treated like a freak of nature. Despite being treated badly, she has more heart and integrity than most of the other characters in the books.

Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel, maybe? I've only read the first couple of books, so I don't know how the character turns out. But in the first one, especially, she knows what she wants and goes after it, using all the tools available to her...but especially her guile.