Leigh Bardugo has been extremely busy of late, working on not one but three new books. The first, The Language of Thorns (out this week), is a beautifully illustrated collection of fairy tales set in the Grishaverse, the world featured in her Shadow and Bone trilogy and Six of Crows duology. She's also working on her first book for adults, Ninth House, and just announced yet another book set in the Grishaverse called King of Scars. Here, Leigh shares some of her favorite fantasy and sci-fi books, all of which are by female authors. "I thought I would focus on some of the women who have really inspired me," she says.
1. The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
"Most people know Butler for Kindred, but this is an incredible dystopian [novel]. It was recently adapted into an opera by Toshi Reagon. So there are now two incredible ways to discover this story!"
2. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
"This was the first Le Guin I read. It is as powerful now as when it was written [in 1969], and says a lot of intense things about xenophobia and prejudice and gender. It also has some of the most beautiful and elegant world building I’ve come across."
3. Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
"She's been all over the news because George R.R. Martin is adapting one of her other books [for TV]. But Akata Witch is one of my favorites and a really delightful heir to Harry Potter. It's a really perfect read for younger readers who might be looking to get into fantasy."
4. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
"This is a touchstone for most fantasy writers I've met. It's an incredibly beautiful tale. It was adapted into an animated film which is wonderful on its own, but it's very different from the book. The thing I love about the book is that it changes depending on what age you read it. It means something very different when you read it as a teenage girl, or as a woman in her 20s, or a woman who's starting to age into her 40s. It's whimsical without ever being twee, and that's one of the things that I love best about Dianna Wynne Jones."
5. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
"This book is coming out in January, and it is sexy and strange and decadent and creepy and beautiful and lush. I felt absolutely drunk on the world after I read it. It's full of characters behaving horribly and a heroine who is ruthless and cunning but also manages to be kind. I just absolutely adored it and I can't wait for other people to read it so I finally have someone to talk to about it. You know the scene in Labyrinth — it's the best scene in Labyrinth — with the masquerade ball? I have been waiting my entire life to walk into that party full of masked weirdos and David Bowie. This book hit that same dark, wish-fulfillment note that that whole scene strikes, and I felt like I was finally living in the fantasy world I’ve been waiting for since I was 14 years old. I became a fangirl [of this book] in a way that I haven’t really since Game of Thrones. I’ll see quotes from the characters and my heart will start to pound. I had forgotten what that felt like and it feels just delightful."
