Within recent years, more and more female authors are gaining traction. It is a large difference from the male dominated literature we have seen for years before. Many books written by women give a new perspective a man could never write. Living as a woman is very different than living as a man, and these women’s books showcase that. The nuance that comes with living as a woman adds nuance and relatability to the books they write. The oppression, the sexualization, and the domestication of women allow them to write from these experiences. This experience imbued into their works makes works much more relatable to other women, and even to non-women of other minorities. While many women write many books, here is a list of female authors who truly do encapsulate the nuances of womanhood.

1. Ottessa Moshfegh

Moshfegh is a very successful American author with four books currently out, and a fifth one, Lapvona, set to come out later this year. Moshfegh embodies the unique but mundane complexities of living as a woman. Her works feature unlikeable characters because everyone in life is unlikable. Her characters aren’t kind, aren’t that interesting, aren’t anything to be idolized. But, her work, her sharp, bold writing style makes you want to read them. Her works are intoxicating, but, after you read them, you realize not much happened. She explores the intricacies of womanhood through slight absurdist and magical realist settings. Her work is a must read. It will make you question the book, the characters, but also yourself.

1. R. F. Kuang

Kuang is a Chinese-American fantasy author. Her book series The Poppy War is a three book long historical fantasy. It is based up the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil war. Kuang states that aside from writing about what she loves, she wrote her books to showcase that high fantasy does not have to be medieval and European. Her books also fix a large problem fantasy has had since its creation. Most traditional, high fantasy novels have numerous wars, but never show the destruction caused by the characters’ actions. R. F. does not do this. Within her books she shows all of the negative consequences of her characters’ decisions. While the content may get heavy, it paints a realistic depiction of the horrors of war, and does not just run away from them for the sake of a prettier story. She writes with nuance, passion, and truth, leaving her work an essential to any fantasy fan.

1. Tiffany McDaniel

Tiffany McDaniel is native Ohio author, and one who loves to set her stories where she grew up. McDaniel is a very lyrical and poetic author. She fills her stories with symbolism that transcends over all her characters lives, and legitimately brings her characters off the page. The characterization within her books transcends her words into living breathing things. Whether it be the smallest blade of grass at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, or a teacher, filled with the rage of the white God punishing an indegenious little girl. While her tales meander through lifetimes, each moment is just as powerful as the next. Her stories show us the narratives of people we would’ve never known before through the magnificent lens of her lyrical prose. 

There are a plethora of brilliant female authors within the literary scene right now. Honorable mentions today are Salley Rooney, Maggie Stiefvater, Erin Morgenstern, Shelly Parker Chan, Alice Oseman, VE Schwab, and Patti Smith. These wonderful books can be found at your local bookstore, your library, or second hand online bookshops such as thriftbooks.com.