Hartwell's 200 significant SF books by Women 1984-2001
Selected by David G. Hartwell
Criteria for significance in science fiction: 1. Published as SF (which eliminates certain works valued by the SF audience but published out of genre or specifically as horror or as fantasy). 2. Science fiction (and not a genre blend or borrowing of SF tropes) using the annual Locus poll/award listings as the principal genre guideline. 3. Novels and single author collections only, not anthologies. 4. Includes most award nominees and winners during the period but is not limited to them, nor does it include every last one. Every book appeared on some best-of-the-year list or nomination list.
- 1984 EXTRA(ORDINARY) PEOPLE by Joanna Russ
- 1984 DIVINE ENDURANCE by Gwyneth Jones
- 1984 CHANUR'S VENTURE by C J Cherryh
- 1984 VOYAGER IN NIGHT by C J Cherryh
- 1984 WORLD'S END by Joan D Vinge
- 1984 NATIVE TONGUE by Suzette Haden Elgin
- 1984 THE GAME BEYOND by Melissa Scott
- 1985 FIRE WATCH by Connie Willis
- 1985 PHOENIX IN THE ASHES by Joan D Vinge
- 1985 TRINITY AND OTHER STORIES by Nancy Kress
- 1985 THE BEST OF MARION ZIMMER BRADLEY by Marion Zimmer Bradley
- 1985 BRIGHTNESS FALLS FROM THE AIR by James Tiptree Jr
- 1985 ALWAYS COMING HOME by Ursula K Le Guin
- 1985 CUCKOO'S EGG by C J Cherryh
- 1985 THE KIF STRIKES BACK by C J Cherryh
- 1985 INFINITY'S WEB by Sheila Finch
- 1985 THE HANDMAID'S TALE. by Atwood and Margaret.
- 1986 VISIBLE LIGHT by C J Cherryh
- 1986 DREAMS OF DARK AND LIGHT by Tanith Lee
- 1986 TALES OF THE QUINTANA ROO by James Tiptree Jr
- 1986 THE JOURNAL OF NICHOLAS THE AMERICAN by Leigh Kennedy
- 1986 CHANUR'S HOMECOMING by C J Cherryh
- 1986 A DOOR INTO OCEAN by Joan Slonczewski
- 1986 THE WARRIOR'S APPRENTICE by Lois Bujold
- 1986 ARTIFICIAL THINGS by Karen Joy Fowler
- 1986 ESCAPE PLANS by Gwyneth Jones
- 1986 VENUS OF DREAMS by Pamela Sargent
- 1987 BUFFALO GALS AND OTHER ANIMAL PRESENCES by Ursula K Le Guin
- 1987 NIGHT'S SORCERIES by Tanith Lee
- 1987 THE BEST OF PAMELA SARGENT by Pamela Sargent
- 1987 CHANCE AND OTHER GESTURES OF THE HAND OF FATE by Nancy Springer
- 1987 A MASK FOR THE GENERAL by Lisa Goldstein
- 1987 AFTER LONG SILENCE by Sherri S Tepper
- 1987 MINDPLAYERS by Pat Cadigan
- 1987 DAWN by Octavia Butler
- 1987 IN CONQUEST BORN by C S Friedman
- 1987 BECOMING ALIEN by Rebecca Ore
- 1988 CROWN OF STARS by James Tiptree Jr
- 1988 THE HIDDEN SIDE OF THE MOON by Joanna Russ
- 1988 BUSY ABOUT THE TREE OF LIFE by Pamela Zoline
- 1988 CYTEEN by C J Cherryh
- 1988 FALLING FREE by Lois Bujold
- 1988 HELLSPARK by Janet Kagan
- 1988 THE HEALER'S WAR by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
- 1988 AN ALIEN LIGHT by Nancy Kress
- 1988 KAIROS by Gwyneth Jones
- 1988 THE SILENT CITY by Elisabeth Vonarburg
- 1988 ADULTHOOD RITES by Octavia Butler
- 1988 CATSPAW by Joan D Vinge
- 1989 PATTERNS by Pat Cadigan
- 1989 BORDERS OF INFINITY by Lois McMaster Bujold
- 1989 CHILDREN OF THE WIND by Kate Wilhelm
- 1989 HERITAGE OF FLIGHT by Susan M Schwartz
- 1989 RIMRUNNERS by C J Cherryh
- 1989 BEING ALIEN by Rebecca Ore
- 1989 IMAGO by Octavia Butler
- 1989 FALCON by Emma Bull
- 1989 GRASS by Sheri S Tepper
- 1989 THE CITY, NOT LONG AFTER by Pat Murphy
- 1990 HER SMOKE ROSE UP FOREVER by James Tiptree Jr
- 1990 POINTS OF DEPARTURE by Pat Murphy
- 1990 LUNAR ACTIVITY by Elizabeth Moon
- 1990 THE START OF THE END OF IT ALL AND OTHER STORIES by Carol Emshwiller
- 1990 RAISING THE STONES by Sheri S Tepper
- 1990 THE VOR GAME by Lois Bujold
- 1990 WINTERLONG by Elizabeth Hand
- 1990 ARACHNE by Lisa Mason
- 1990 POLAR CITY BLUES by Katharine Kerr
- 1990 THE SILVER KISS by Annette Curtis Klause
- 1990 BRAIN ROSE by Nancy Kress
- 1991 MIRABILE by Janet Kagan
- 1991 THE START OF THE END OF IT ALL by Carol Emshwiller
- 1991 SYNNERS by Pat Cadigan
- 1991 A WOMAN OF THE IRON PEOPLE by Eleanor Arnason
- 1991 WHITE QUEEN by Gwyneth Jones
- 1991 SARAH CANARY by Karen Joy Fowler
- 1991 THE RAGGED WORLD by Judith Moffett
- 1991 BONE DANCE by Emma Bull
- 1991 REEF SONG by Carol Severance
- 1991 HEAVY TIME by C J Cherryh
- 1992 HOME BY THE SEA by Pat Cadigan
- 1992 AND THE ANGELS SING by Kate Wilhelm
- 1992 UNWILLINGLY TO EARTH by Pauline Ashwell
- 1992 DOOMSDAY BOOK by Connie Willis
- 1992 CHINA MOUNTAIN ZHANG by Maureen McHugh
- 1992 IN THE MOTHER'S LAND by Elisabeth Vonarburg
- 1992 AESTIVAL TIDE by Elizabeth Hand
- 1992 LOST FUTURES by Lisa Tuttle
- 1992 JARAN by Kate Elliott
- 1992 HELLBURNER by C J Cherryh
- 1993 IMPOSSIBLE THINGS by Connie Willis
- 1993 THE ALIENS OF EARTH by Nancy Kress
- 1993 DIRTY WORK by Pat Cadigan
- 1993 THE CHRONICLES OF PERN: FIRST FALL by Anne McCaffrey
- 1993 ALIEN BOOTLEGGER AND OTHER STORIES by Rebecca Ore
- 1993 AMMONITE by Nicola Griffith
- 1993 MUTAGENESIS by Helen Collins
- 1993 THE DRYLANDS by Mary Rosenblum
- 1993 CHIMERA by Mary Rosenblum
- 1993 BEGGARS IN SPAIN by Nancy Kress
- 1993 CRASH COURSE by Wilhelmina Baird
- 1993 ICARUS DESCENDING by Elizabeth Hand
- 1993 RING OF SWORDS by Eleanor Arnason
- 1993 BROTHER TERMITE by Patricia Anthony
- 1993 VIRTUAL GIRL by Amy Thomson
- 1993 RAINBOW MAN by M J Engh
- 1994 A FISHERMAN OF THE INLAND SEA by Ursula K. Le Guin
- 1994 THE GIRL WHO HEARD DRAGONS by Anne McCaffrey
- 1994 PARABLE OF THE SOWER by Octavia Butler
- 1994 QUEEN CITY JAZZ by Kathleen Ann Goonan
- 1994 BEGGARS & CHOOSERS by Nancy Kress
- 1994 MIRROR DANCE by Lois Bujold
- 1994 LARQUE ON THE WING by Nancy Springer
- 1994 SUMMER OF LOVE by Lisa Mason
- 1994 THE FURIES by Suzy McKee Charnas
- 1994 TROUBLE AND HER FRIENDS by Melissa Scott
- 1994 ALIEN INFLUENCES by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
- 1994 NORTH WIND by Gwyneth Jones
- 1994 FOREIGNER by C J Cherryh
- 1995 FOUR WAYS TO FORGIVENESS by Ursula K Le Guin
- 1995 BLOODCHILD AND OTHER STORIES by Octavia E. Butler
- 1995 PRIMARY INVERSION by Catherine Asaro
- 1995 RELUCTANT VOYAGERS by Elisabeth Vonarburg
- 1995 THE COLOR OF DISTANCE by Amy Thomson
- 1995 LITTLE SISTERS OF THE APOCALYPSE by Kit Reed
- 1995 OTHER NATURE by Stephanie Smith
- 1995 SHADOW MAN by Melissa Scott
- 1995 SLOW RIVER by Nicola Griffith
- 1995 INVADER by C J Cherryh
- 1995 GAIA'S TOYS by Rebecca Ore
- 1995 LEGACIES by Alison Sinclair
- 1995 RIDER AT THE GATE by C J Cherryh
- 1996 UNLOCKING THE AIR AND OTHER STORIES by Ursula K Le Guin
- 1996 DREAMWEAVER'S DILEMMA by Lois McMaster Bujold
- 1996 SYNTHESIS & OTHER VIRTUAL REALITIES by Mary Rosenblum
- 1996 CETAGANDA by Lois Bujold
- 1996 REMNANT POPULATION by Elizabeth Moon
- 1996 RECLAMATION by Sarah Zettel
- 1996 MEMORY by Lois Bujold
- 1996 INHERITOR by C J Cherryh
- 1996 BEGGARS RIDE by Nancy Kress
- 1996 NIGHT SKY MINE by Melissa Scott
- 1996 WHITEOUT by Sage Walker
- 1996 LOOKING FOR THE MAHDI by N. Lee Wood
- 1996 THE BONES OF TIME by Kathleen Ann Goonan
- 1996 MAINLINE by Deborah Christian
- 1996 CITY OF DIAMOND by Jane Emerson (pseud of Doris Egan)
- 1997 THE ARBITRARY PLACEMENT OF WALLS by Martha Soukup
- 1997 THE DAZZLE OF DAY by Molly Gloss
- 1997 OPALITE MOON by Denise Vitola
- 1997 MOTHER GRIMM by Catherine Wells
- 1997 THE LAST HAWK by Catherine Asaro
- 1997 FOOL'S WAR by Sarah Zettel
- 1997 DECEPTION WELL by Linda Nagata
- 1997 ONCE A HERO by Elizabeth Moon
- 1997 MISSISSIPPI BLUES by Kathleen Ann Goonan
- 1997 GLIMMERING by Elizabeth Hand
- 1997 AN EXCHANGE OF HOSTAGES by Susan R. Matthews
- 1998 BEAKER'S DOZEN by Nancy Kress
- 1998 LAST SUMMER AT MARS HILL by Elizabeth Hand
- 1998 BLACK GLASS by Karen Joy Fowler
- 1998 TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DOG by Connie Willis
- 1998 VAST by Linda Nagata
- 1998 MISSION CHILD by Maureen McHugh
- 1998 FLESH AND GOLD by Phyllis Gotlieb
- 1998 THE CHILDREN STAR by Joan Slonczewski
- 1998 PARABLE OF THE TALENTS by Octavia Butler
- 1998 BEHOLDER'S EYE by Julie Czerneda
- 1998 IN THE GARDEN OF IDEN by Kage Baker
- 1998 HALFWAY HUMAN by Carolyn Ives Gilman
- 1998 THE SHAPES OF THEIR HEARTS by Melissa Scott
- 1998 PLAYING GOD by Sarah Zettel
- 1999 PROMISED LAND by Pat Cadigan
- 1999 THE CONQUEROR'S CHILD by Suzy McKee Charnas
- 1999 THROUGH ALIEN EYES by Amy Thomson
- 1999 SKY COYOTE by Kage Baker
- 1999 PRECURSOR by C J Cherryh
- 1999 A CIVIL CAMPAIGN by Lois Bujold
- 1999 THE ANNUNCIATE by Severna Park
- 1999 SILVER SCREEN by Justina Robson
- 1999 CODE OF CONDUCT by Kristine Smith
- 2000 SISTER EMILY'S LIGHTSHIP by Jane Yolen
- 2000 MURPHY'S GAMBIT by Syne Mitchell
- 2000 PROBABLILITY MOON by Nancy Kress
- 2000 MIDNIGHT ROBBER by Nalo Hopkinson
- 2000 THE TELLING by Ursula K Le Guin
- 2000 THE ANNUNCIATE by Severna Park
- 2000 THE FRESCO by Sherri S Tepper
- 2000 THE QUANTUM ROSE by Catherine Asaro
- 2000 CRESCENT CITY RHAPSODY by Kathleen Ann Goonan
- 2000 SEA AS MIRROR by Tess Williams
- 2001 BOLD AS LOVE by Gwyneth Jones
- 2001 IN THE COMPANY OF OTHERS by Julie Czerneda
- 2001 THE GHOST SISTER by Liz Williams
- 2001 NEKROPOLIS by Maureen McHugh
- 2001 ALIEN TASTE by Wen Spencer
- 2001 DERVISH IS DIGITAL by Pat Cadigan
- 2001 A PARADIGM OF EARTH by Candas Jane Dorsey
- 2001 PASSAGE by Connie Willis
- 2001 LIMIT OF VISION by Linda Nagata
- 2001 DEFENDER by C J Cherryh
- 2001 PROBABILITY SUN by Nancy Kress