I don't really pay attention to the gender of the author of a book, and I'm not sure why someone putting together a list of what they consider to be good scienc

I don't really pay attention to the gender of the author of a book, and I'm not sure why someone putting together a list of what they consider to be good science fiction should have to either. That said, people are obviously going to have a lot of their own opinions about what books would go on a list of must-reads. Personally, I'd never include Ayn Rand on any list, except maybe one that gives a list of authors that aren't worth reading. In the science fiction I've read and enjoyed, most of it is written by men, but I'd rank books by both Connie Willis and Ursula K. Le Guin highly. And, of course, in terms of enjoyment, I've loved much of what both Margaret Weis and Anne McCaffrey have written, even if their writing isn't exactly award winning.