01-26-2022, 11:20 AM | #1 |
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Characters Like Red Sonja
Can anyone recommend sword & sorcery characters like Red Sonja (or Robert E. Howard's Red Sonya or Dark Agnes de Chastillon)?
Some of the characters I thought of included C. L. Moore's Jirel of Joiry; REH's Bêlit and Valeria; and ERB's Dejah Thoris. Plus Fisher from the Simon R. Green "Hawk and Fisher" stories; and Silverglass by J.F. Rivkin. (There was another series similar to Silverglass that I can't remember.) OMG, I just found out that the Silverglass books are finally out on Kindle. But I'd also like to find newer sword & sorcery heroines along these lines. (Also, when I Google "characters like Red Sonja," many sites bring up just comic book characters.) And these lists are often by people who have never read 1980s sword & sorcery paperbacks, so they haven't even heard of Silverglass! If you're a Medium member (or if you have free articles left), I found this from another member of Medium: Red Sonja and Other Fiery Women Warriors He mentions the character Alias from Azure Bonds by Kate Novak and Jeff Grubb. He also digs into the history of Red Sonya/Red Sonja -- both in print and in comics. |
01-27-2022, 01:17 AM | #2 |
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Can you say a bit more about what "like Red Sonja" means? I haven't read any of the books you mention, but I read quite a lot of fantasy, so I might have suggestions.
I don't even know if "like Red Sonja" means that what you are looking for is restricted to fantasy -- if science fiction is also interesting, I might have even more suggestions. (I think I've read one comic with her, but mostly remember the chainmail (or was it fur?) bikini, and I assume that's not an important part of what you're looking for ) |
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01-27-2022, 08:55 AM | #3 | |
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What makes Red Sonja interesting to me as a character is that she is often traveling on her own -- sort of like Conan. Sometimes, she'll have sidekicks, and sometimes, she'll get involved in a war. (She might pick up a crown along the way in some storylines.) But she's just as likely to be a thief, adventurer, etc. And those stories are often more interesting to me. Because I want to read an adventure, not get dragged into a war that takes three volumes to complete. That could work in science fiction, as well -- particularly in space opera and in "sword and planet" stories. The stories I'm looking for don't have to follow the traditional Red Sonja backstory of "rape and revenge." (See spoiler text below.) Some authors can make it work, but other authors just make it trite or worse. The newer comic book series revamped that part of her backstory and gave Red Sonja a healthy sex life. And I'd rather read stories that follow that vein. Spoiler for Big Chunk of Background Spoiler:
Brrrr. The chainmail bikinis look fun on the covers and are great marketing. But they are not very realistic armor. |
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01-27-2022, 09:50 AM | #4 | |
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You've done your research. Jirel of Joiry immediately popped into my head when I saw the thread title.
I wish there were digital editions of the old Red Sonja novels by David Smith and Richard Tierney. Something in the same vein (though it is tongue in check and is a pastiche of Barsoom/Princess of Mars) is Jane Carver of Waar and the sequel, Swords of Waar. Quote:
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01-27-2022, 10:11 AM | #5 | ||
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Quote:
Quote:
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01-27-2022, 12:47 PM | #6 |
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Morgaine Chronicles, though she has a side-kick. Technically SF, but more like Fantasy & the Red Sonya sort of thing.
Edit: Maybe check out the Janny Wurts "Daughter of Empire" and related sister series to Fiest's Midkemia / Riftwar. Teresa Edgerton's "Mask and Dagger Series" L.E. Modesitt Jr.: The Soprano Sorceress (Spellsong cycle) J.V. Jones: The Barbed Coil Humour alt reality Fantasy: Jennifer is "The last Dragonslayer" (series of 4) Jasper Fforde Winterling, Summerkin & a 3rd (bit younger) Sarah Prineas. Not really Sonya like and not much swords: Spinning Silver by Novik. Female protagonist & Trilogy (related books after the Trilogy, IMO go off a bit) "The Magician's Guild, Trudi Canavan My own Celtic Otherworld series has some serious Enchantment and women you'd not want to cross, though only some are human. Not at all like Red Sonya. Eilis (Alice) and Marion are particularly tricky. Eilis has no need of swords and Marion later decides automatic pistols work on magical creatures. Last edited by Quoth; 01-27-2022 at 01:13 PM. |
01-27-2022, 04:07 PM | #7 | |
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Hm, I feel I should know of a lot of this kind of books, but I can't think of any that quite fits the lone adventurer requirement. Some suggestions which come close:
Rosemary Kirstein's Steerswoman series, where the protagonist is part of an organization which collects knowledge, but spends most of the time wandering the world on her own. Some of Elisabeth Moon's books, though the heroines are spaceship captains or otherwise leader of, or part of, a group: Quote:
Martha Wells' Murderbot series, where the protagonist is a security cyborg who has hacked its own control module. Ann Leckie's series starting with "Ancillary Justice", where the protagonist is an artificial intelligence who used to control a huge spaceship and thousands of soldier units, but is now reduced to a single soldier unit (in other words: Looks like a human being to everybody else, but doesn't think of herself as one). |
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01-27-2022, 05:53 PM | #8 |
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You might try
George Phillies _The One World_ Mercedes Lackey By the Sword Mercedes Lackey Vows and Honor Last edited by Little.Egret; 01-27-2022 at 05:58 PM. |
01-28-2022, 12:41 AM | #9 |
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I want to second the Elizabeth Moon recommendation, but specifically the "Deed of Paksenarrion," which is a fantasy tale of the making of a paladin. I also liked the "Jane Carver of Waar" books mentioned upthread.
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01-28-2022, 11:19 AM | #10 |
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Thanks to everyone for the suggestions!
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01-28-2022, 12:28 PM | #11 |
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Have you read any of the Sword & Sorceress paperback anthologies? They're sword and sorcery stories with female protagonists. A whopping 34 books total.
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/..._and_Sorceress |
01-28-2022, 04:44 PM | #12 | |
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Quote:
Last edited by Little.Egret; 01-28-2022 at 04:45 PM. Reason: Spelling |
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01-28-2022, 05:05 PM | #13 | |
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A regular re-read for me. |
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01-28-2022, 06:33 PM | #14 | |
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01-30-2022, 11:39 AM | #15 |
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Agree w/ the recommendation of C.J. Cherryh's Morgaine books (they were what I came here to recommend, along w/ Mercedes Lackey).
If you're willing to consider science fiction, C.J. Cherryh's _Rimrunners_ features a down-on-her-luck MSgt. |
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