Science Fiction Trivia

[Disembodied]

I'm ashamed to admit I haven't read it … is it Solaris by Stanisław Lem?

[Cody]

It is indeed Lem's Solaris - and the drinking lox scene made it into the movie(s).

Have a somewhat ripe kipper.

[Disembodied]

Thank you … I think …

This should be googlable, but it might be interesting to see if people can answer it using their own resources: name five SF novels with female protagonists, by five different authors (no films/TV/games etc., unless they're adaptations of the original novel).

The question of who or what is a protagonist is a bit tricky, but the Wikipedia definition is a good one. There is a difference between an important character and the central one: to give a negative example, the Lady Jessica is a very important character in Frank Herbert's Dune, but she isn't the protagonist - that's Paul Atreides. When there are multiple characters and narratives, it can get tricky, but usually these things can be worked out by finding who is the character with the most influence and importance to the plot - for example, there are several characters following different narratives in The Lord of the Rings, but the single most important character is Frodo.

[Cody]

...but the single most important character is Frodo.

<chortles> I've always thought it was Sméagol - the real hero.

[spud42]

i will admit to using google to check if my memory was right.

1) Killashandra Ree , The Crystal Singer, Anne McCaffrey
2) Honor Harrington, Honor Harrington series , David Webber
3) Elizabeth Orme , The Many-Colored Land , Julian May
4) Dejah Thoris , Barsoom series , Edgar Rice Burroughs
5) ????????????????

for the life of me i cant think of another book i have read from a different author with a main character who is female AND NOT by those already listed!

[Malacandra]

Then I'll dive in with a steal:

5. Friday, Robert Heinlein. (To Sail Beyond The Sunset would do also.)

If Dejah Thoris doesn't count as a protagonist, then I'll ring in the Morgaine series by C. J. Cherryh; Gate of Ivrel for one.

(Want to claim Morgaine is a fantasy character, not science fiction? Fine, same author, Earth Company Captain Signy Mallory, Downbelow Station. )

[Cody]

One of Le Guin's - can't recall which?

[Disembodied]

Malacandra takes it! I have my doubts about Dejah Thoris as a protagonist - important character, yes, but John Carter is the central one - but Heinlein's Friday and either of the two Cherryh characters fill up the list.

From a quick run-through of my own shelves, and being fairly strict with the definition of SF, I got this five: Sharrow (Iain M. Banks, Against a Dark Background); Isserly (Michel Faber, Under the Skin); Chia Pet McKenzie (William Gibson, Idoru); Sun Katz (Tricia Sullivan, Maul); Freya Nakamichi-47 (Charles Stross, Saturn's Children).

[Cody]

Sharrow was on my list - a really good tale.

[Malacandra]

If you go too far one way everything is short and fat, but if you go too far the other way everything is tall and slender. Book and author, please.

[ffutures]

If you go too far one way everything is short and fat, but if you go too far the other way everything is tall and slender. Book and author, please.

Inverted World, Chris Priest

[Malacandra]

Much too easy. *hands over kipper*

[ffutures]

OK... A British SF hero who often thwarted the plans of Chalcedon and other aliens.

[spud42]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Hawke

google result......

[ffutures]

Have a kipper, it is indeed Jeff Hawke.