Weird old books
by women
Reviews of vintage science fiction and fantasy—from overlooked gems to books best left on the back shelf.
From the shelves
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The Crystal Crown
A reluctant king, some delightful originality, and a truly impressive amount of boredom.
The Shore of Women
A fascinating post-apocalyptic society where women rule technologically advanced cities and men live as wilderness barbarians. Unfortunately, the intriguing worldbuilding takes a backseat to a tedious, unconvincing romance, uneven pacing, and frustrating gender essentialism.
The Turning Place
A collection of interconnected YA science fiction stories tracing humanity's future across centuries. Uneven and occasionally underwhelming individually, the stories gradually build toward a surprisingly moving exploration of what it means to be alive. Best suited to younger readers who enjoy thoughtful sci-fi.
Field Notes
All Field Notes →About ForFemFan
For decades, women were writing wildly inventive fantasy and science fiction—and plenty of those books have slipped quietly into obscurity. ForFemFan is a personal expedition into that forgotten territory. Not a scholarly canon, not an exercise in nostalgia: just an opinionated reader, a mountain of secondhand books, and a suspicion that there's a lot worth rediscovering.
How it all started →