What makes a strong female character?

[catherineldf]

So responses to my last post got me to thinking about the question above. My personal preference is for fighters since it's something I can relate to. Go figure. :-)
But I'm not a big hack-n-slash reader so I like my fighters nuanced and my fights broadly defined.
And I prefer stories with women as central, rather than bit, players. Which isn't to say that I don't do read quite a bit of fiction with central male characters, just that if I'm reading or writing, I tend to write or read more about women.
Personal favs for reading material (not an exhaustive list):
Jaime in P.C. Hodgell's "Godstalk" books. These are amazing. Jaime is a fully realized character with the proverbial many skills. Her weaknesses make sense and she's fascinating to read about.
Irene Adler in Carole Nelson Douglas' ongoing mystery series about the character after her initial encounter with Sherlock Holmes in "A Scandal in Bohemia." Complicated Victorian mind candy. See also Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody mysteries.
Trouble in Melissa Scott's "Trouble and Her Friends." One very cool queer cyberpunk novel.
Kyra (and a few others) in Barbara Hambly's "Stranger at the Wedding." Not too many magic user novels that deal with the sexual abuse of teenagers and do it well.
Tomoe Gozen in the series from Jessica Amanda Salmonsen.
Rachel Pollack. Anything really.
Megan and Shakira in S.M. Stirling and Shirley Meier, et al's "The Cage" books. Interesting S&S series about two women warriors in a queer poly relationship. Lots of worthwhile reading.
Ellen Galford's "Moll Cutpurse" and "The Fires of Bride" - excellent lesbian novels - "Moll" is a historical and 'Fires' is a fantasy.

What else is good?

Comments

[elizabethth.livejournal.com]

Laurie Marks' Elemental Logic books.

Elizabeth Moon's Heris Serrano trilogy. Good space opera/military SF with a nice variety of strong female characters.

Mirabile by Janet Kagan. Strong, smart colonists.

Lois McMaster Bujold: Shards of Honor and Barrayar. Cordelia Naismith is tough without being belligerent, and quick-witted.

Tanya Huff's Valor books: straight-up military SF with a kickass female Staff Sergeant.

Jane Lindskold's Firekeeper books. Do not be put off by the sappy cover art. Firekeeper is a human girl raised by (really smart) wolves. She's strong - and the wolf's-eye view of politics and court intrigue is lots of fun. Other strong female characters, too.

Terry Pratchett's Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg.

The Shirley McClintock mysteries by Sherri Tepper (writing as B.J. Oliphant).

Dana Stabenow's Kate Shugak mysteries. Lives in the Alaskan bush, shoots her own meat, repairs her own homestead, whups her own bad guys.

The Roselynde Chronicles by Roberta Gellis. Historical romance from the good old days (lots of history with a little sex, instead of the other way around).

And no doubt a bunch of other stuff I can't think of right now.

[catherineldf.livejournal.com]

I'll have to check out some of these - they sound like fun reads. I thought about adding Cordelia then left her off because she's only a main character in one book. But it's a hell of a ride. :-)

[elizabethth.livejournal.com]

If you haven't read the Elemental Logic books, hop to it! They changed the way I look at the world, and at myself.

I just re-read the Cordelia books, so she was fresh in my mind. I wish I liked Miles half as well.

[catherineldf.livejournal.com]

I need to read the EL books - I've got the first 2 but haven't plunged in yet. Sometime soon though.