[Morgoth]

I have to say, though Naomi Nagota is a very capable character, she also has an annoying tendency to end up captured/kidnapped.

[acesn8s]

Finished Daggerspell. Meh.

Moving on to Retribution Falls by Wooding.

[Andorion]

Nostalgia for Infinity, on 04 December 2015 - 05:28 AM, said:

Abyss, on 02 December 2015 - 03:45 PM, said:

Baco Xtath, on 02 December 2015 - 10:56 AM, said:

Reynold's other female leads spring to my mind. All the Akinya women in Poseidon's Children, the lead women in House of Suns (particularly Abigail Gentian), and the two leads in Pushing Ice.


Also:
Bobbie, Avasarala, and Naomi Nagota from the Expanse
Brawn Lamia from Hyperion
Archeth from a Land Fit for Heroes
Ash from Ash: A Secret History (though not Science Fiction proper) is beyond badass
Ripley in Alien

amphibian, on 02 December 2015 - 01:55 PM, said:

William Gibson has made a habit of picking capable women as his main protagonists. He doesn't write true action scenes anymore though.

In Seveneves, Stephenson eventually leads us to seven very capable women who survive apocalypse.

Ash, though, is the most badass and awesome woman character in basically anything I've read in a long time.

Seconding Archeth and Lamia.


Anita Blake, Laurel K Hamilton's EXECUTIONER series. Like Buffy with a Glock and necromantic powers. First ten books ONLY. ONLY ONLY.

Joe Abercrombie's Monza Murcatto in BEST SERVED COLD, and Shy from RED COUNTRY.

Kitai in Butcher's ALERA series. Also, she gets all the best lines. I know people are all over the place about his female characters in DRESDEN, but while his Murphy solo story was so-so, his Molly story was a lot of fun and she did, in fact, kick ass.

Stealth in Peter Cline's EX-HEROES series. So so much ass kickery.

If you ever go old school and read Joel Rosenberg's GUARDIANS OF THE FLAME series, he has a couple tho they're mostly supporting characters

I'll admit I've not read most of the books mentioned. Although I disagree with almost all of the characters mentioned from books that I've actually read.

Brawn Lamia definitely does not kick ass. She does not do anything that shows her as being especially smart or capable AND her most important contribution to the story is carrying a lot of data for a guy to some place else. No thanks.
Kitai, while being a bad ass from a martial point of view, does not work as a bad ass character either. Her most important contribution to the story is falling in love with the smart ass main protagonist.
I remember deciding to read the Anita Blake series and people here warning me about vampire gangbangs. Am I remembering the wrong thing?

I decided to stay away from Ash because of all the discussion about how she gets raped. I really get angry when I read about rape so I stay away from it.

Also, the Fantasy world has female protagonists that are fucking awesome. That was why I specifically said Ilia is the most bad ass Sci-fi character ever. You can't do much to top Tavore Paran, Apsalar, or The Lady in The Black Company

To this I am going to add Arya Stark and maybe Daenerys Targaryen

[Salt-Man Z]

Trying to think of female sci-fi protags is hard enough without whittling it down to the badasses.

Shan Frankland, the main character from Karen Traviss' Wess'har series, comes to mind. She gets into some romantic mush, but still manages to be extremely (sometimes frighteningly) capable.

[Abyss]

Nostalgia for Infinity, on 04 December 2015 - 05:28 AM, said:

...Kitai, while being a bad ass from a martial point of view, does not work as a bad ass character either. Her most important contribution to the story is falling in love with the smart ass main protagonist.

I don't think you read the same ALERA series I did.

Quote

I remember deciding to read the Anita Blake series and people here warning me about vampire gangbangs. Am I remembering the wrong thing?
...

No you're very right, but that happens from bk 11 onwards and it's atrocious. Author-implosion is a sad thing to behold.

The first ten books, however, are great urban fantasy with some fun characters, interesting takes in vamps and weres, and some crazy-ass action scenes. And bk 10 ends in a way that you can just stop there and pretend that they all lived happily ever after. Or died. Or stayed dead. Or whatever.

[Andorion]

I am surprised no one has mentioned Kate Daniels. The definition of the kick-ass heroine for me.

[Macros]

Strong female characters and no one mentions Mara of the Acoma?
Sure she's not out crane kicking people to the face, but her strength of will and determination in a massively male dominated society is fantastic.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 04 December 2015 - 04:36 PM, said:

Nostalgia for Infinity, on 04 December 2015 - 05:28 AM, said:

...Kitai, while being a bad ass from a martial point of view, does not work as a bad ass character either. Her most important contribution to the story is falling in love with the smart ass main protagonist.

I don't think you read the same ALERA series I did.

Agreed. Kitai was a one-woman baddasery force throughout, and is a huge part of the story.

Andorion, on 04 December 2015 - 04:39 PM, said:

I am surprised no one has mentioned Kate Daniels. The definition of the kick-ass heroine for me.

Seconded. She's my go-to badass female protag these days.

[worry]

Do you ever buy someone a book you've never read and then read it before you give it to them?

[Gabriele]

acesn8s, on 04 December 2015 - 12:57 PM, said:

Finished Daggerspell. Meh.

My feelings exactly. Didn't continue with the series.

This post has been edited by Gabriele: 05 December 2015 - 01:18 PM

[amphibian]

worry, on 05 December 2015 - 09:12 AM, said:

Do you ever buy someone a book you've never read and then read it before you give it to them?

A few times in the past. It was aided by my very, very fast reading speed.

But these days, I preserve the sanctity of the gift and just give it to the recipient unread. I like it better this way.

[QuickTidal]

worry, on 05 December 2015 - 09:12 AM, said:

Do you ever buy someone a book you've never read and then read it before you give it to them?

Who does that!?

It's no longer a gift, it's at best a second hand bequeatment.

Heathens.

[worry]

Well when you give somebody a book do you feel that, by default, you are an advocate for that book?

[Andorion]

I have done this, once. But only because I was stuck with nothing to do.

And I only feel I am an advocate for the book if I have read and enjoyed it beforehand

[Abyss]

Books got advocates?

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 06 December 2015 - 03:18 AM, said:

Books got advocates?

Right!?

[worry]

Books need advocates.

[Tiste Simeon]

I give my books avocados...

[Macros]

Trying to hard to be worry and failing
Its just embarrassing tiste

[worry]

Actually I do give my books avocados. It's a California thing.