James Tiptree, Jr. Award
Retro Award
1987 The Female Man by Joanna Russ
A recipient of the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, this is one of classic works in feminist fiction, and, arguably, the most important work of feminist science fiction. Tracing several simultaneous story-lines about the lives of women in radically different social strata, "The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction" says, "[s]avage and cleansing in its anger, the book stands as one of the most significant uses of sf instruments to make arguments about our own world and condition." More than recommended, this book is required reading.
1997 Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
Written using alternate points of view, THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS tells the story of Genly Ai, an ethnologist who arrives at the planet Gethen. There he encounters not only sub-zero temperatures, but an androgynous humanoid species whose ways perplex and intrigue him. Though not dependent on the earlier books, this is the fourth book in the Hainish series. It won both the Hugo and Nebula awards in 1969, and, in 1995, was the recipient of the James Tiptree, Jr. Retrospective Award.
Science Fiction & Fantasy
1991 White Queen by Gwyneth Jones
A race of aliens searching for a new homeland arrive on Earth in the year 2038. Their appearance is greeted in a variety of ways, but for one journalist, the most important thing is getting the story first. In 1991, this book was the co-winner of the first James Tiptree, Jr. Award--given for exploring or expanding gender roles--and is the first volume in a trilogy that continues with NORTH WIND and PHOENIX CAFE.
1992 In the Light of Sigma Draconis by Eleanor Arnason
Driven by her own curiosity, Lixia, an earthborn anthropologist, follows a female outcast called Nia across a strange and perilous world. Reprint.
1993 Ammonite by Nicola Griffith
Centuries after a disastrous plague wiped out most of the original colonists, the Durallium Company returns to the planet GP to try and reclaim their investment, only to find that the disease hasn't died out. Arriving on the planet to test a new vaccine, an anthropologist learns that the natives have survived and flourished as an all-female society, and that she may have finally found a home. This novel won the 1993 Lambda Award for Lesbian Science Fiction and the 1994 James Tiptree, Jr. Award for Gender Bending Science Fiction, as well as receiving nominations for many other science fiction awards.
1994 Larque on the Wing by Nancy Springer
When Larque, a middle-aged woman undergoes a mid-life crisis, she must reevaluate her housewife existence and remind herself of the promises she made to herself in childhood: to be honest with herself, and to always live an adventurous life. The opportunity to live her life differently comes along in the form of a doppelganger, a spunky, and sometimes obnoxious, ten-year-old version of herself who teaches Larque to live, and then disappears. In an ensuing search for happiness and the true self, Larque is magically transformed into a goodlooking young man who is attracted to other men. An imaginative exploration of gender.
1995 Waking the Moon by Elizabeth Hand
Beginning her first year at the University of the Archangels, Katherine Sweeney Cassidy accidentally discovers the existence of the Benandanti, a clandestine order that has been secretly manipulating the world's governments and institutions.
1996 The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
This novel spins back and forth through time, telling the tale of a peaceful planet devastated by tragedy when a predatory new race evolves into being. Winner of the James Tiptree Jr. Award and the 1997 Arthur C. Clarke Award for Best Novel.
1997 Black Wine by Candas Jane Dorsey
Somehow "the waif," as she is known, has lost her memory, and with only a deranged, caged old woman for company in the Land of the Dark Isles, she has no hope of regaining it. When she is relocated to the evil regent's palace, she begins to reclaim some of her memory and to confront her turbulent, strange, and impressive past.
1999 The Conqueror's Child by Suzy McKee Charnas
THE CONQUEROR'S CHILD is the fourth book in the Holdfast Chronicles.
2000 Wild Life by Molly Gloss
In 1905, Charlotte Drummond lives a quiet life in Washington State, writing the pulp fiction that was popular at the time. When a little girl--her housekeeper's granddaughter--disappears, Charlotte joins the all-male search party, putting herself in danger not only from the elements but from the men she is working with. She becomes lost in a storm and meets a troop of Bigfoot-like humanoids who shelter her and give her food. By the time Charlotte returns home, her life has been profoundly changed by the encounter, and her writing reflects her new wisdom and a realization of what is truly important. Winner of the 2000 Tiptree Award.