This month I’m participating in the Scifi Month challenge that was created by the bloggers at One More. Click on the link in that last sentence for more information or to sign up yourself.
There is still time to pick a few of their prompts and join in if you’re interested.
Today’s prompt was pretty self explanatory: kickass heroines. Here are a few of my many favourite heroines from various science fiction universes. It was tricky to keep this post to a manageable length. I could have easily written a full post about every single character on this list.
Not everything on this list has been turned into a TV show or film yet. (Here’s looking at you, Feed and Wild Seed.) Whenever possible, I provided a photo of the character in question, but there are a few book covers as well.
Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Why She’s Admirable: She volunteered to take her sister’s place in The Hunger Games despite knowing that only one of the twenty four contestants will survive each year. There were many other things she did in this series that make me look up to her, but her willingness to die in her sibling’s place in the beginning of book one endeared her to me forever.
Georgia Mason from Feed by Mira Grant
Why She’s Admirable: Going out to wander around in a world filled with zombies is the last thing I’d do in a zombiepocalypse. The fact that this character did that so regularly impressed me. Her work as a blogger only made me look up to her more.
Nyota Uhura from Star Trek and Star Trek: Into Darkness
Why She’s Admirable: While I can find something to like about nearly any character from the rebooted Star Trek universe, Uhura is the cream of the crop. She was a highly intelligent linguist. More importantly, she had common sense. This is something that every spaceship crew member needs a copious amount of in order to have any hope of survival.
Zoe Washburne from Firefly
Why She’s Admirable: Nothing stands between her and her goals in life. From fighting for freedom in a war that couldn’t be won to falling in love to making a new life for herself over and over again, Zoe knows how to get back up and try again.
Dana Scully from The X-Files
Why She’s Admirable: She never stopped searching for scientific explanations for the bizarre things that she and her partner discovered during their many investigations. There’s something to be said for being that tenacious!
Anyanwu from Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler
Why She’s Admirable: What’s not to admire about a demigod who used her powers to make the lives of ordinary people better? Not only that, but she did so quietly and behind the scenes without expecting any sort of reward for it. This was a very different approach to having powers than certain other characters in this universe had, and it made me appreciate how careful she was about using her abilities.
Excellent list!
I don’t all these characters personally, but I am acquainted with most at least by reputation. May I say that both Uhuras are worthy of admiration? Nichols’ communications officer broke the ground for so many other characters and actors.
How I miss the tragically truncated Firefly! She didn’t get a lot of lines that were memorable of themselves, but she landed every line she had with such aplomb that it became memorable. And I applaud Whedon for giving the show several strong women instead of just a token stand-out.
And you’re right that Scully did keep looking for the rational causes in her investigations, but she grew markedly as the series went on, and her mind certainly opened up to other possible explanations. Someone should put her and Mr. Spock in a room together.
I sure wouldn’t mind reading the longer essays you could write on the individual characters. I like depth and detail. Please share!
Ruth
Yes, both Uhura’s are absolutely worthy of admiration! Totally agreed there.
I will write longer posts on these characters at some point in the future. My best guess would be sometime in January or the winter in general?! We’ll see how my editorial calendar goes in that regard.
Thank you for your enthusiasm.
Good point about Katniss. Even though her volunteering is used a lot in MEMES and such, we tend to forget just what she’s volunteering for, and why.
For sure. 🙂
Great list! I’m a Scully and Katniss Everdeen fan as well! They both are tough and don’t waver from their own personal code of conduct. 🙂
Thanks a lot. Yeah, they’re great.
Excellent choices! I’m glad to see Uhura make your list. 🙂
Thank you very much. She’s the best.
Oh my gosh, another X-Phile! I liked Scully for her always staying cool and logical, even when things got weird. And Katniss, Zoey, and Uhura are all incredible.
I still have to read Wild Seed.
Yay to meeting other x-Philes!
I think you’d love Wild Seed.
Scully and Zoe would make it to my list too. ❤️ And sure Samantha Carter in Stargate SG1 – as she was my first TV show crush ever!
Samantha Carter is a great choice! I should have remembered to include her.
I especially adored that she either had a doctor’s degree and was involved in the military as well. Plus she was smart as hell.
🙂
Zoe!!!! And really all the ladies from Firefly <3 Great list!
Thank you very much. And, yeah, all of the women from Firefly were awesome.
Catniss is such a brave woman. I have not read/watched the others mentioned in your post. I have read Dawn by Butler and even that had a strong female protagonist.
Dawn was another great book! Have you read all of Octavia E. Butler’s works?
I love the reboot version of Uhura! I liked the TOS version of her too and I think she’s a very important character, but I love that the reboot movies gave her more to do than be a space phone operator, and showed her using her exolinguistic skills.
I agree with that too. It’s nice to see we’ve made some progress in the depiction of women characters!
Ruth
Absolutely. I couldn’t agree with you more there.