Here are five science fiction and fantasy novels featuring mothers who stick with readers long after we’ve turned the last page.Īny mother of four has plenty to deal with, but when that mother is also a retired starship captain in disguise, fleeing an intergalactic war back on her home planet, who’s also trying to figure out how to keep human customers happy at her San Gabriel Valley donut shop… well, let’s just say Lan Tran’s in a bit over her head. Most of them wouldn’t fit the standard definition of “good” mothers in our world, but what good is “good” anyway? Much better to be memorable. The mothers featured in the two books released so far, Scorpica and Arca, run the gamut from those willing to sacrifice their lives for their children to those willing to sacrifice their children to save their own lives. One of the things I enjoyed most about setting my Five Queendoms epic fantasy series in a matriarchal world was the opportunity to write a wide variety of female characters, from reprehensible to admirable and everywhere in between. But how often do you encounter a fascinating main character in science fiction or fantasy who also happens to be a mother? Just like in the real world, motherhood doesn’t define anyone completely, but it can intersect with other aspects of a character’s identity to provide interesting dimensions and dilemmas. This rule holds equally true for heroes and villains, sidekicks and stars. Characters in speculative fiction don’t fit just one profile-they can come in any gender, ethnicity, status, or set of characteristics.

Murderbot