The Buzz...About Books

March 8^th marked International Women’s Day, and the film adaptation of Veronica Roth’s Divergent hits theatres today (pssst – need some read-a-likes for that too? We got you covered!). They might not seem particularly relevant to one another, but both highlight the importance of strong females – on a global scale, and in fiction. There are so many great female characters in pop culture that have no problem throwing fists, making waves and getting things done. Here’s just a few that appear in print for your reading pleasure.

Katniss Everdeen, archer
The Hunger Games trilogy
(read on with Catching Fire and Mockingjay)

There’s almost no way you could have not heard of the Girl on Fire by now. This young archer is no stranger to messy love triangles and family tragedy, but she’s strong enough to take down enemies more powerful than even she could imagine.

This fiery portrait to the left is by artist Patsie.

Marian Sutro, undercover Resistance courier
The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Simon Mawer

The half-French, half-British daughter of a diplomat who is highly trained in sabotage, dead-drops, interrogation practices and well, how to kill, Marian is not one to mess with.

She is recruited to go undercover in wartime France to recover a nuclear physicist who is of deep significance to her superiors – and also happens to be a longtime crush.

Éowyn, shield maiden & neice of King Theoden
Lord of the Rings trilogy by JRR Tolkien
(Read on with The Two Towers and The Return of the King)

Not just a pretty face, Eowyn is a fierce competitor, even donning a male disguise so she can ride into battle. She’s the soldier who killed the witch king of Angmar, so enemies should be on guard.

Lisbeth Salander, computer hacker
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series by Stieg Larsson
(Read on with the Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest)

She’s a fiercely anti-social heroine with a violent history. Pair that with a photographic memory and her elite computer hacking skills, and you’ve got one of the most powerful (but brutal) fictional female characters in recent memory. The Lisbeth artwork on the left, below, is by jsek.

Buffy Summers, student/slayer
Buffy The Vampire Slayer (graphic novel) created by Joss Whedon

I have a feeling that Buffy and a certain other vampire-loving girl wouldn’t get along. But that’s ok: Buffy is a little too busy balancing the demands of teenage girlhood with protecting humanity on the Hellmouth to make new friends anyway. The graphic novelization of this movie (and later, series) picks up where the last TV season ended, so look for all the titles, beginning with Season 8, Volume I. The Buffy artwork above, right, is by AzhiDahaki.

Emerald/Green, courtesan/assassin
Green Universe series by Jay Lake
(Read on with Endurance and Kalimpura)

She was sold as a child and trained to be a sophisticated courtesan for the pleasure of the Duke. A precious jewel in his collection of beautiful women, she was named Emerald. In defiance, she calls herself simply Green. In her world of political power and powerful magic, Green has become a dangerous woman – and she's made some enemies along the way.

Ofglen, handmaiden
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Not to be confused with Offred, who serves as the novel’s main protagonist, Ofglen is Offred’s neighbour and partner for domestic duties. A fellow handmaiden, Ofglen is secretly part of a rebel resistance aiming to take down the cruel regime that controls their world.

Arya Stark, youngest daughter of House Stark
A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin

There’s a fair share of cunning and strong female characters in GRRM’s saga of power and politics, but Arya sticks out as being young, rebellious and able to use all her wits just to stay alive. She’s small but mighty and consistently escapes terrible situations – even if she does end up justthisclose to death.

 Arya by artist pardoart

Mindy McCready/Hit-Girl, superhero
Kick-ass 2 prelude: Hit-Girl (graphic novelization) by Tom Palmer

If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll understand why I had to include Hit-Girl on this list. She’s not immune to the pitfalls of teenage living, but she’s also anything but your average kid. She’s been trained since she was tiny as a skilled and snarky crimefighter that has to lend the titular Kickass a hand more often than not.

Ellen Ripley, space pilot/warrant officer
Alien (Graphic novelization) by Archie Goodwin

You probably know her better from the popular 1979 film – that went on to spawn several other movies into the 90s – but there’s a graphic novel version of this outer space horror too. Ripley is not only a smart, no-nonsense fighter skilled enough to combat monsters from beyond our world, but she also stands out as being a little older than most of the ladies on this list, proving that saving the world isn't just for teenagers.

Arrow, sniper
Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

In this year’s One Book selection, Arrow is described as a female sniper in her late 20s with big blue eyes and dark hair, but it’s her work ethic that makes her striking. She doesn’t enjoy what she does, but feels it must be done: “Arrow pulls the trigger and ends the life of one of the soldiers in her sight, she’ll do so not because she wants him dead, although she can’t deny that she does but because the soldiers have robbed her and almost everyone else in the city of this gift” (p 12).

Bonus Pick!

In Y: The Last Man, by Brian K. Vaughan, a mysterious plague wipes out every creature on Earth with a Y chromosome (except for one guy and his pet monkey). That leaves a whole lotta women, which naturally gives rise to some pretty fierce Amazonian types as they begin to rebuild a world without men.

I'm sure to have missed some memorable heroines along the way – have a favourite you don't see?
Let us know in the comments!