A Tribute to Tanith Lee

I don't think I've ever even mentioned Tanith Lee on the blog before.  This isn't because I don't read her or because I haven't been in awe of her writing since I was probably 10 when my mom put The Claidi Journals in my hands. Simply put, it's rather hard these days to get copies of her books.  None of the libraries I lived near had more than a few of her books (and usually they were The Claidi Journals which I've read more than a few times at this point), and considering she wrote well over 90 novels, that's saying something.  She does have some ebooks, but those are mostly collections of her short stories...and I digress.  It's hard to find her books, and I've slowly been snatching up any copy of her books I can find. (The last time I looked online for used books since that's usually what I buy, her used books were selling from $20-$40, which should tell you something.)  It's saddening to me that such a prolific writer, an author who won many awards, who has pushed the limits of science fiction and horror since she first started writing, was no longer having her works published (not her choice).  It's surprising to me that so many of her books are out of print (my assumption since they're so costly used, so I could be wrong about that).  It's surprising to me that someone who I would consider to be one of the most important authors of the twentieth century is so overlooked.

Despite the fact they are usually quite slim (a great many of her books are 200 pages or less), it takes some time to digest her stories.  She breaks all the expectations you have going in. Her worlds don't work in the way we expect them to work, and neither do her characters.  And her fantasy often feels like sci-fi and her fantasy like horror, and it's just this wonderful blend of scifi-fantasy-horror that I promise you is a completely weirder and cooler atmosphere than you're imagining right now. I have a complicated relationship with her writing. I've never exactly loved any of her books, and I don't often exactly enjoy them either. And yet I would be happy to devour her entire collection of writing because no matter how little I'm enjoying them, they're thought provoking and feminist and well...weird.  I guess the best way I can describe her writing is uncomfortable.  And no one really likes being uncomfortable do they?  Her "heroines" more often than not rather evil, and really few of her characters are likeable at all.  But she's one of the few authors whose books are filled with women.  Filled with unapologetically powerful women.  You honestly don't find that often...it's not even that it's hard to find unapologetic powerful women, because I can name more than a few YA heroines who fit that, it's that her heroines are so...unconstrained by the constructs of society or fear of consequences for just being so powerful.  Honestly her writing is rather difficult to describe, and I'm leery of recommending a place to start both because I've read so little of her extensive catalogue, and because the book I remember enjoying the most involves quite a bit of rape. (I'm fuzzy on the details, but I usually have a very difficult time when authors choose to have characters raped.  With Tanith Lee...it's a bit different. Again, hard to explain why exactly).  Add in the fact, that simply put Tanith Lee is not for everyone.  Or maybe even most people.  Hence the no mention on the blog before. But I DO think her books are an experience well worth having if you're willing to approach them with an open mind.  If I had to pick a book that I think would go over well with people who are YA oriented and I remember enjoying (remember that I use this term loosely with Tanith Lee, but I do think this one features one of her more likeable heroines) I'd say Black Unicorn is a good way to ease your way into Tanith Lee's writing.

It's funny that an author I've read so little of has inspired such a powerful reaction in me over the years (and with books I don't love the way I normally love books, to say the least!), but I'm grateful I still have so many more books of hers to read.  I'm incredibly sad that she is no longer around to give us more stories.

Rest in peace, Tanith Lee.