SF&F Books with Lawyers as Main Characters!

♦ April 21, 2024 ♦ 3 Comments

According to Claude AI, there are a few speculative fiction novels–very few (ed.)–that put lawyer characters at the forefront. It’s a relatively niche subgenre compared to other professions portrayed in science fiction and fantasy. Here’s Claude AI’s list:

Science Fiction:

  • The Ophiuchi Hotline by John Varley – A lawyer is recruited by an alien race to help resolve a contract dispute, dragging her into an interstellar conflict.
  • Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress – A lawyer becomes a champion for the rights of the genetically engineered “Sleepless” community who don’t need rest.
  • The Terminal Experiment by Robert J. Sawyer – A lawyer grapples with the legal and ethical implications of an experiment to upload a human consciousness into a computer.

Fantasy:

  • The Laws of Magic series by Michael Pryor – Aubrey Fitzwilliam is a law clerk working in a magical legal system, enforcing the laws that govern the use of magic.
  • The Craft Sequence by Max Gladstone (Craft novels) – This series imagines a world where magic is regulated like law, with lawyer characters like Tara Abbot navigating the system.
  • The Atario Tangram by Dennis Carey – In a world of legal magic, lawyer Ethan Hetherington inherits a powerful grimoire that puts him in danger.
  • Amicus Impavidos by P.J. Hill – Amonus Fletcher is a defense lawyer who is also a licensed “wizardslinger” in a realm where magic is permitted with oversight.
  • War for the Oaks by Emma Bull – Young lawyer Eddi McCandry gets caught between rival faerie kingdoms in modern Minneapolis. (Beamer selection for April 2015)
  • The Night Court by M.J. Seton – Lawyers like Gideon Dale practice law in a magical Night Court that rules over supernatural beings.
  • The Unbeliever by Nicholas Arden – Lawyer Alexander Zermati is pulled into investigating occult happenings in Edinburgh.

3 Comments

  1. tcdpenn
    April 21, 2024 – 5:47 pm

    Cool, thanks! Can someone e recommend any of those authors? 

    I read Starplex by Sawyer and although it was it hard to finish, I wasn’t terribly impressed. I’ve heard of P.J.Hill, I think, but maybe in non-fiction? I can’t find Amicus Impavidos anywhere. 

    Reply
    • Alan
      April 22, 2024 – 4:14 pm

      I find Varley quite readable.

      War for the Oaks is certainly worth reading.

      The only Max Gladstone I’ve read is “This is How You Lose the Time War” which he co-wrote. Definitely, worth a shot.

      Reply

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