The Left Hand of Darkness (Le Guin) & Parable of the Sower (Butler) belong in your “cannon” list ....

The Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin has a discriminated-against underclass with magical powers and cool world building in a semi-modern society with no metal tools.

I can't believe I left LeGuin off of that list! Thank you.

Thanks you 1&2 I was coming here to mention that all three of these authors are sorely missing from this. and if you haven’t read NK Jesmisin’s new stand alone The City We Became order it from your fave Black owned bookstore today. It’s such a wonderfully weird book and very timely for a host of reasons, touching on the Identity, growth and gentrification of (sentient) cities as well as some alt right lovecraftian baddies that make for a marvelous journey with the people who become New York’s Burroughs. And If you’re an audiobook person there’s some great scoring that accompanies the high tension action that ramps it up and makes for a listening experience that sucks you in.

It's a great list but it would have been awesome if you'd listed the authors of these recommended titles.

+1 on Octavia Butler. I read the Xenogenesis Trilogy/Lilith's Brood last year and it was awesome.