If I may be so bold as to suggest a female character created by a male writer, how about Irene Adler, from Arthur Conan Doyle's "A Scandal in Bohemia"? Any woman who can outwit Sherlock Holmes is bound to be worth knowing.

And, although she's 20th century, what about D.L. Sayers Harriet Vane? Smart, tough, and she writes well.

Okay, I'll stop now. Well, I'll try to stop now...