Science Fiction & Fantasy Books

How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy

Orson Scott Card

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 54 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Don't buy this book 2 out of 5 stars.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Honestly, buying and reading the book isn't worth the money or effort.

By all means, buy this book if you:
- want to hear accounts of the author's problems related to writing
- want to see his obviously opinion-based views of the publishing aspects of SF&F writing
- want to be reminded of the obvious topics that you should know already [as an aspiring writer]

Overall, the book gives more out-of-date examples and opinion-based reasoning than it's worth. Throughout the book, there are perhaps no more than a handful of useful bits of information presented, that you didn't already know. If you know almost nothing about writing, then perhaps this book will be good for you to read. For most people, however, the money and time spent on this book are just not worth it overall.

Simply reading through this book makes you want to throw it across the room. The author's perception of the publishing aspects of writing are blatant bull****, and are obviously based solely on his opinionated views. The entire book screams of undertones of his opinions and ideas. Once you get through the oppressive first chapter, you're then bombarded with constant reiterations of obvious common-knowledge topics. How does he explain many of the [commonly known] topics portrayed in the book? Examples of his own writing and editorial experiences, of course! The author's opinionated views seem to permeate every page of the book, which is already common knowledge, or quite close to it.

I simply do not understand why this book has received so many good reviews. Overall, I feel that this book was not well written. It doesn't give you much insight into SF&F writing at all, aside from a few useful tidbits of information. My advice to anyone considering buying this book would be: don't.

Editorial Review:

Finally, Orson Scott Card's Hugo award-winning classic on the art and craft of writing science fiction and fantasy is available in paperback! Card provides invaluable advice for every science fiction and fantasy writer interested in constructing stories about people, worlds and events that stretch the boundaries of the possible...and the magical. They'll learn: * what is and isn't science fiction and fantasy, and where their story fits in the mix * how to build, populate, and dramatize a credible, inviting world readers will want to explore * how to use the MICE quotient--milieu, idea, character and event--to structure a successful story * where the markets are, how to reach them and get published There's no better source of information for writers working in these genres. This book will help them effectively produce exciting stories that are both fascinating and market-ready.

The Writer’s Complete Fantasy Reference

Writers Digest

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

A decent reference, but doesn't live up to the claims 3 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I'm not saying "don't" buy this book. I'm saying buy it used at a considerable discount. It's got some useful information and and few 'exercises' that are helpful, but overall it's kind of flaccid. It's worth a read or two.

My son loves this 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 3 people found this review helpful.

My son likes to write fantasy stories and plays D&D with his friends. He was thrilled with this book! It gives backgrounds and historical facts as well as advice and tips. The one feature I think is helpful is the vocabulary in reference to castles and costumes of the time periods often found in fantasy stories. Celebrated authors write essays on several subjects, so the information is not without merit. After all, they sold their stories. I am not the one reading this book, but I will say that my son is 16, and teenagers don't get excited over much, so if he was thrilled, you know it must be good!

Good reference for beginners 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

If your young, or new to fantasy writing this is a good reference book. It details many subjects that you cant find in normal reference material or that would be hard to find. Clothing, nobility, ancient forms of magic and their use, dark age life ect. Many people have given this book a bad rating but I found it very interesting and helpful. It is not complete, true; but finding a book with everything you need to know about fantasy and ancient times would be impossible to find. This is the basics and I think it was worth every penny. Get it at a discount here on amazon. I love this site !

Editorial Review:

Featuring an introduction by Terry Brooks, The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference is an A to Z coverage of the realm of the fantastic.

World Building (Science Fiction Writing)

Stephen Gillett, Ben Bova

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Useful Book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book explores and details assorted aspects of world-building, some that I hadn't considered previously. Going through it's questionnaire helped me flesh out and enliven my fantasy planets. Well done!

I will be able to use a lot of this information in my next book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

As both a author and reader of fiction I enjoyed World Building even though I was not able to use any of it in my first book. I was looking for something to help me build heaven. However in my next book a lot of what I have learned from reading this book will be use to help me build believable worlds
Tommy Taylor

enjoyable read 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Picked this book up as a reference for beginning my own SF book. Enjoyed it. Has some good info presented in a understandable manner.

Editorial Review:

Another in Ben Bova's series on Science Fiction Writing, here geologist and SF scribe Stephen Gillett helps you construct star systems and planets from the atoms up. While it may take you a little more than the proverbial seven days (well, six with rest), when you're done, your knowledge of gravity, weather patterns, cosmic mass and stellar patterns--in this universe--will be greatly enhanced.

The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy, Vol. 2: The Opus Magus

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Stands above the rest, but how far? 4 out of 5 stars.
23 of 25 people found this review helpful.

The greatest compliment I can give this book is that I've owned it for less than a week and it's been borrowed four times. The first volume goes over general character and world generation--anyone with access to roleplaying reference materials knows general character and world generation--but this book won my heart because it describes other areas of fantasy fiction. High notes are Tony Ruggerio's chapter on horror fantasy and Tee Morris' chapter on Asian-based fantasy, and a few chapters concern editing and publishing specifically for the fantasy writing market. However, the rest of the book rehashes the same information laid out in the first volume, albeit with a few tweaks (like a full-blown "sex in fantasy" chapter instead of a few hints).

All in all, it's one of the better fantasy resources I've found in print. If you've got the cash to spare and you write offbeat fantasy, it's worth owning.

Editorial Review:

Tee Morris and Valerie Griswold team up as editors for the title that picks up where Alchemy With Words leaves off. The Opus Magus takes on the advanced topics of writing, such as incorporating horror, mystery, herbalism and advanced worldbuilding.

Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life

Terry Brooks

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Not all there. 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Five or six chapters in, I doubt I'll finish. It's probably interesting to Terry Brooks fans, but...

The opening chapter goes into some detail about how he's "not all here," explaining that his attention is usually in the world of his writing instead of on his "real" world surroundings. Unfortunately, he's not all here in the book, either. It feels amazingly superficial, like Brooks was severely distracted while writing it. I can barely remember each chapter by the end of it.

Several pages, I've simply skimmed, looking for something worth reading and coming up empty. I expect I'll "finish" it that way, if at all.

By contrast, I found King's "On Writing" to be inspirational, instructive, informative, and engaging. I sincerely wish I could say the same for this book.

Editorial Review:

In Sometimes the Magic Works, author Terry Brooks mixes advice on writing with stories from his personal experience in publishing. A seasoned fantasy writer with 19 books under his belt, including the New York Times bestseller The Sword of Shannara, Brooks began his second career in middle age when he gave up his law practice to pursue writing full time. His move was fueled by an obsession with writing, ("If I don't write, I become restless and ill-tempered"), inspiration from J.R.R. Tolkien, and constant encouragement from publisher Lester del Rey. Some of Brooks's advice is specific and useful, such as the chapter he dedicates to the importance of outlining. However, the lessons he tries to tell through his own adventures tend to be self-serving. Still, Brooks's experiences could be particularly interesting and valuable to fans of his fantasy novels--and aspiring authors of their own. --Lacey Fain

How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy (Genre Writing)

Orson Scott Card

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 35 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

An excellent beginning/intermediate writing book 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Mr. Card has focused on writing science fiction well. However, the book is as much about writing well as it is about writing science fiction. I don't write science fiction, but I enjoyed and learned from this book. Thank you Mr. Card.

Good, Short, Beginner's Book 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This book is an excellent resource, summarizing why and how one writes science fiction or fantasy. Other Amazon reviews back up this opinion.

The book is a bit larger (length and width) than a paperback and a bit thin at 140 pages, 3 of which are the index.

The book is a beginner's book, and only a passing familiarity with science fiction and fantasy is needed to understand the occasional name-dropping of books and authors. The language used is at the late middle-shcool/early high-school level. The book is broken into easy-to-digest sections within chapters, and reading the book is a joy rather than a chore.

A second edition of this book has been printed, and I do not know what changes have been made. This edition is $CHEAP$ but worth more than you will pay for it.

Writing Science Fiction & Fantasy

Analog and Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Wildly Uneven, But Worth it For The Good Bits 3 out of 5 stars.
28 of 28 people found this review helpful.

At the most basic level, this book delivers what the title and subtitle promises: How-to essays by some of the biggest names (as of the mid-1980s) in science fiction writing. The majority deal with science fiction (rather than fantasy) and with magazine (as opposed to book-length) pieces. Would-be fantasy writers should beware, but should also be willing to cut the editors a little slack on the subject. New writers with no track record and no agent (the book's target audience) have always had an easier time publishing short fiction than novels. Fantasy is (and has been for decades) almost entirely published as novels, but there's still (if only barely) a market for magazine-length science fiction.

The book is not, however, what it clearly *wants* to be: THE book for writers trying to break into the genre. The essays in it were written at different times and for different purposes. They vary wildly in length, depth, and (most critical) in the amount of knowledge they assume on the part of the reader. Trying to read the book straight through can give you a severe case of intellectual whiplash. If you want a unified, coherent book about how to write quality science fiction and fantasy, this is NOT it. (Try Orson Scott Card's _How To Write Science Fiction and Fantasy_ or Barry Longyear's _Notes to a Science Fiction Writer_ instead.)

The real gems of this book include, as other reviewers have noted, Stanley Schmidt on worn-out plot devices and Connie Willis on humor. IF you want to write hard science fiction (stories where the scientific details are firmly in the foreground and integral to the story), then add Hal Clement's on aliens to that list. IF you want to write fantasy, then add Jane Yolen's superb essay on using elements from mythology and legend. Either group could benefit from Poul Anderson's essay on world-building. (As Diana Wynne Jones pointed out in her hilarious _Tough Guide to Fantasyland_, fantasy writers are notorious for creating worlds that make no ecological sense.)

The book is, ironicaly, least useful where it's most closely concerned with the mechanics of writing. Isaac Asimov's five essays are breezy and genial but offer little in the way of really concrete advice. Robert Heinlein's single essay (written in the early 1950s, if memory serves) is valuable *only* if you keep in mind that it was written when the market for magazine SF was *much* larger than it is today. Sheila Williams' essay on "The Mechanics of Submission" is now badly out of date, since it was written before e-mail and inkjet printers. Many of the markets listed at the end of the book have, sadly, ceased publication years ago.

The good bits of this book are very, very good. The essays by Anderson, Willis, and Yolen alone are worth the price of (paperback) admission. Be aware, though, that you get a *lot* of chaff along with the wheat.

Editorial Review:

Do you dream of -

Crossing the galaxies?

Living in the far future?

Entertaining millions with your imagination?

This book can help make those dreams come true!

Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy brings you expert advice on how to craft and market tales of the fantastic. Award-winning writers such as John Barnes, James Patrick Kelly, Norman Spinrad, Connie Willis, and Jane Yolen reveal some of their secrets of crafting believable stories, while Grand Masters Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein provide timeless advice for beginners and veterans alike. The editors also provide valuable insights into the process by which stories get published and they offer helpful hints on getting your story out of the slush pile and into print.

Why I Write About Elves

Terry Brooks

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

An interesting look into the mind of a fantasy author. 4 out of 5 stars.
15 of 17 people found this review helpful.

Terry Brooks' short story gave me a unique look into the world of Fantasy authors. After reading his story, I was able to gain insights into what makes a successful fantasy story, and how Mr. Brooks defines himself in the oblique landscape of fiction authors.

I would recommend this story to anyone who has tried to, or wants to write fantasy stories, it gives some very helpful advice and observations.

Editorial Review:

This is yet another attempt to explain why I write what I write and why people in general sometimes have trouble understanding my reasoning. I have been doing this verbally and in writing since I first published Sword of Shannara. I guess I keep doing it because I feel so strongly about what I do. I want readers to look beyond preconceptions and first impressions. I want them to be open to what fantasy can be and how much fun it is to be a part of it. The funny thing is, I didn't set out to write fantasy. I just found my way there by trial and error. I have decided that it was fate that took me on that journey, and you never want to argue with fate.

The Ring of Words: Tolkien and the Oxford English Dictionary

Peter Gilliver, Jeremy Marshall, Edmund Weiner

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Tolkien's first job, on returning home from World War I, was as an assistant on the staff of the OED. He later said that he had "learned more in those two years than in any other equal part of his life." The Ring of Words reveals how his professional work on the Oxford English Dictionary influenced Tolkien's creative use of language in his fictional world.
Here three senior editors of the OED offer an intriguing exploration of Tolkien's career as a lexicographer and illuminate his creativity as a word user and word creator. The centerpiece of the book is a wonderful collection of "word studies" which will delight the heart of Ring fans and word lovers everywhere. The editors look at the origin of such Tolkienesque words as "hobbit," "mithril, "Smeagol," "Ent," "halfling," and "worm" (meaning "dragon"). Readers discover that a word such as "mathom" (anything a hobbit had no immediate use for, but was unwilling to throw away) was actually common in Old English, but that "Mithril," on the other hand, is a complete invention (and the first "Elven" word to have an entry in the OED). And fans of Harry Potter will be surprised to find that "Dumbledore" (the name of Hogwart's headmaster) was a word used by Tolkien and many others (it is a dialect word meaning "bumblebee").
Few novelists have found so much of their creative inspiration in the shapes and histories of words. Presenting archival material not found anywhere else, The Ring of Words offers a fresh and unexplored angle on the literary achievements of one of the world's most famous and best-loved writers.

Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy (Self-Counsel Writing) (Self-Counsel Writing)

Crawford Kilian

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

One of the two best references on the subject. 4 out of 5 stars.
18 of 19 people found this review helpful.

After having read almost every available book on writing science fiction and fantasy specifically, I think that the combination of this volume and Orson Scott Card's "How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy" constitutes the most complete, practical and useful source of advice and information for any writer interested in stepping into or perfecting the craft of writing in either genre, in any form, any length or any language.
This concise, well-organized, excellent reference is written in a warm, enthusiastic and conversational style that's as pleasing to the mind as the voice of a dear friend is to the ears, and you will be drawn to read it cover to cover in just one sitting. But with its highly detailed table of contents and easy-to-use format, it's also perfect if you only want to do a quick check-up or consultation on a specific topic or idea.
The author begins by offering a detailed description of what the genres and subgenres of science fiction and fantasy are, and a general summary of the elements considered to be essential to each - ideas that although seemingly obvious as a starting point for this type of book are surprisingly either just barely touched or completely overlooked on most other titles. He expands on this topic by carefully detailing the relevance and influence that diverse areas of knowledge like mythology, history, sociology, philosophy, science, have on both genres.
Then, he examines a wide variety of subjects on each genre in particular as well as on the craft of writing in general, from idea generation to organization to researching, from character development to point of view to voice, style and tone, from structure to editing to English grammar and punctuation, from word processors and manuscript formatting to work habits. He masterfully uses many excellent examples to illustrate each point being made, and while most are taken from well-known classic and contemporary titles, some are from the author's own works, allowing us a glimpse at the quality of his storytelling abilities.
The section on marketing and publishing is especially helpful to beginners and unpublished writers as it discusses topics like choosing the right market, editor, publisher, and agent, and understanding contracts and copyrights. In the appendix, the lists of related readings and websites are truly an added bonus for those seeking a deeper treatment of any area discussed by the author, and the multiple exercises present throughout the book are a stimulating way to introduce us to some new creative methods for generating story ideas.
While you can't really learn how to write by reading any one reference or any one guide - only lots and lots of writing practice and lots and lots of reading from the genre you want to write in will make you an effective writer - there are a few books that can actually help you polish your craft and fine-tune your ideas, and this is one of those. From reading this book you can expect three basic things: a) to get a clear picture of the craft, business and life of writers; b) to acquire a thorough understanding of the essential elements of the genres and subgenres in both fantasy and science fiction; and c) to discover invaluable, time-tested advice, tips and techniques from a published author on how to improve your craft and avoid some common pitfalls that could hinder your development as a writer.
If you are serious about creating science fiction and fantasy stories fit to print, then get this nifty resource and follow its advice, and you'll stay on the right track, guaranteed.
Also recommended: "How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy" by Orson Scott Card.
--Reviewed by Maritza Volmar

Editorial Review:

- Learn how to get the science and the magic right - Develop believable fantasy worlds - Challenge your readers’ imagination - Written by a successful novelist