How to Write Tales of Horror, Fantasy and Science Fiction

by J.N. Williamson

Book Overview

The masters of speculative fiction share how-to instruction on writing stories about the weird, the fantastic, the unknown and the imagined, in 27 succinct chapters. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0898794838
• ISBN13: 9780898794830
• Release Date: July 1991
• Publisher: Writer's Digest Books
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 0.89 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

The parts that are good are excellent

This wonderful book is easily the most helpful thing I've ever read for the horror author. In essence, it is a collection of essays from various writers about writing speculative fiction and dark fantasy, with chapters by the likes of Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch and Charles Grant. Much of the lessons do apply to Sci-Fi/Fantasy as well, although if that's your concentration I would recommend Orson Scott Card's "How to Write Science Fiction" before this.The book is a brisk read right up until the chapter on the psychology of horror fiction which, frankly, reads like it was written by a psychologist. It was boring, tedious and felt very out of place among so many good essays.The only other problem is the chapter at the end that supposedly helps you get published. While I'm sure it was quite helpful at the time it was written (in the mid-1980s), many of the publications it lists are now defunct and many of the practices have changed. It's not a bad section, it is simply past its time.Regardless, for those who want to learn how to write horror from those who have done it, this book is well worth reading.

The best how-to book ever written

This is the best how-to book ever written. I got this book for Christmas back in 1989. I've read the chapter on how to write sword and sorcery fantasy many times. I highly recommend it to all aspiring authors. I want to tell those who are just starting out not to give up. However, if you're still unpublished ten years after you should have been, then consider it.

Excellant

THE book on genre writing. Filled with pertinent and insightful information. Features writing advice from the likes of Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, Dean Koontz, Marion Zimmerman Bradley and Charles L. Grant. Buy it with Mort Castle's "Writing Horror" and Stanley Wiater's "Dark Thoughts On Writing". An inspirational book. Buy it you won't be sorry.