The Writer's Guide to Creating a Science Fiction Universe

by George Ochoa and J. Osier

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• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0898795362
• ISBN13: 9780898795363
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Writer's Digest Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.37 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Good Manual but needs updating

This is a good manual to use in avoiding the pitfalls of writing science fiction. It gave good technical information about science, tips on the natural progression of technology, human exploration and scientific research. I will use it as a good reference book on the subject. The only problem that I had was that it needs updating. I understand that even with an updated copy, the information will be outdated by the time it is published but that is the reason I gave it 4 stars.

A Fantastic Resource for Science Fiction Writers

I am just starting out writing science fiction, and I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in writing in the genre. It is not a "how to write science fiction", but rather a handy reference book. It the various areas of science that a science fiction writer might find useful, with chapters devoted, inter alia, to: space and spaceships, planets and planet design, aliens, designing a future setting, nanotechnology, intelligent machines, bioengineering, and alternate universes. I found the book to be well-organised and easy to read. All sections are written in a clear, easy to understand manner, assisting the non-scientist layman in writing convincing science fiction. One of the best features, in my view, was that the authors point out all the "wrong science" blunders common to science fiction, thereby helping you to avoid them. They also point out examples of excellent science fiction and how those authors used known science in a convincing manner.The only significant shortcomings of this book relate to its age: it was printed in 1993 so the science risks becoming dated as we move further from its publication. Additionally, this means that it has gone out of print and one can only obtain used copies. However, there is nothing newer out there that covers all the areas that The Writer's Guide to Creating a Science Fiction Universe so it is still well worth it. I have also read the Science Fiction Writing Series (edited by Ben Bova) "World Building" and "Space Travel" and I preferred The Writer's Guide to Creating a Science Fiction Universe. There is nothing wrong with the Bova books, they were excellent as well, but I found Messrs. Ochoa and Osier's book easier to read and more insightful. Plus, it is nice having everything in one place. On the other hand, the Science Fiction Writing Series books are more comprehensive and still in print.

Good reference book for sf writers

Though I read this straight through, this is really more of a reference book. It covers chapter-by-chapter the various areas of science that a science fiction writer might find useful, starting (not surprisingly) with space and spaceships. Other topics include designing a planet, aliens, designing a future, nanotech, intelligent machines, and alternate universes. The authors do a good job of pointing up common cases of bad science, from lasers visible in space to human-alien halfbreeds and other Star Trek-type errors. They also point up shining examples of science fiction stories that are based on particular concepts and make suggestions based on other ideas that haven't been fully mined yet.Definitely a worthwhile book.

Great for Beginners

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is starting out writing science fiction. It is very easy to read and understand, and it discusses topics frequently found in science fiction. Not only does it have information about world-building, but it also covers topics like aliens, space travel, and futuristic civilizations. If you're just starting out, or if you just need some guidelines in your fiction, check this book out.

For a better understanding of science fiction

This is a great book for those interested in Science Fiction. It helps the laymen understand scientific concepts and is written in a way that is easy to understand. We often see scientific books as being hard to understand, being too mathematical and way above our heads. This book is definitely not that way. If you want to learn about science, this is the book. There is a section on creating an alien life bearing planet, detail by detail. A section on spaceships and space stations, and a section on designing a future. There is even a section on remodeling humans. All this in an understandable format. Writers will find it of unmeasurable help in their writing science fiction.