Writing Science Fiction & Fantasy: 20 Dynamic Essays by the Field's Top Professionals

by Ian Randal Strock, James Patrick Kelly, Jane Yolen, et al.

Book Overview

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... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312089260
• ISBN13: 9780312089269
• Release Date: February 1993
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Great collection

I really enjoyed this collection and found it useful. I can understand the arguments people make that the collection can be contradictory, but that is do to the fact that there are different essays by different people with different roads to success. There is no one sure-fire way to write a good story, if there were we wouldn't need different perspectives. This seems obvious to me. Each writer can only comment on their own particular field of science fiction. Some people love hard science fiction, while others love cyber-punk, space operas, anthropological science fiction, etc etc. All of these sub-genres have niches and ways to go about writing. In fact, if you read the opening essay by Heinlein, he clearly says that the essay is merely pointing out basic ideas toward interesting pieces that will be sold. So, while there are "guidelines" to follow, the guidelines aren't biblical commandments of writing science fiction/fantasy, and they can be broken. It also tells you throughout the essays what clearly NOT to do if you don't want to end up with a cliche-ridden story that will get rejected over and over. It is true that this book deals more toward the process of creating a short story than a novel, but generally that is how science fiction authors break into the field and get noticed, and if you didn't notice the book was compiled by Analog and Asimov's science fiction, which are two of the most famous SHORT STORY publications. That said, I would recommend this to people who want to write speculative fiction stories to sell to magazines like Asimov's, Analog, Science Fiction and Fantasy, etc. It is not loaded with information on Fantasy or novel-writing, but if you are serious about writing, this book will give you some good weapons to add to your writing arsenal and get you pumped to do some writing. I agree it is not the end-all book on writing, but realistically as an aspiring writer you should read whatever you can find, and this features some of the greatest names in the field writing honestly about what they know.

Great for Science Fiction, not for Fantasy

I was disappointed with this book because my primary focus is on fantasy, not science fiction. Originally I decided to pass on this book until I found out that a SF writer and teacher I admire loves this book, so I changed my mind and got it. If you know Analog which focuses on hard science fiction and Asimov's which focuses on character-driven science fiction, this book is exactly what you would expect. There are some incredible articles on how to create a believable planet and how to extrapolate from the present society to hypothesize what a future society might be. Stanley Schmidt, the current editor for Analog, included some interesting articles on story ideas editors see so often they know the ending after reading the first paragraph, and articles on what as an editor he is trying to do for both the writer and the reader. If you are a fan of Asimov or Heinlein, you may be interested in their articles just to understand how they think. Except for Connie Willis's wonderful essay on comedy and the world-, creature-, and society-building essays, the actual writing advice is good for a beginning writer, but won't have new information for an intermediate/advanced writer. For the right person, this book is a gem. If you are trying to publish in Analog or Asimov's, I'd say it is a must. If you are interested in hard science fiction, there is a lot this book has to offer. If you are interested solely in fantasy, this book probably will be a bit of a disappointment.

A fantastic book for the beginning writer

This book is a fantasic source of advice and counsel for the budding writer. I really do not approve of the condescending nature of Mr. Dozois' remarks toward the beginning writer. Isaac Asimov has great adsvice in this book. People should buy the book just to read what the different authors say. I really love this book! Buy it today (if you want)!

A Must Read for the Would-Be Author

Aristotle had once said, in part, that a workable falsehood is better than an incomprehensible truth. If Science has any imagination, it is used in its ability to simplify complex concepts, by sometimes making small assumptions, in order to explain them better to the common laymen. Science fiction writers borrow heavily on this concept to tell their own stories. Since man, in reality, cannot travel faster-than-light to reach distant stars in his own lifetime, the writer of such a fantastic tale should be able to explain how such a fantastic journey could have ever taken place. How you explain this fantastic journey between the stars in your story (though now a well-established convention in SF) can mark the difference in fiction between science, fantasy, or just plan unbelievable (...). It is up to you, and if you want to write good believable science fiction, then you should make every effort to learn everything you can about your scientific subject, and then you can create your own workable falsehoods.The editors of *Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy* have divided the book into three sections, which they hope will inspire would-be-authors into writing credible fiction. Section One deals with *Storytelling* and includes the controversial essay from Robert A. Heinlein *On the Writing of Speculative Fiction*. Controversial because he advises, "you must refrain from rewriting except to editorial order." Section Two deals with *Ideas and Foundations*, which will advise you on how to write better believable science fiction by using real rational science. (The essay on *The Ideas that Wouldn't Die* is mandatory reading.) Although the third section on *The Business of Writing* lacks enough market resources and is all too brief with its essay on *The Mechanics of Submission*, it gives some of the best pieces of advice that any new writer could receive from Stanley Schmidt's essay on *Authors vs. Editors*. Despite any shortcomings, *Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy* is a necessary read for anyone who is seriously considering writing in any of these genres. Such luminaries as Anderson, Asimov, Barnes, Heinlein, and Spinrad, who are the best in their fields, wrote some of the twenty collected essays. Leaving little doubt that the advice and insights given therein comes from legends, whose prose we should all-be so lucky to follow.

I disagree with the previous reviewer

There is a difference between writing passable fiction, and writing great fiction. I think this difference is what the previous reveiwer was not understanding. Sure, with no research and making things up as you go you can write competent, average stories. But not great ones. And it is to authors of great stories that this book will appeal. The book assumes you are not an amateur, that you want to publish. And it quite frankly tells you that certain things will not get you published. So while some readers might feel stifled, these readers must then be prepared to be un-published, at least in the sorts of magazines that the editors of this book are involved in.Further, I dispute the previous reviewers assertion that science fiction does not involve real science. If he does not understand why both I, and the authors of this book, are insisting on fact (or at least, a reasonable explanation for deviation from actual fact) then I suggest that his problem is not with us, but with Aristotle. Aristotle was the first to write about rhetorical strategy, and his theories on the necessity for and distinction between probability and possibility are still quite useful.Oh, and to all aspiring sci-fi authors, I especially recommend the chapter on the ideas that wouldn't die.