A Review of Various "How To" Books
Bruce Sterling Woodcock
and advice books for speculative fiction authors. I didn't really
think I needed to do so, but I felt that it was nevertheless a prudent
idea; perhaps I would learn something I didn't already know. If not,
at least I would be familiar with their content and I could use them
for reference or as recommendations to others. They are certainly
nice to have on your bookshelf.
So, below I list each book, along with some comments about each one
and a "grade" to provide a quick indicator of quality and utility to
an aspiring or even current speculative fiction writer. I've divided
them into three sections: Introductory, Intermediate, and Advanced.
However, the latter two categories are still entirely accessible to a
new writer and should not be avoided if you plan to make a career out
of writing speculative fiction. However, if you're not yet sure you've
got what it takes to be a writer, read one or more of the Introductory
works first and save your money for when you're ready to dive in deeper.
One final note: I don't think any of the books I've listed should be
considered required reading. Most of the basic information and advice
contained in them can be found freely on various writing web sites,
magazines, and newsgroups like this one. In fact, the information you
get off the web and from current posters here is going to be far more
up-to-date than what you will find in print. So don't feel your have
to read these books to become a good writer. But if you're looking for
even more information and advice, and/or would like to have something
solid for reference, one or more of these books could be exactly what
you need.
Introductory Works
_How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy_ by Orson Scott Card (Writer's
Digest Books, 1990). A wonderful introduction to a career in writing sf,
with a good overview of all the essential elements of good fiction. Card
won both the Hugo and the Nebula two years running, so he knows a thing
or two about the subject. The only real negative is that the book is a
little on the thin side (only 140 pages counting the index), so many
topics you find detailed in other books are glossed over. Some people
have also taken issue with Card's recommendation to write short fiction
first before trying to tackle novels. GRADE: A-
_The Craft of Writing Science Fiction That Sells_ by Ben Bova (Writer's
Digest Books, 1994). This book is lesser known but is essential the
latest edition of his classic _Notes to a Science Fiction Writer_ which
you will find referred to in many places. Overall it covers essentially
much of the same material as Card's book, but it is much longer (over
200 pages) primarily due to the inclusion of several of Bova's own short
stories which he uses to illustrate various points about character, plot,
and so on. While there are some delightful personal tidbits in this
book (Bova's attitude is a little more maverick than Card's), I did not
particularly enjoy the short story examples. I don't think they are his
best work, they break up the natural rhythm of the chapters, and I did
not find them at all particularly illustrative of the points he was
trying to make. If examples are your bag, you might prefer it to Card's
book. I, however, did not. GRADE: C+
Intermediate Works
_Science Fiction Writer's Workshop-I: An Introduction to Fiction
Mechanics_ by Barry B. Longyear (Owlswick Press, 1980). This book is
directed at the complete beginner and assumes you are a "100-percent
neophyte writer." However, this book goes into much greater depth on
actual technique than the books I put in the "Introductory" category
and it invites the reader to engage in various writing exercise, so
I don't think this is the kind of book a beginner should pick up if
they still haven't grasped some of the more general concepts that Card
and Bova describe. This book was written by Longyear when he was still
new to the profession, thus providing a unique introductory perspective.
Some of the "rules" he presents in the book are a little controversial,
however, so you shouldn't take them all as the literal truth. Like
Bova's book, it is full of examples from his own writing. Alas, this
book is out of print, but you should be able to find used copies.
GRADE: B
_Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy_ by Gardner Dozois et al. (St.
Martin's Griffin, 1997). The latest reprint of a 1991 book, this is
a collection of 20 essays from various writers edited by the editors of
_Analog_ and _Asimov's Science Fiction_. In fact, most of the essays
are reprints too. The book covers a wide range of topics and is broken
into three main sections: Storytelling, Ideas and Foundations, and The
Business of Writing. Several essays focus on writing hard sf and are
extremely detailed. GRADE: A-
_On Writing Science Fiction (The Editors Strike Back!)_ by Geoge H.
Scithers et al. (Owlswick Press, 1981). By the (then) editors of
_Asimov's_ this book is something of a cross between the the previous
book and Bova's, examining the various elements that go into making
a good story and offering some guidelines for crafting prose worthy
of publication. The editors have chosen to include 12 short stories
(each a first sale by its author) as examples to illustrate their
points. Perhaps it is just me, but like Bova's book I found the
interspersion of fiction in-between the various non-fiction sections
to be more disruptive than insightful. The quality of the stories
also varies quite a bit, with the editors' judgement at times quite
questionable; they say "Perchance to Dream" by Sally Sellers is the
best in the book, a story which the author herself calls "painfully
bad" and which clearly isn't on the same level as "The Adventure of
the Global Traveler" or "The Tryouts." The book redeems itself with
a few unique sections, such as listings of "laws" and "rules" written
over time by various people in the field, and several pages on the
symbology of copy-editing, typesetting, and proofreading which you'll
probably never need. Alas, this book is also out of print, but still
relatively easy to find used. GRADE: B+
Advanced Works
_The Craft of Writing Science Fiction_ by Reginald Bretnor (editor)
(Harper & Row, 1976). _On Writing Science Fiction_ says this is
"Definitely an advanced text." and the Foreword itself says the book
is meant to deal "less with 'how to write sf' than with _how sf is
written_." However, this book is still useful to the beginner, and if
you're serious and you have already launched your career, then trust me,
YOU WANT THIS BOOK. It includes 15 essays on the various aspects of
writing sf, every one of them a top-notch classic from one of the best
in the field. Also includes a unique essay by Harlan Ellison on script
writing that you probably won't find anywhere else. I can't say enough
about this book. Sadly (alas!) it, too, is out of print, and can be
difficult to find. But it is worth it. GRADE: A
Other Works
There are a few other books which are frequently mentioned and may be
good to have on your shelf, but which I haven't read yet. I mention
them here for the completist.
_Of Worlds Beyond_ by Lloyd Arthur Eshbach (Advent, 1964). A collection
of essays on writing science fiction and the first of its kind, first
published in 1947! Luckily the classic Heinlein essay can be found in
_Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy_ so this book is not essential.
Much of the rest is probably outdated.
_Science Fiction Handbook, Revised_ by L. Sprague and Catherine C. de
Camp (McGraw-Hill, 1975). Although a good reference work, much of the
advice in this book is probably now obsolete. The earlier 1953 edition
is even more so. A third edition never (combining and expanding on the
two previous) that was in the works never materialized.
_SFWA Handbook_ by Jon M. Gustafson (editor) (SFWA, 1998?). The latest
edition of the handbook, aimed at the beginner. Includes numerous
essays written by professionals which focus not on the craft of writing
but the various mechanical, legal, and financial aspects of being a
writer.
Bruce
Dan Goodman
Here are some others I think deserve at least being looked at:
Conceiving the Heavens: Creating the Science Fiction Novel Melissa Scott
1997 ISBN: 0435070088 Pub: Heinemann Type: tp
The best specialized sf handbook, in my opinion. Doesn't cover fantasy.
Damon Knight Creating Short Fiction (St. Martin's/Griffin 0-312-15095-4,
Apr '97 [Mar '97], $13.95, 209pp, tp) Reprint (Writer's Digest 1981) guide
to writing.
Not genre-specific. Very good. Contains some of the author's work as an
example, which may be a drawback to Bruce and others.
Steering the Craft Ursula K. Le Guin 1998 ISBN: 0-933377-46-0 Pub: Eight
Mountain Press $14.95 Type: tp
Haven't read this one yet. Some people think highly of it.
--
Dan Goodman
dsg...@visi.com
http://www.visi.com/~dsgood/index.html
Whatever you wish for me, may you have twice as much.
Yehoota
<37147A23...@ix.netcom.com>...
>Over the past couple of months I've acquired and read various "how to"
>and advice books for speculative fiction authors. I didn't really
>think I needed to do so, but I felt that it was nevertheless a prudent
>idea; perhaps I would learn something I didn't already know. If not,
>at least I would be familiar with their content and I could use them
>for reference or as recommendations to others. They are certainly
>nice to have on your bookshelf.
>
Has anyone read and formed an opinion on _Writing Fantasy Fiction_ by Sarah
LeFanu?
Anthony A. Toohey
frogjuice
Yehoota wrote
>Has anyone read and formed an opinion on _Writing Fantasy Fiction_ by Sarah
>LeFanu?
Yes. Ive read it.
My opinion is:- Interesting, but nothing that six years of english literature
and twenty years of reading science fiction and fantasy havent already given me
major
hints on. Although I did add a few things to my reading list. It just didnt
work with me,
I found the ratio of practical exercises to quotes from others not to suit.
And it isnt a greatly in depth book. Huge chunks are disposed of too rapidly
for my taste.
I'd go for something more specific, with more to stretch my brain. I liked and
found
Ursula le Guin's "Steering the craft" to be quite good for that.
Samantha.
Lisa A Leutheuser
Dan Goodman <dsg...@visi.com> wrote:
>
>Steering the Craft Ursula K. Le Guin 1998 ISBN: 0-933377-46-0 Pub: Eight
>Mountain Press $14.95 Type: tp
>
>Haven't read this one yet. Some people think highly of it.
>
Le Guin's book is about the craft of writing and is useful
for any prose writer as her advice is not SF&F specific.
The book contains a number of exercises that you can do
alone or with a group, ranging from sentence structure up
to story structure.
Lisa Leutheuser
eal (at) umich.edu
http://www.umich.edu/~eal
Jim Tinsley
>The Longyear book is on the web; sorry, I don't remember where.
>
It's at BiblioBytes http://www.bb.com