Writing Books Part 6 Genre (Science Fiction)
Here is my sixth installment on the writing books I have read. Today, I will review Genre Books: Science Fiction. If your favorite book isn’t reviewed, I might not have read it yet. Go to my contact page and leave me a suggestion. This will be the final NaNoWriMo Book review. I will add other reviews later but not as specific sections responding to Wrimo requests.
Orson Scott Card
Eds. Dozois, Lee, Schmidt, Strock and Williams
Stephen Gillet (Ed. By Ben Bova)
Barry Longyear
George H. Scithers, Darrell Schweitzer and John M. Ford
Books on Genre Fiction
Orson Scott Card
- How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy (1990) Very good guide but dated on the advice on how to get published. (Most of the pulps mentioned don’t exist anymore and you have to go through an agent. Locus is still alive and well as of Dec. 2010.) Lots of his advice works for all fiction but he does address specifics to SF. For example, if a chick lit person writes, “She had a thing on her face...” then everyone thinks zit. If an SF writer says that, then everyone thinks alien face-hugger.
Eds. Dozois, Lee, Schmidt, Strock and Williams
- Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy (1991) Collection of essays on the craft of writing science fiction. A mixed bag. Some of the better essays appear elsewhere. Still worth perusing.
Stephen Gillet (Ed. By Ben Bova)
- World-Building A writer’s guide to constructing star systems and life-supporting planets (1996) Good geology primer. Mostly up to date. Useless for real scientists but good for the non-scientist checking his or her facts.
Barry Longyear
- Science Fiction Writer’s Worskhop I (1980) Book on the most basic of mechanics. Good for people who have not had college English but less useful for those with degrees in liberal arts. The mechanics on typing and formatting are way out of date. Good source of examples for people not familiar with classic SF.
George H. Scithers, Darrell Schweitzer and John M. Ford
- On Writing Science Fiction: The Editors Strike Back (1981) Book on mechanics but with excellent examples of first sales short stories and a few key reprinted essays (Asimov’s and Heinlein’s). Useful and fun to read because of the examples.