How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy

I did not find this book particularly helpful for me. I think if might be helpful if you want to write very generic SF hero-narratives written in first person or third limited. It is mostly SF, very little emphasis on Fantasy, and his discussion of speculative fiction feels shallow and perscriptive, for creating a product, rather than really getting in depth into the meaning of what is being written. His section on characters and POV are written in such a way to assume that Omniscent doesn't even EXIST. He does have a negative view of literary fiction, which I don't think is a healthy attitude for any writer to have. I feel like it teaches you how to write like Orson Scott Card, rather than helps you find your own voice.

Books that have been more helpful to me are Gene Wolfe's Shadows of the New Sun and Ursula LeGuin's Language of the Night, which are much more in depth and more liberating for the SFF author. For craft tools, Steering the Craft and Gotham Writers Workshop are excellent.

The title of this book should omit the "& Fantasy" part. It seems to me that the book was originally aimed at science fiction writers, but the writer thought the audience can be broadened by adding fantasy writers. I like fantasy and I want to write fantasy, but I am not particularly interested in science fiction. The reason I bought the book is because I thought it was going to have a reasonable treatment of how to write FANTASY, and in what I have read so far (and what I have browsed in advance) that topic is covered so little that the book should not be directed at aspiring fantasy writers at all. If you are an aspiring science fiction writer you may like the book, otherwise probably you will feel cheated.

The nice thing about Orson Scott Card, the same thing I liked about "Characters & Viewpoint", is that he uses good examples. Real life examples. Examples you can utilize in your own pre-writing. It might not work for you, might not fit your style, but it worked for someone and it might work for you. That's why I hate writers who say "Well, everyone's different, I can't give you any advice, it might not fit you, everyone has their own way". Yeah, I know that. Tell me your way, I'll see if it works for me.

The problem is the book is outdated. It talks about magazines and sources that are either dead or no longer relevant. It has no Internet resources. The ways to submit works has changed, culturally. He advises mass submissions and unagented queries. If I was writing a writing help book, I wouldn't include anything that might become obsolete in the future - it just would make me look stupid.

I'm not 100% sure this book helped me a great deal, but I think it was more important I was able to look into a professional writer's head, and see how it works. Then I can at least try and incorporate it subconsciously. Creativity doesn't just happen, it must be made to happen.

I've never taken any writing classes aside from the standard high school and college requirements. I read a lot, and I'm starting to write a lot too. If I'm extremely lucky and bust my hump for the next few decades, maybe I'll even enjoy the merest hint of the success Orson Scott Card has found as an amazingly talented writer. Unfortunately, this book isn't going to help me get there. There's nothing in here that I didn't already know, and like I said I haven't got any special experience.
How to Write... isn't so much a how-to book as a shopping list of the most obvious information a fiction writer needs to know. In fact, that information is so obvious that most ordinary people know it intuitively, even if they've never written a page of fiction in their lives. For example, the advice you are given to help you create logical, consistent worlds is something not much more complex then "Create logical, consistent worlds".
The section on story structure will only give you blatantly obvious advice as well, stuff like it's bad to reveal the solution too early on in a mystery and that you should think about a character's motivation for moving forward through the events of your tale. Do you really need to read an entire book to tell you these things? Probably not.
There's nothing in here that will make you say "Of course! This is what my stories have been lacking!" If anything, it will make you feel vastly better about being a writer, because if this is all there is to it (and I suspect that's not the case), writing must be a piece of cake.
There are a few valuable pieces of advice in the book such as where to go to get your stories published and how to further your career as a writer- but these gems only tend to be a paragraph or two, not very detailed and not really worth the price of admission. There are many other books entirely devoted to the useful subjects Card is only able to give you a glimpse of, and your money is most likely better spent on those.
I recognize the merit of being told the obvious at certain points to keep yourself focused, and in that regard this book may serve you well. However, those looking for hard information and valuable writing exercises should pass this selection by or prepare themselves for sore disappointment.

I ended up with a copy of this relatively slim work because someone had donated it as a door prize at a recent Spokane Authors and Self-Publishers meeting. I read a lot of science fiction and fantasy and as well incorporate it in my own work. I thought it would be interesting to see what a well-known writer has to say about it.
Mr. Card begins by defining the genres, combining the two into speculative fiction while maintaining a sometimes narrow difference between the two. He also looks at genre as a marketing tool, or as a means of classifying work and what shelf it will go on in the bookstore. He also looks at science fiction and fantasy standbys such as world building, possible scientific breakthroughs, and the creation of magic. I was a little miffed as he seemed to dismiss Star Trek’s Warp Drive as being scientifically impossible.
Mr. Card also spends a little time offering advice on getting published. As the book was published in 1990, some of this might be a bit dated. He suggests that one seeking traditional publication need not look for a literary agent until offered a publishing contract. In more recent times one generally needs an agent in order to even approach a publisher.
On the whole, this is an informative and educational work. I feel that my time in reading it was well-spent.

I don’t feel I’ve read much science fiction or fantasy (my total exposure is J.R.R. Tolkien, Bradbury, Stover, Brewer, Herbert, Crichton, and C.S. Lewis). Other than these and a few scattered authors, my preferred genre is mainstream, especially the coming-of-age story, or as it is called in the classroom, the bildungsroman.
But I love books on craft, and so upon hearing prolific and respected writer Orson Scott Card (Ender’s Game saga, and Alvin Maker series) authored such a volume, though years ago, I decided to check it out.
As well-known genre author Ben Bova states in his introduction, three components are necessary to become a writer: talent (which is innate and can’t be taught), craft (or how-to, which can be taught), and perseverance, which is a must above all the others. If I’m going to get published, talent and craft can only accomplish half the goal: getting something good written down. Never accepting “no” for an answer will win the rest—eventually. Don’t give up!
Veteran science fiction and horror writer Thomas F. Monteleone sent out his work for 2 and 1/2 years, and harvested nearly 200 rejection slips. I’ve sent some experiments to Asimov’s magazine, Space and Time, Fantasy and Science Fiction, and so on, but was roundly rejected, in all, 40+ separate times. I received scant feedback other than two editor’s comments: “Didn’t interest me at all” was one, and the much more helpful and hopeful “Show more, tell less, and try back!”
Obviously my craft needed work. So I bought Orson Scott Card’s little book for lesson training. Let me tell you, it is by far the best book on the SF genre. For me, the best books about writing tend to be brief and to the point. Card’s book is under 150 pages. The Elements of Style by Strunk and White is another great example at around 100 pages.
Also of note, great writing manuals are heavy on craft, and a little lighter on how-I-made-it-in-the-industry life stories. HTWSFAF (my acronym for the title) is interspersed with anecdotal advice, publishing norms and customs, award lists for the prospective author, cautions, and flat out warnings about what to do and not do as a living writer.
The first section is an introduction to the craft, discussing the different boundaries of science fiction and fantasy. Authors like J.R.R. Tolkien, Ray Bradbury, Jules Verne and H.G. Wells are mentioned. Crisp and insightful analysis is offered on many of their works. Card says Wells and Verne (and I’ll add Mary Shelley) invented science fiction closely before the pulp magazines took over in the early 20th century. Fantasy was established in the 1930s through the 1960s with the publication of Tolkien’s famous hobbit/ring stories—not to mention the high adventures of H. Rider Haggard and Edgar Rice Burroughs, again around the pulp era. Modern day (1970s through 1990s in this publication) authors are included like Anne McCaffrey [fantasy], Michael Crichton [science fiction], and even Stephen King [both genres] gets a nod.
Section 2 focuses on the concept of “world-building.”—setting up your story world or settings. Card says we must drag ideas through a fishnet of “how, why, and with what result?” Together you (I) and Card journey through the human mind to fathom the impossible … and make it seem probable to our audience. The first four chapters of this part are keepers; the last chapter is dated, but still valuable. It covers industry standards, such as manuscript format as of the year 1991. Still worth reading though because some of the info is still in use—like 7,500 words being the max word count for short fiction.
Like The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Writing a Novel, which is now past its 10th anniversary, Orson Scott Card’s manual is over 20 years old. Hey, some of that conventional wisdom never goes away. Little on the craft side has changed in the arena of science fiction and fantasy. Yes, writing imaginative stories in English has continued, although perhaps our slang and vernacular has undergone a few rigors. Although so much has already been explored and laid bare, as I write these updated words, recent summer (2013) box office ventures are pushing boundaries. We’ve seen The Host by Stephanie Meyer come to film, and the movies Oblivion with Tom Cruise, After Earth with Will Smith, Pacific Rim, and Card’s own Ender’s Game, all with absolutely stunning, no, AWESOME special effects and a teenager’s “cool, neat-o, and tubular” need I say original story lines. This summer (2017) promises another batch of blockbuster knock-outs like Wonder Woman, Pirates of the Caribbean 5: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Alien Covenant, Transformers: The Last Knight, War For the Planet of the Apes, The Dark Tower, and more!
In the world of SF and F, the test is to come up with something no one has thought of before and present it to the world—or make a new twist on an existing premise. Are you up to the challenge? Am I?
Buy this book, today, get busy creating. As Michael Shea put it, (paraphrased) “See something not already existing, bring it into being, and in doing so, become a playmate with God.”
Best of fortune to you as you go.

I read this book from a library copy years ago when it was new and it's one of the better books about writing the science fiction and fantasy genre. The author gives advice, often coupled with samples of his writing, about what to do and not do. Years later the parts that stick with me is a section about character development that suggests imaging sitting down to an interview with your characters (which he says he tried with a character from War Against the Chtorr" and he imagined the character jumped over the table and tried to strangle him. The other chapter that I recall is about sex scenes that he summarizes as "They're embarrassing to write, they're embarrassing to read and most of all they're embarrassing to publish."

One thing I'll note about a lot of other reviews - they appear to be reviewing a totally different book by Orson Scott Card that has a superficially similar name. Ironically, other than professional courtesy Card and Gerrold don't seem to get along all that well in real life.

Ever read something so obvious that you go, "Well, duh?" Maybe you reacted that way because the information was so right, so intuitive, and so self-evident that you thought you already knew it. Perhaps you did, or perhaps the information arrived so naturally that you failed to realize you received a lesson. That's how this book works.

Card begins with an explanation of what constitutes science fiction or fantasy, and the differences between the two genres. On the surface, it seems obvious, but there's more to it when you look a little deeper. Readers may not care what genre they're reading, but it's important for authors to know what genre they're writing. This is especially true now that mixed genres are becoming popular. However, mixing genres is not the same as muddling genres. Muddling results in genre pollution. For example, I can't think of anything vaguely scientific about zombies, yet there they are muddling up the science fiction genre.

Authors also need to know the difference between genres in order to set, and follow, the rules pertaining to the worlds they create and write about. Knowing how starships travel, or how magic is worked, brings credibility to stories, even if the information is never mentioned in the story. This principal applies to other elements of a story as well. When an author knows his character's background, the history of the story's milieu, etc., then his story is more believable, even if this information is not shared with readers.

There are four story types, Card maintains. These are: milieu, idea, character, and event types. Authors need to know the differences between each type, and must be certain that the type they start a story with, is the same as the type with which it ends. Otherwise readers are baffled and disappointed.

Story worlds should be built with exposition techniques that don't interrupt story action. Card uses another author's story to explain how effective and unobtrusive exposition is accomplished.

The final quarter of the book addresses a writer's lifestyle and business practices. Although Card offers good advice, similar advice is available in other writing how-to books. Some of the information is outdated and fails to address the rapid changes occurring in the publishing industry. But don't let that stop you from reading an otherwise excellent book.

When it comes to books about writing, one is always cautious, with reason. In most cases, you find things that common sense dictates and you realise you knew a good bunch of those things (or thought you did), although I'd still recommend reading books on writing if only to be more aware of the processes involved with it and how writers think; this can't hurt.

So what of this particular volume? In short, if you're interested in science fiction (and fantasy to a slighly lesser degree), go for it. The book focuses on what makes writing SF or fantasy different from everything else. Card does a great job of introducing the reader to the SF tradition and explains why SF and fantasy are generally taken together, despite their differences (the reader will realise how much they have in common, after all).

Short, effective, enjoyable. You can't go wrong with this small book on the craft.

This was a great introduction for me. My copy is heavily highlighted, dog-eared, and underlined, but I am a novice in this genre. This is my official entry into this domain. I did note the discussions leaned more heavily toward the SF realm. There's a lot to be gleaned from this book, much of it is given via a very conversational tone with a plethora of anecdotes and a multitude of reading suggestions. The overall message is to write, read a lot, write more, don't quit your day job, and keep writing.

Orson Scott Card begins his book with a systematic introduction that explains the difference between science fiction and fantasy. Next, he talks about world creation, the cost of magic, how ideas ripen into stories, the importance of rules (and not breaking them), history, language, and scenery. Then, he talks about story construction and introduces the MICE quotient: milieu, idea, character, and event. One of these elements will take precedence (author's preference) and determine the route the story will take. The next chapter talks about writing well (lightly touching on exposition and language) with your typical dos and don'ts that are best learned from a non-genre writing book. Finally, the life and business of writing (the last chapter being most in need of updating).

Great intro for the novice if you omit the last chapter. Informative and inspirational for most.

When my sci-fi fanatic brother handed me this book and raved about Gerrold's exemplary writing style as well as his abiity to coach on the craft itself, I was skeptical. What can a sci-fi/fantasy writer offer a writer of mainly creative nonfiction? The answer is EVERYTHING.

I haven't read any of Gerrold's works, but now I want to. His style, voice, and realism stand out even in a book about writing. I've highlighted nearly every page for either tips I want to remember far into the future - especially when revising and perfecting my own work - or for quotes on the craft or life in general that match my own philosophies. This isn't just a book covering the practical how-to of writing something others will be glued to but also a book on viewing life in general and how writing and life go hand-in-hand, if they aren't one and the same.

Gerrold's clear advice broken into palatable chunks applies to all writers and is guaranteed to introduce new elements to consider for your own work and draw you out of your comfort zone. New ways of looking at the basics, as well as more in-depth knowledge/techniques, such as memes and writing in E-prime, are covered.

Sure, Gerrold uses his own work in example, but that doesn't bother me. Why would you buy a book BY a successful writer if you weren't looking for his own take on writing and how he's developed his own ideas? I've read technique books by lesser authors who, frankly, don't even have enough successful works to quote from. Gerrold doesn't have to mention his own published titles to plug; his name on the cover of the book already does that.

The fact is that he knows what he's writing about and his own work provides perfect examples of all the thought he proves he puts into his creations to make them as near perfect as possible. That's why the book is an excellent resource for writers.

P.S. Gerrold also sites examples from several other authors. :)

When two of my screenwriting clients asked my recommendation on the best book for learning how to write Fantasy and SciFi, I had no hesitation in pulling out a magical reference that has been on my shelf since it was first published over 10 years ago. While lesser "how-to" authors have borrowed liberally from Card's insights - and critics have labeled its examples as out-of-date - the fact remains that the rudiments of these two popular genres have actually changed very little over the past centuries.

Alternative universes, alien visitations and mutant creatures have probably been in mankind's collective thoughts ever since the first Neanderthal noticed something weird or inexplicable and sought to define what it meant. Even the current batch of "new" movies and TV shows in which enchantment is the core theme can look back and thank the inventive minds of two sibs named Grimm that wanted to teach lessons about the penalty for misdeeds.

Throughout the book, Card is spot-on about the distinguishing characteristics of Fantasy and SciFi, how to craft incredible worlds that feel credible, and how to people them with heroes and villains who -regardless of their physical appearance - possess motives that will resonate with modern, workaday mortals. Much of Card's advice extends to any type of fiction wordsmithing you might want to do, for at its heart is the powerful message that every writer is a practitioner of alchemy that will endure.

How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy is a great primer that would be valuable for anyone just starting to write in these genres.

One valuable feature of the book is the numerous examples of well-written and not-so-well-written science fiction. These do tend to be more science fiction than fantasy, so fantasy authors may be disappointed. Another is the extensive list of science fiction and fantasy authors Card recommends.

This book seems to be geared to anyone new to writing science fiction or fantasy, and especially a newer writer. I'm glad to have found a short book that has all the basics covered so clearly. It will serve me well as a great reference whenever I get bogged down or just want to refocus.

While somewhat dated, especially in the publishing section, most of the book present writing tips that are timeless. While I already knew some of what Card taught, his book filled in some gaps in my knowledge. Each author brings their own perspective to the writing and creative process, and I learned much from Card's slant on what I had learned elsewhere.

Beyond the writing tips, Card's book is inspirational. He closes one chapter with what I think sums up one of the great purposes of science fiction and fantasy: "Speculative fiction [...] provides a lens through which to view the real world better than it could ever be seen with the natural eye."

Beginning writers, anyone new to writing science fiction, or any writer who wants a short work on the basics of fiction writing will all benefit from reading this book.

Only the first two of Card's five chapters deal exclusively with SF&F. The other three apply to all genres. Card spends the first chapter defining just what is SF, what is F and how to tell the difference. SF&F have many sub-genres (space opera, hard SF, cyperpunk, sword & sorcery, etc.) and Card shows the reader that they all have several elements in common. The second chapter focuses on creating believable worlds that readers will want to explore. SF&F is not an "anything goes" genre; you must have rules and follow them, especially with regard to time, space, and magic. You also have to work out problems in your world's history, language, geography, and of course science.
Chapter 3, Story Construction, has already opened up new worlds for me (no pun intended). Almost every story, no matter what your genre, falls into one of four categories: milieu (the time or place of the story is the most important element), idea, character, and event. Knowing which your story is will help you write it better. Very helpful examples are given.
Chapter 4, Writing Well, shows how to unfold your story. True, this chapter is geared to the specifics of SF&F, but contains extremely valuable information. How much information should you share with the reader early on? How much is too much? Have you dropped enough clues or interesting pieces of information early on to keep the pages turning? This chapter answers those questions and more.
Chapter 5, The Life and Business of Writing, is probably the most honest look at the writer's life that I've ever read. Not only does Card offer advice on how to get your stories published, he also covers the pros and cons of conventions, classes, workshops, conferences, contests, handling your finances, and a subject that doesn't get addressed enough: balancing your writing life with your home life.
How to Write SF&F is a book written by an author that cares about the genre and cares about writers. He doesn't pull any punches, but you come away with the sense that Card wants (and expects) you to succeed as a writer. I was extremely impressed with the way he uses examples from other writers' work and not his own. I've read so many books and articles in which the author cites, "In my book 'Pluto Goes to Town with Gorfzork,' I deal with the problem of faster-than-light travel in a new and fascinating way." Not Card. He praises others instead of himself.
Again, this is a book for ALL writers. The book has already made me re-examine several of my own stories. Now I can look at them and say, "I knew something was wrong with it...NOW I know what it is."
137 pages

My hope for this book, anyway, was that it would be delightfully speculative fiction focused, which is a good thing (seeing as this is my favorite genre). The problem with me for the book, though, was that it is really, really old. It was published in 1990, but to be honest, it feels more appropriate to 1980. This might not be a big deal, except that nearly half the book focuses on the "current" world of science fiction, and the realm of publishing in a pre-Internet world where Robin Hobb is still called Megan Lindholm and is an "up and coming" writer. It also feels overly personal. I mean, sure, Card is a great writer. But advice that's along the lines of "this is how I launched my career" is perhaps not as useful as advice as to how someone in the modern world might launch his or hers. (And probably isn't applicable to 90% of aspiring writers, anyway.)

There was a bit of good stuff on world building in speculative fiction worlds, as well as the differences between spec fic and normal fiction (and how readers read the genre differently). So it's not a total waste, and may be worth picking up at the library if you write speculative fiction and have a spare hour or two. (It's only ~100 pages, so you can get through it fairly fast.) But I really wasn't all that excited about it, and don't think that it's worth the rave reviews that it gets.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, and in fact found more tips on plot in this book than I did in another book I have that is devoted to plot mechanism itself. It contains many practical ideas and examples to illustrate Card's various points, and is also written in an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand style. Card's MICE quotient theory is also one of the best I've ever seen when it comes to story structure.
Card has admitted in several of his essays that he got into writing almost by accident, and made many classic mistakes along the way. In this book he does so again, and offers advice and ideas for avoiding the pitfalls he encountered. He also pays attention to the fact that the audience for science fiction is unique indeed and spends some time exploring the differences between the sf audiences and general reading audiences.
There are also many helpful ideas in here for the aspiring writer whose resources are a bit limited and who may not really have an in-depth understanding of the writing field. I particularly found a list of good places to try "breaking in" to be very helpful.
While it's probably a little too elementary for an experienced writer, and can sometimes come across as a bit preachy, I'd recommend this book for any aspiring sf writer's library; get the hardcover if you can manage it. You'll find yourself turning to it again and again and valuing the practical advice.

I've dealt with a lot of would be writers, mostly young people. They all love F&SF and dive right in, as have I myself. Wish I'd bought this book sooner. Mr. Card does an excellent job explaining the differences between the genres. He also presents what needs to be done and/or decided before ever putting pen to paper (finger to key). That part was the most enlightening part of the book. As they say, the devil is in the details. Mr. Card is convincing in his reasons and examples. Everyone who thinks they might like to write F&SF absolutely needs to read this book. Although the world of publishing is changing and therefore the last chapter may be dated in some aspects, its advice to the new writer will always be pertinent. I also must say that reading this non-fiction book was in no way difficult or boring. Mr. Card used many examples throughout that helped bring the concepts he was "teaching" into focus and they were all entertaining.

Orson Scott Card is well known to science fiction (the Ender and Worthing sagas) and fantasy (the Alvin Maker saga) readers. He is also (apparently - I have no first-hand knowledge) a dedicated teacher and mentor to young writers (and young Mormons, for that matter, as he teaches Sunday School). In this short book he lays out what he sees as the ground rules for writing science fiction and fantasy. Although I do not agree with his argument that these two genres should be in the same aisle in the bookstore, he convincingly argues that writing these two genres is very similar.

He divides his book into several practical areas - world creation, point-of-view, how to handle exposition in an interesting way, etc. These topics are general for both s.f. and fantasy because the writer needs to convey the rules of the world (be it space travel or magic) in such a way that the reader learns about the world while also enjoying him/herself. He gives numerous examples from the current (and not-so-current) literature, by writers who should be familiar to readers of the two genres.

Unfortunately, much of his advice is obvious to anyone who has thought seriously about writing s.f. or fantasy. Having said that, however, it's not a bad idea to have these ideas reinforced because they are so basic. After all, if professional musicians play scales, writers can stand to be reminded of the basic writing rules that Card sets out. There is a lot of practical advice as well - how to break into the genre (by selling short stories to magazines), when to acquire an agent, where to look to find the addresses to publishing houses, etc.

This is a practical guide to the nuts and bolts of the technicalities of writing. For advice on writing itself, I prefer Stephen King's "On Writing" - it's more interesting (if esoteric) and more general. But this book by Card has lots of good information on the genre-specific issues, and also has more practical advice on the profession of writing.

Although this book doesn't qualify as a traditional how-to reference, but mainly as a collection of tips, tricks and techniques on improving your science fiction and fantasy writing, it does rank high above the majority of references available on this topic, which are usually only aimed at psyching up the reader with nothing more than fluffy, feel-good advice that's completely useless to anyone with little more than some basic schooling, some common sense, and a few hours of writing practice.
Award-winning author David Gerrold, particularly well known to Trekkies for his Star Trek Original Series' episode "The Trouble with Tribbles," presents this book in such a pleasant, entertaining and enthusiastic style that you'll be enticed not only to read it through on your first sitting, but also to keep coming back to it time and again.
The short and very easy to find sections into which the book is divided go straight to the point without overlooking anything of importance and retaining all the necessary ideas to clearly explain the points being made. The selection of basic and not-so-basic topics included range from conceptualizing your first ideas (characters, settings, plot) to editing and selling your completed manuscripts. The chosen examples, picked out of both the author's own work and classic sources of the genres, are always accurate and easy to understand. And the very practical suggestions on technique and the reminders on style sprinkled throughout the book will undoubtedly help you create and maintain healthy and fruitful writing habits if followed.
Whereas, in this volume, the ever-present anecdotic remarks of the author might be more appealing to the practiced writer who's lived through similar experiences than to the beginner, the sound information on the craft of writing itself will certainly be useful to both. This may not be the ultimate reference on science fiction and fantasy writing - for that I would turn to either "How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy" by Orson Scott Card or "Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy" by Crawford Kilian - but it is definitely a useful and enjoyable reading. Buy this book, enjoy it, and take the counsel it gives as you would that of a good friend.
--Reviewed by M. E. Volmar

You should buy "Worlds of Wonder" not because of Gerrold's writing credits (which are extensive), but because of his ability to both analyze the act of writing, and communicate his discoveries with wit and style.
The book consists of many short, connected essays. Because of their length, Gerrold doesn't get into much depth. However, he does touch on many interesting subjects: Wonder, "what if?", what makes science fiction science fiction and fantasy fantasy, crises and challenges, world-building, alien-building, believability, transformation, theme, style, sex scenes and love scenes, simile and metaphor, evocation, metric prose, memes, point of view and perspective, tense, pronouns, dialogue, specificity, and more.

Gerrold possesses a lively, engaging style; wit, humor, and personality abound. The book feels more like a conversation than a set of lessons. Gerrold has had the opportunity to speak with many of the SF giants of our day, and he passes on tales of how and why various authors have done things in certain ways. You come away from the book with a good understanding of the vast possibilities available to you when you write, and the many different things you can play with to take control of your work.

Gerrold does explain some things as inherent to the genre that I don't think are always the case; in some places I think his advice applies more narrowly (to certain parts of the genre) than he indicates. I think some sections should have gone into more depth; others should have been left out if they were going to be covered so lightly. But this book succeeds in some very specific and delightful ways, offering things that I haven't seen anywhere else--Gerrold has some very interesting points to make about the power of language and how writers use it (and fail to use it).

It's hard to say whether I should recommend this one or not. On one hand, I was looking for science fiction and fantasy specific advice, and this doesn't have it. It's really just another book on writing, which I've read enough of. There wasn't much here I didn't already know.

On the other hand, I like Gerrold's style of writing. This was definitely better than Bird by Bird and comparable to "On Writing" by Stephen King. He makes the book fun to read.

On the other other hand, the examples that Gerrold cites are all his own works. And they are looooong examples. At a certain point, it makes me wonder whether this volume was as self-promotional as it was self-help.

I am a beginning writer of speculative fiction who has always felt unhappy with his stories. Reading this book has given me insight into certain aspects of planning and development that have really been lacking. Among the most useful advice in the book, for me, is the emphasis Card placed on world and character creation before writing; both will change and be refined during the writing of the story, but without spending the time to create them and ask questions of them prior to the story's writing, both end up thin and less believable. Too often I have found myself trying to write a story arond a great Idea or Event with little to no preparation beyond the initial inspiration, only to find the finished work thin and lacking.
This book does not teach you to become a great writing of speculative fiction; what it does is illuminate where your stories might be lacking, where you should spend more time in development, and it lists what kinds of groups and organizations can help you improve both your writing and your stories. For under 140 pages, it is absolutely the best book of its kind. Even if you don't intend to write much SF&F, reading this book will make you a more critical reader of the genre.
One last note: this book will help you improve your Sci Fi and Fantasy stories, it is *not* designed to improve your general writing of fiction. There are other great books out there that specifically address such things as Character creation and development, plot, setting, grammar and style, ect., so such topics are ommitted in this book except where some advice can be given that is specific to SF&F.

When you come down to the nuts and bolts all how to write books present the same or similer information as each other. The only difference is the presentation style of the writer and possibly the empasis of some particular aspects over others.

I found this book to be the right book at the right time for me. Some areas like the treatment of reader expectations was new (at least to me). Other points where presented well.

A lot of the examples are based on personal expirence, and why shouldn't they be? He is a published author. At the end of the day if he uses his own writing as an example he can known how he developed the ideas, if he uses someone else's he can only speculate.

About the only thing to be said against this book is that a lot of the advice on the publishing industry is dated and by now inaccurate, but hay this book was written quite some time ago and the real world is a moving target.

Worlds of Wonder starts out like a lot of other books of this type, but after the first few chapters you'll find some really useful and specific advice. My favorite sections are those on writing in E-prime (shunning the passive verb "to be"), writing in the discomfort zone, making critical distinctions and creating powerful paragraphs. Gerrod has two long chapters on fantasy and alien world building which I found useful even though I'm not a fan of fantasy worlds.
I like Gerrold's style. It's easy to follow and entertaining. Yes, it seems self indulgent when he uses his own examples in every chapter but he's also a big fan of classic science fiction and uses Robert Heinlein, Theodore Sturgeon and others for balance.
This is a really superb book. Writers outside of science fiction could benefit from the advice, but I'm glad to see it focusing on science fiction.
Gerrold offers writers a great deal of insight and enthusiam. My favorite line comes near the end, "If you haven't written a million words, it's all practice."

Worlds Of Wonder

Worlds Of Wonder is a very useful book for writers wishing to explore science fiction and fantasy. David Gerrlod manages to keep this book fun and informative.

I love the way David starts this book, a tribute to his college professor. "He was a bleary eyed, red-nosed, overstuffed, walking elbow wrinkle of a human being." How's that for descriptive writing? Too many adjectives you say? I think it paints a clear picture of his professor and anti-hero. David claims that five words his professor spoke to him changed his life. "You'll never be any good." I guess his professor was wrong.

Worlds Of Wonder is so informative that I do not have time to cover all the information offered in this book, so I will try to condense and most likely butcher the advise this author offers.

Let me start by naming a few chapters from this novel: The Literature Of Imagination, Inventing Wonder, If-The Most Powerful Word, Science, Science Fiction, ... and Fantasy, What Is A Story, A Story Is, Crises and Challenges, and so forth. Each chapter contains insights to the given title and some chapters offer helpful writing exercises. My favorite chapter where about world building and building aliens, you can only imagine the fun these chapters contained. Dr. Jack Cohen a British biologist is given credit for working with many authors including David Gerrold, so the information in these chapters is quite informative.

These simple words from David Gerrold have stuck with me long after reading the book. "The literature of the fantastic is about awakening the feeling of awe- and exercising it."

This is a very good book and a must read for writers of every level. I wish I had the time and energy to explore this book in depth, but that would take much too long.

Worlds of Wonder is a nice surprise. It'll suck you in and keep you (most of you) turning pages. Its author, David Gerrold, is a neat guy with a neat voice. He's been in the industry for a long time and is probably best known for writing the most famous of Star Trek episodes, "The Trouble With Tribbles."
"Oh," you say, "that guy."
Yeah. Him. But that's not all he's done. He's written for Twilight Zone, Babylon 5, Star Trek: Next Gen, and more, in addition to lots more, TV and novels: The Martian Child, Yesterday's Children, When Harlie Was One. . . . He's well equipped to write this guide (the full title being Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy).
The first time through, reading WW is a 5-star experience. Gerrold will not only give you continually good advice from page 1 all the way to page 238, he'll keep you laughing. Or nodding, if you're not easily tickled. The guy made me want to know more about him. He's not only a capable fiction writer, he's got non-fiction stories to tell, that much is obvious, and you'll be interested to read more by him. His experiences in the industry scream to be told, and in a perfect world, he would have been able to go off on long tangents.
But, no, he (pretty much) keeps us grounded on the subject matter. He takes you through the writing process, from structuring your story, to composing love scenes, to using metaphors and pronouns--from beginnings to middles to ends, he touches them all. He talks about the differences between science and fantasy. He talks about world-building, alien-building, plot-building. His chapters are bite-size treats, inviting, non-threatening, and as soon as the chapter is over you wish it had been longer. Chapter after chapter fly by until, suddenly, you've finished the book--craving more words from this intelligent author.
For me, that was part of the problem, though, and that's why the book only gets, in the end, 4 stars. Upon completion of the last page, my satisfaction went from a light, happy sigh, as I closed the book, to a heavy, brow-furrowing harrumph. After reading Worlds of Wonder, though the advice was indeed helpful, I didn't feel empowered to write a science fiction tale of my own. I did feel damn ready to drop everything and get to work on a "normal" story--the advice crisscrosses all fictional boundaries. But specifically sci-fi? Fantasy? Nuh-uh. As it turns out, Gerrold's book wasn't enough.
I examined my feelings on this matter until I realized what went wrong. My mistake had lain in assumption.
I assumed I would be reading a nitty gritty book for building science fiction; I assumed I was going to find equal and opposite help painting fantasy backdrops. I was EXPECTING this book to give me a lot of technical help, which I need, because scientific fact is my weakness. I was expecting, on the fantasy end of the genre, ideas for adding a fantastic flavor to my stories. These chapters were completely missing. (I'm beginning to suspect that they were never included in the first place, that there's been some sit-comical mistake, and I'm still waiting by my mailbox hoping Gerrold will realize his error and send the missing pages out to his fans, post haste. I'm growing weary of holding my breath, though.)
To those of you who are hoping Worlds of Wonder will solve your technical "sci-fan" writing questions, I say, "Keep shopping." It won't. Rather, it's an overview of the genre. A darn well written overview, though. It WILL entertain and educate you, despite it's lack of specifics. In and of itself, World's of Wonder is a good read.
As a how-to book, it only gets 3.5-ish stars. As you can see, when faced with extreme doubt, I sided with 4 stars. Some of you might have toppled leftward to 3. But you people are Negative Nellies. The book is too good to be called "okay."
-----------------
Highlights in no particular order:
* David Gerrold's writing teachers, the worst of them being the "best" of them.
* A few spontaneous exercises
* A difficult task: writing in E-Prime (or: eliminating "to be"). Good stuff.
* More good stuff: metric prose for high impact moments. I just wish Gerrold had expounded this technical style. The chapter ended too quickly, David!
* Language, distinction, mastery, and other memes.
* Love scenes versus sex scenes.
* Beginnings, middles, and "punch lines."
* Distinguishing science and fantasy
* "What is a story?"
* The power of the word "if."
* A yoooosssssful guide for deciding what should go in a paragraph. Plus: how to spread out description over several paragraphs.
* And pretty much anything else he has to say. Even though he is "some Star Trek" author (so called by "A Reader From USA").
If "A Reader From USA" had actually read this book, he'd have known that David Gerrold is much more than a Trek writer. I discovered that myself while reading about him. I'll give one thing to this mindless, slapdash reviewer from USA, however. He's right in that there's a lot in this book that many of us already know. But try finding an advice book on writing that doesn't repeat the sound advice of others. Then email me and tell me what planet it's on. Writing books are not about complete newness, they're about new slants on old ideas. Worlds of Wonder's greatness is about how Gerrold puts things--in his own, distinct voice.

I have always been a big fan of Orson Scott Card. When I saw this book in the store, I knew that it would be useful. Mr. Card is a wonderful writer and definitely has enough experience to write a book telling others how to write. This book gives many useful tips on how to create worlds and define characters. In addition to this, it gives many unique pieces of advice that specifically involve the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres. While some of the information on how to be published may be out of date by now (and Orson mentions in that chapter that it will become out of date) the bulk of this book is still very useful. So, if you are interested in learning how to write Science Fiction and Fantasy, this is an excellent reference for you to use. You will certainly learn many useful things from this book and your writing will improve.

because Card does cover both.

To me, the most helpful chapters were "Story Construction" and "Writing Well." I especially liked Card's analysis of the beginning of Octavia Butler's WILD SEED, and his pointing out how Butler draws us into the story with the first sentence, and then the following paragraphs. Too many "writing advice" authors discuss writing using their own work. Card does not.

"The Life and Business of Writing" chapter also has some very helpful advice, as well as several uplifting paragraphs.

All in all, a good read.

A wonderful book! In it, Card adresses some of the key issues addressing writers in the speculative fiction field. In the first few pages of this book, Card explains he does not intend this to be a book about writing, in general. Rather, it is a book about writing Science Fiction and Fantasy, in particular. Things like viewpoint, theme, etc. that writers of every genre need to cover are not addressed. So if the book seems lacking in that area, that's the reason. That said, there are some wonderful tips for SF writers, both technical and practical, both for writing and being a writer. For instance, should a SF writer get an agent first, or send books to a publisher first? Card gives his answer, and it's different than other genres. Also, he explains how to use a Wise Reader to handle problems with exposition. Full of interesting anecdotes, useful tips, and valuable guidelines, this has remained one of the textbooks of the field.

This excellent how-to book is cram-packed with practical suggestions on how to write good fiction. Although it focuses primarily on science fiction and fantasy, the principles it explains are applicable to any type of creative writing.

I especialy liked the chapters on consistency in world-building. In science fiction lingo, "world building" refers to the process of creating an alien culture. In order to be convincing, that culture must make sense in terms of its ecology, history, technology, lifeforms, etc. Doing this requires quite a bit of preliminary thought before you can even begin to write your novel, but that planning is absolutely necessary if your characters are to be believable. For example, as Card points out, the type of space travel available to your characters will determine their attitudes about a lot of things. If a group of colonists arrived at their new planet in a multi-generational ship that took centuries to get there, they will be out of contact with the homeworld, and their culture will probably evolve independently. On the other hand, if they can travel back and forth in a matter if days, they will be in close contact with (under the control of?) the homeworld, and your story will be quite different. So, you have to make clear decisions about technology before you start writing.

The same is true for the rules of magic, time travel, social customs, evolution of alien species, etc. You, as the author, can decide what these rules will be, and there is a great deal of leeway in a lot of directions. But once you make your rules, you must be consistent within the system you created. Orson Scott Card takes you through this process step-by-step, using actual examples from his own and other SF novels. This valuable lesson can be applied to any type of fiction. What makes a good novel is the creation of a believable world that your readers can enter into with their imaginations -- and that requires pre-planned consistency.

In fact, I found Card's book to be helpful in my own work with re-telling Hasidic stories for non-Hasidic readers. (cf. "Jewish Tales of Reincarnation," available here on the store.) These stories take place in a traditional Jewish culture that is as "alien" to most American readers as the fictional worlds in the SF genre. Breaking into the general market meant explaining things in the Hasidic stories that I would normally take for granted. Card's book got me thinking in a new way about the rules -- written and unwritten -- that form the framework of the Hasidic worldview. Card taught me how to weave the necessary "alien" cultural info into my narratives so that my readers can understand that world and the people in it -- without falling into the deadly trap of preachy, boring prose. That insight alone was well worth the price of the book -- and it contains much, much more. Ten stars!

Pros: Some good tips on story construction and on writing for these genres.

Cons: Large sections of the book are spent telling us stuff we already know or telling us stuff that isn't relevant to writing good SF/F, a heavy focus on science fiction as opposed to fantasy, the chapter on the business of writing contains information that is flat out wrong, the author comes close to bashing other genres and seems to have a high opinion of himself.

Let me start out by saying that there are a few sections of this book that contain some very useful information. The third chapter on story construction and the fourth chapter on writing have been helpful to me. I have found the four types of stories that Card outlined interesting and it helped me to identify where my own story falls on the scale and thus the direction in which my own story should go. The section on writing talks about issues that are specific to SF/F writers which is something you don't come across a lot in other books on writing. He talks about how SF/F authors should deal with exposition, made-up languages, and metaphor all of which differs slightly from writers in other genres. There are even a few helpful tips in the second chapter on world building for science fiction writers (though not for fantasy writers).

But you have to wade through a lot of crap to get to these golden nuggets. To begin with, Card seems to assume that his audience is made up of idiots. He spends a fifth of this book defining science fiction and fantasy for us. Newsflash: if we are trying to write a science fiction or fantasy novel, then we probably already know what the terms mean. He also seems to feel the need to constantly reference authors without explaining how they pertain to what he is talking about. This makes what he does feel like name dropping.

Also, regardless of what it may say on the cover, this book is aimed far more at science fiction writers than at fantasy writers. Card seems to be laboring under the delusion that fantasy is a pleasant little side hobby that science fiction writers like himself sometimes indulge in. He says that "a few" write primarily fantasy, but not many. As a result, his book is tailored for science fiction writers who may occasionally dabble in fantasy. For example, in his world building chapter he talks about the many different ways that authors can portray space travel and the strengths and weaknesses of each. But he does not give magic a similar treatment -- he simply shows how a single magic system can have different consequences and most of what he says comes down to "use your imagination". No kidding, Sherlock.

It is pretty subtle, but Card also denigrates other genres. He doesn't want people to throw out the stereotype of science fiction readers as "machine obsessed adolescent males", but he has no problem depicting romance readers/writers as undiscerning nitwits who close their eyes and grab a book off the shelf at random or literary readers/writers as unbelievable snobs who write boring books. He seems to think he has to convince us that science fiction/fantasy is so smart and cool, but again, he seems to miss that if we are reading his book, we probably already think this.

Card continually goes off on tangents like this that are unrelated to his subject matter. I bought the book because I wanted to learn more about writing science fiction and fantasy, not because I wanted read a spiel on why more soft SF writers should write hard SF (no thanks), get a detailed summary of an Octavia Butler book, or read a diatribe on what the author sees as the many failings of Star Trek.

His last chapter on the "business" of writing seems not very informed at all. He seems to have done no research on the subject and is relying entirely on his own experience; but Card's experience is not everyone's experience. He actually advises writing a two sentence query letter with no mention of word count. He says that writers should NEVER look for an agent before getting a publishing deal, but lots of authors have been successful this way. Also, he presents college creative writing professors as English literature majors who have no experience writing or reading the fiction of students. This simply isn't true. Most creative writing professors have PhDs in Creative Writing, not English Literature. They almost always have a novel or poetry published. This doesn't mean that they are bestsellers (usually they aren't), but they do have some experience.

So would I recommend this book? For science fiction writers, possibly. If you are willing to wade through a lot of junk, there is some good advice here. For fantasy writers, though, I'd say that the amount of good advice isn't enough to be worth it. 3- stars.

If you're looking for the ultimate tome and guide that will take you from simply reading science fiction and fantasy to a best-selling writer of it, then this book is not for you. However, NO book fills that role, nor can it, as writing is something best learned by doing, not following a formula in a book.
Card, like most writers, is well aware of that fact and does not take the pretention that his book is a how-to that will have you churning out sci-fi and fantasy like a pro. However, for those enthusiasts who aren't sure where to begin or what mistakes to avoid, Card's guide is a good, if ill-titled, one; it describes the different types of stories (idea, character, event, etc.), plus offers tips on building a world with consistent and believable rules, what constitutes sci-fi/fantasy, etc.
More advanced writers or even rather astute readers may find some of the book's guidance obvious or a matter of common sense, and the book is not the only one an aspiring writer might wish to own (Writer's Market, various plotting, characterization, marketing, etc. books also being invaluable), but it is a good starting point for the average sci-fi enthusiast.

1) PRO: Nice small chapters. Clearly demonstrates the points to be made and uses Sci-fi/fantasy stories as examples.
2) CON: Most of the examples used are from the authors own writings. A few times I wanted to shout, "Marketing ploy", but he was honest enough in his sharing that the irritation was short-lived.
3) PRO: This is the book to the art of Writing, that drafting a mission statement is to running a business. You get the insipriation, the vision, for where the writing needs to go in many areas without the speicific checklist on how the logistics need to flow. The logistics is what he encourages me as a writer to discover for myself...as I write. I left this book feeling "empowered" to write. I have my mission statement.
4)PRO: One of the most eye-opening chapters were, Memes and To Be Or Naught To Be. I walked away enlightened to the greater universe of possiblities that are at my fingertips as a writer.

Gerrold is a noted science fiction writer, best known for bursting on the scene with his Star Trek script, "The Trouble With Tribbles," still the favorite classic Trek episode.
Here he distills his ideas on good writing and good storytelling into short, punchy chapters, briefly addressing just about every topic one could imagine on the subject, from style, theme, and story to first lines and last lines to love scenes and sex scenes to not using "is" in one's writing.
Sometimes a little self-indulgent and overly clever: he writes short sentences on the virtues of short sentences and long sentences on the virtues of long sentences, and too many of the exemplars come from his own efforts.
Still, he knows whereof he speaks, and this is definitely a useful book.

Though I understand other reader's frustration with the lack of writing exercises, and some things in this book may be downright obvious, especially to people who have read more books on writing Science Fiction and Fantasy than I have done, when I found this book in the library and read it, I enjoyed the book immensely. The tone is not condescending, but rather takes the stance of writer to writer, saying, "look, this is what I've found works, and the opinions that I've seen the science fiction/fantasy community express".

The best part of this book for me was the definition of the four different types of stories, and the fact that one of these needs to dominate. Orson Scott Card not only defines the four types of stories (Milieu, Idea, Character, and Event), but goes to the trouble of giving examples and telling how the stories are set up and brought to a conclusion. For me, this part of the book was more instructive than all of the creative writing classes that I've had which have gone into the whole issue of conflict and resolution, and were definately more useful than the old definition that I've heard of a story: "Character wants something, and overcomes obstacles x, y, and z to get it."

But even more valuable than anything in the book was my own reaction to the contents, and the ideas that I garnered that I'll end up using myself. This is by no means a creative writing book that addresses every issue: Orson Scott Card tells us so right at the beginning. But beginners, and even intermediate writers like myself should be able to take away something, if not direct applications for their own writing, then at least places where they can take their writing to make it better.

By addressing how to write directly, Gerrold teaches more about writing science fiction and fantasy in 200-some pages than other 500-page instruction manuals on the market. The book is filled with examples and anecdotes, making it enjoyable reading as well as a helpful guide.

Oftentimes, though, Gerrold falls short of helping the reader. In some chapters, he provides only examples instead of actual help, such as in his chapters on Sex Scenes and Love Scenes. In others, the chapters are so short and abrupt that they leave the reader wondering if they missed something, forcing them to go back and reread, such as his bits on simile and metaphor.

Thought a very helpful book, there's a reason this book is out of print: most everything written here can be found in other books, phrased in better ways.

How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy (Writer's Digest Genre Writing Series) - and Characters and Viewpoint (Elements of Fiction Writing) - are each invaluable, even if all you do is READ books! This is a master storyteller, divulging clear, concise strategies for creating literature - which is something he does as well as any writer alive (and most of the dead ones!).
Both books offer brilliant insight, whether you write Speculative Fiction (Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror) or not!
There should NOT be an English or Literature classroom without multiple copies of both! No exaggeration, these books are the genome of great writing.
Card writes in a way that engages, even in these nonfiction works. It will stretch your own Viewpoint, and possibly your Character as well - all without ever condescending, or transcending the reader's understanding.
I wish i weren't so notorious for exaggeration, because these books changed me as a writer, as a reader, and yes, along with his other works - as a human.
Writer's Digest is to be praised for the presentation of these books, and for bringing two essential masterpieces to the writer's tool belt. (I just love a maimed metaphor, don't you?)

As someone who reads a lot, I've learned many things. I knew about 3/4 of what Card says. Part of it was because I'd read his "Characters and Viewpoint" days before which is on fiction in general, but it's in depth. And partly because I'd learned it while reading, but didn't always know what I'd learned. There were things I went "duh" on to Card; and things I went "duh" on to myself when I realized I should have known that. Then I'd try to think of examples from things I'd read to see if Card was right. I'd always concluded he was... I just never really thought about some things. For instance, the part on prologues. I'd never wondered if they actually made a point, just accepted them as necessary. Card changed my mind.

This is a perfect book for anyone starting out in the SF&F genres (although it's more about Sci-Fi than Fantasy). Which is another thing: I wanted more on fantasy. Maybe half the book on Sci-Fi, and the other half on Fantasy. I write both, so that would have been more helpful. But I also think it's great for the more experienced writer who's willing to humble themselves and go over the basics and sometimes obvious.

What I like the most about this book is that it makes you think about what you're doing in your own story. It made me go over my stories and look closely at my worlds. It's also a good reminder that a good story is a balance of the creative and the technical. So it's great if you've finished a story, draft, or outline because you can go through the book and through your work to look at the details and improve the story. and if all you've got is an idea, it'll help you to really flesh that thought out.

I recommend getting Card's "Characters and Viewpoint (Elements of Fiction Writing)" along with this since he doesn't go into those subjects very deeply in this one.

I read this book some time ago and copied this paragraph review from a longer article that appeared in The Writer in 2001.

How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card is a venerable but excellent resource. Card, author of books, plays and short stories, won both the Hugo and Nebula awards for a novel for two consecutive years—something never done by any other SF author. Card is also a talented teacher with good practical advice for writers of all kinds. He divides the book into five sections ranging from exploring the differences between SF and Fantasy to the practical business of selling your work. Section two is the most useful part for people looking for inspiration: Card walks the reader step-by-step through world building including idea generation; laying down the rules of your universe; developing a back story; and inventing language, geography, and social rules.

Though definately geared more toward those wanting to become science fiction writers, a fantasy writer will find heaps of useful advice in this book as well. It starts out with the authors beginning struggles to become a writer, something all young writers wish to hear, and Gerrold guides you from there to the What Ifs of the genres, the specific definitions, and many other technical aspects, but always with a light heartedness that sooths you into what is often harsh advice in other How-to books. By far the best things about this book though are the examples and exercies spread throughout, all of which I've personally found usefull. I'd recommend this book above all others in the genre.

If you are familiar with Orson Scott Card's Hatrack River site, you know that there is nobody in the field of science fiction and fantasy who is more committed to helping new writers. If that is news to you then certainly his resume as a writer is well known to any one interested in writing in this field. This is one of the thinner books on writing you are going to fine and that is because Uncle Orson is extremely focused in explaining his craft. Consequently, there are but five sections to this volume in The Writer's Digest Genre Writing Series. (1) The Infinite Boundary looks at the spectrum covered by science fiction and fantasy with some attention to the distictions between the two as well. (2) World Creation details how to build, populate and dramatize your new world, including working out all the necessary elements such as history, language, geography and customs. (3) Story Construction deals with finding the right character for an idea or the right idea for a character (and do not forget about "the MICE quotient"). (4) Writing Well is a collection of fundamental tips, otherwise known as the "don't do this at home" section. (5) The Life and Business of Writing deals both generally with the business but also the specifics of science fiction and fantasy. I find his use of examples, especially when he lays out a series of variations on a theme, to be helpful because they demonstrate in practice what his theoretical points and show how many additional ideas each idea generates. Perhaps most importantly, Uncle Orson is having a conversation with you; he is neither lecturing nor pontificating. His non-fiction is as readily as his award-winning fiction, and that should come as a surprise to no one. There are other books better suited to getting into the nuts and bolts of constructing brave new worlds, but I have yet to find a better book at covering the basics than this one.

I am not biased for or against Orson Card. I simply own the book, and I have the right to say that there is nothing wrong with it. I've noticed people complaining that the author doesn't keep up with science, is biased against Star Trek, gives nonsemsial info in order to confuse you, etc.
This is not true. Moreover, that is not what the book is for. The author encourages you, gives you examples, and makes you comfortable with writing fiction. Card doesn't give you specific advice ( insert character A here). He gives you examples of tone. He doesn't give you a compendium of data on the medieval world. He shows you what it feels like to write about it. He points you in the right direction, gives personal pointers, uses fine humor. You supply your own storylines. Enjoy this book.

Being a long time fan of OSC, and having once had a desire to write, I was really excited to pick up this book. I love it, could not put it down. It offered many tips from the trade. Best of all, and this is more than worth the money, it has once again inspired me to write.
Now, I'm not going to become the next OSC by reading this book, and there is no single book that will teach you how to become a wonderful writer (especially not in under 200 pages), but this is a great book to get you going. It is no small wonder that this won Card another Hugo award.
There are other books in the series. I can't wait to pick them up.

This short book is essential for every writer of speculative fiction. Written by a very successful author, it starts with a nice essay on what is speculative fiction, where knowledge of the heritage of the genre is stressed out as a tool for the new writer. Then the book tackles story telling, specifically addressing challenges unique to the field, like world building, exposition, and language.

As the author states himself, parts of it may be outdated. For example, today fantasy, not science fiction, dominates the market. But I truly feel that I learned stuff that would have taken me years to learn on my own. More than that, the book gave me strong guidance on what to focus next. I am very satisfied with this book, and recommend it to writers everywhere.

Obviously, this is a book for beginners. It doesn't pretend to be a book for the advanced writer. If you've been writing SF/Fantasy for the last five years, it should be fairly obvious from the title that this book probably isn't going to teach you much you don't already know.

If you're just starting out, however, this book is a wonderful guide into the world of writing SF/Fantasy. For the majority, the art of writing isn't something that is just magically absorbed as if through osmosis, no matter what some writers would have you think. It's hard work, and you have to read everything you can get your hands on. This book is a great place to start. It offers advice on everything from what defines SF and Fantasy to world creation and much more. Card's writing style is easy to follow, but not so simple that you feel as if you're reading a Little Golden Book.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who is a complete beginner in this genre. Read it and internalize it. I mean, look at Card's book sales; the man obviously has some idea what he's talking about.

I received this book and was very excited to learn things that my writing has been missing. After reading this book I realized that this is not where I will find the answers. The basics of the information is OK, but I agree with what a previous reviewer said having never had any formal writing training outside of highschool english class myself that what we have here is basically just the common sence basics. It's OK for a refresher course for those who haven't done any writing since school, but if you're expecting to unlock some secret formula and suddenly be a published author by the end of reading the book, you're going to be disappointed. I've learned that there's no book out there that can tell you how to use your imagination, although some can give you tips and ideas of how to tap into it and your experiences to come up with story ideas.

One thing I noticed here is that the author (who I must admit after reading some of his other works recently is nothing to write home about) couldn't seem to get over his prejudice of Star Trek. He claims that Star Trek has total contempt for science. The things he says about Star Trek totally contradict everything else he says in the book.

So basically if you want a book that'll look cool on your shelf alongside a few sci-fi classics you may consider picking this one up. But if you want useful information on how to get the best out of your writing I recommend passing this one up and looking elsewhere.

"How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy" by Orson Scott Card is an instruction book on the best ways to write science fiction and fantasy. In this book Card explains the difference between science fiction and fantasy, why the difference is, and the various sub-genres of science fiction and fantasy. He also goes into the details of world creation and why it is necessary for a believable story. Card covers how to develop and structure a good story and how ideas evolve as the story goes on. Finally, he covers resources available to aspiring writers.

Science fiction and fantasy are two related, but different genres. The core differences are as Card stated, "A rustic setting suggests fantasy; to suggest science fiction, you need sheet metal and plastic." Card explains that science fiction is generally defined as "If the universe it is set in follows the same rules as ours." Fantasy, on the other hand, is defined as "A universe that doesn't follow our rules." According to Card, it is important to understand the difference between the two. For example, when submitting stories to markets, if one submits a fantasy story to a science fiction market, it will be rejected, but the editor may not tell you the reason. This is also true of markets that deal in specific sub-genres of fantasy and science fiction.

Card argues that effective world creation is necessary for a believable story. An explainable world helps set up the tone of a story. It gives the reader context about how the setting may affect the choices of the characters. If you have a world with definable rules, your reader will be more willing to allow the science they know to be bent and changed.

In covering how to develop and structure a good story, Card stated, "The first thing you should learn...is that no two stories are developed in exactly the same way. ...Good stories don't come from trying to write a story the moment I think of the first idea." Ideas evolve while the story develops. Stories are like people. As people go throughout life, they grow and change. It is the same with stories. Stories grow as new ideas and concepts work their way into them.
The last section of this great resource is information on some good places to get help with writing stories and where to send stories that are ready to be published. It also goes into what the life of a full-time author can be like. Card gives clear, concise ideas and advice about writing science fiction and fantasy with examples from both his work and the work of other, well-known authors. Over all, this book is a guide and resource to help the beginning authors improve their writing.

I am an aspiring writer and I am currently working on a story. This book has helped me to strengthen my abilities to visualize a story and write it. One aspect of this book that I found particularly helpful was the World Creation section. In past stories, I had not focused as much on the world as I had on the characters in the world. This section of How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy helped me to understand the importance of the world and the science or magic that makes that world work. In my project, I have found that by focusing on this one aspect, my story has become richer and more interesting.

One suggestion I would make is that when you do read this book; give yourself time to read an entire section. If you leave off in the middle of a section, it may take a little back reading to remember exactly what point Card is making. His instructions in this book are both challenging and encouraging. I would highly suggest this great book to any aspiring author.

Let's get this out of the way: Orson Scott Card is a raging homophobe, and that fact disappoints me bitterly. Enough about that; it has nothing to do with this book. The man can still write, and can write ABOUT writing.

This is - along with On Writing - one of the "must reads" for anyone wanting to write speculative fiction, and rightly so. Throughout, OSC succinctly and clearly illustrates the elements particular to genre writing, the basic thematic elements needed, and more. It is a book clearly for writers - particularly new and fledgling writers - and is designed to help them hone their craft. Heck, it helped me get unstuck with three stories at once.

But that's not the main purpose. Not for this book, not for any "how to write" book, seminar, or workshop. Their value is that they inspire you to write again, to write more. When you're depressed and feeling like you can't put another word down, these books remind you that you CAN write after all. And this book does that job very well indeed.

...you must read this. This short book was actually a pleasant surprise to me. While reading it I felt as if I was talking to Card one on one. The book provides very valuable advice on writing, ideas, and tips on how to break into the field. This book was more than I expected, because it offers more than tips on how to write...it gives you an insight to Card's mind and his creative process. Which hopefully will provide you with assurance that you are on the right path, and the motivation to pursue it.

There are people whose absolute goal in life is to produce a great story that is unlike anything ever seen before. They devote their lives to the pursuit of writing knowledge and memorize anything that could help them improve the quality of their work. For those of you who have recently set this goal, Orson Scott Card answers some of the questions that you will have. I can only say that this book was, at least for me, completely worth the 137 pages and I urge aspiring writers to read this along with his other useful book, Character and Viewpoint.

The principles are solid, and introductory. The slant though (despite his efforts) lean unequally towards the SF realm, not fantasy. Lots of his tactics are for short stories, and the publication thereof. However, he himself says that fantasy shorts really don't have an audeince.
He also makes it sound a little too easy. "A bit of this, and bit of that, and VOILA! You have a publishable manuscript." Whereas, in David Eddings' 'Rivan Codex', he warns the reader to take up chainsaw juggling before they decide to dabble in writing. A little inconsistent, but I'd sooner trust Eddings' 'tough road' philosophy. Still, solid advice for SF short story writers and more.

David Gerrold appears to know what he is talking about in his book Worlds of Wonder. He exercises a well developed understanding of the science fiction and fantasy genres, giving advice on a variety of subjects. Gerrold attempts to help the reader write better stories by aiding them in a step by step process of developing characters, worlds, conflicts, a variety of situations and scenes, and much more. His knowledge of the fantasy and science fiction fields make his suggestions particularly useful to a beginning writer. However, Gerrold is writing from a perspective of how he has written in the past, thus giving advice that may or may not work for everyone else. Therefore, one should definitely read this book and one will be able to find plenty of helpful advice, but if something does not work for oneself, one should just follow one's instinct while holding Gerrold's advice in one's mind. Overall, this book was very helpful and was a delightful read.

This book is great if you are a beginner to writing/reading fantasy/sci-fi. OSCard pretty much explains most of the basic precepts that go into making a believable world and story. However, most of it is elementary and once you have read the book once you will never have to read it again.

The best piece of advice that he gives through the entire book is more or less: to assume that your reader already knows. That is, in normal fiction an author does not need to explain exactly how Earth is; similarly the fantasy author must present this new world as if the reader had been raised there.

Other than that gem, if you are a fan of fantasy you will know and recognize most everything else in the book.

How To Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card spells out the history of sci-fi and fantasy and gives advice on how to continue the tradition with your own work. Card has read so many old books that it boggles my mind. I wish I'd read as many books as he has. He's also written some great books, so he knows what he's talking about. This book was one of the first books I read about writing when I started my career as a fantasy author. It definitely helped me get published and gave me valuable information about the genre that I love. It's not essential, but a good treatise on the history of the f/sf genre.

Paul Genesse, Author & Copy Editor
[...]

Overall, I didn't find this book extremely helpful. I don't know if it was because I have been writing fantasy for about 6 or 7 years, but I think you can learn more from writing a book in your specified genre than reading about writing one. Everything Card said in this book I already knew (or was so outdated, that it almost didn't matter anymore). The only thing that I found helpful was the final chapter on the publishing industry. That was the only reason I gave this book 3 stars. It was so helpful that it was worth reading all the other slightly unhelpful ramblings in order to get to the last chapter.

How To Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card spells out the history of sci-fi and fantasy and gives advice on how to continue the tradition with your own work. Card has read so many old books that it boggles my mind. I wish I'd read as many books as he has. He's also written some great books, so he knows what he's talking about. This book was one of the first books I read about writing when I started my career as a fantasy author. It definitely helped me get published and gave me valuable information about the genre that I love. It's not essential, but a good treatise on the history of the f/sf genre.

Paul Genesse, Author & Copy Editor
[...]

Overall, I didn't find this book extremely helpful. I don't know if it was because I have been writing fantasy for about 6 or 7 years, but I think you can learn more from writing a book in your specified genre than reading about writing one. Everything Card said in this book I already knew (or was so outdated, that it almost didn't matter anymore). The only thing that I found helpful was the final chapter on the publishing industry. That was the only reason I gave this book 3 stars. It was so helpful that it was worth reading all the other slightly unhelpful ramblings in order to get to the last chapter.

Orson Scott Card's book 'How to write Science Fiction & Fantasy' is an amazing asset to ANY writer getting started with science fiction.
The book clearly outlines everything you need to know to write a great sci-fi novel or short story, and even though nothing is over-analyzed, the reader ends up getting a quite good idea of what's going on and how to create a story the reader will not put down. Card provides extremely helpful advice, with examples from his other books (which, in fact, are some of the best novels I've read in a few years, and trust me, I used to hate reading science fiction). This, and everything else that fills this invaluable little piece of writing is must-know information for any aspiring writer - science fiction or not.
Unbelievably good book - everyone should read this before they write ANY kind of fiction. I wish there were more than 5 stars to give here. This book has both my thumbs in rigamortis (sticking up, of course), all the stars I can give, and whatever else good I can say about it.
Thank you Orson!!

Orson Scott Card's fiction is incredible, and Ender's Game is one of the classic scifi novels. Card manages to do a very good job of teaching the craft, with a very specific emphasis on speculative fiction. I wasn't expecting it to be this good, and I'm sure it will be a daily go-to reference.

Want to write scifi or fantasy? Buy this book, study it.

All of my sci-fi stories used to merely present, what I thought to be, great ideas for stories. During my reading of this book, some of my old stories took on new dimensions, (through painful rewrites). I created new stories and even new worlds that I would have never attempted to create otherwise. Admitedly, I only wrote "idea" stories. I never considered creating a "place", a "character", or an "event" for the sake of a story. My focus was on entertaining myself and my readers with unusual concepts. One of those short story concepts may well end up as a short novel... with two sequels.
While I write as a hobby I still found the "business" aspects of writing helpful in the event I should ever seek becoming a published writer.
This book can help an idea become an entire new world or indroduce a character who can effectively present the idea.
I also appreciate that I didn't feel like I was being told how to write my story, but rather, how to include elements to make it more readable and more enjoyable.
This is a definite keep-on-the-shelf reference.

If you've ever read any of Orson Scott Card's fiction, you'll understand why he's the perfect author to teach others how to write. Card is a writer's writer, a master at what he does, a person you know without a doubt is giving you good advice. Toss out anything else you've got on your bookshelf about writing and replace it with this one. It's all you'll need, besides maybe his "Characters and Viewpoint"

I liked much that this book had to offer for the beginning writer of speculative fiction. I appreciated the sections on building worlds and on writing well. I also gained a lot of practical advice in the last section, about the "nuts and bolts" of being a writer. However, there were times that my mind drifted while reading. The book also leaned towards science fiction and, since I prefer writing fantasy, I found myself longing for more specific info in that arena. All in all, this was a very solid choice in beginning my journey as a fiction writer. I gleaned nuggets that I can use right now in preparations. However, the book was not earth-shattering or life-changing. A good but not great resource.

I began reading "How to Write SF & F" with high hopes, which were ultimately dashed. This man has no business writing a how-to guide. In fact, he gives the worst advice on agents and publishers I have ever heard. If you are seriously interested in writing sf or fantasy (i.e. you write sf/f whether or not you are paid), please save yourself the few hours it will take you to read this and spend it writing instead. There is more useful information on the many websites on this topic than Card gives in this book; most of it is regurgitated in watered-down form from the many excellent writing guides on the market. Though I think the idea in his style is to portray himself as wise and all-knowing, he just comes off as arrogant and pompous. There are probably only a few chapters of actual meat in this book and the rest is filled with stories about the struggles of the unrecognized writer to support his family, his long-suffering wife (who he mentions as a side note had a miscarriage and he carted her off to her mother's so he could write in peace), and of course shameless name-dropping-- including constantly mentioning other books he's written. It took me a whopping two-and-a-half hours to read this "guide", at the end of which I was left feeling empty and annoyed. Card is a hack that has somehow been allowed to continue to write through some strange miracle of publishing. My granny has more talent in her bunion.

Card does an excellent job of doing exactly what he promises..teaching the reader how to write sf and fantasy. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to write in this field.
Card deftly uses his own experiences to show the reader how to create a universe. His throwaway paragraphs depicting sentence structure and other techniques show the reader how easy it is to create an interesting universe.

An excellent guide for writing science fiction and fantasy. Gerrold takes you behind the writing of the words to the building of worlds and people that make a story come alive. You
learn to think of your writing as more than the telling of events into creating an experience in a different place and time. He gives you writing from a writers perspective and with a
real respect and love for the genres of science fiction and fantasy. I give this an A+.

This book, written by a master storyteller and best-selling author, has something important to offer to every developing fiction writer.
I'm a long time SF fan who has written and published reams of non-fiction, but always dreamed of joining the ranks of Sturgeon, Dick, and Turtledove (sounds like a wierd law firm). This book has given me a clear path towards making that fantasy a reality.
There are some, as some reviewers have pointed out, obvious guidelines on consistency and other topics more suitable for beginning writers. But the book also contains some very subtle discussions of important ideas--such as the relationship of genre and style to the management of readers' expectations.
Because Card is such a great and versatile writer, the book is also enjoyable to read. The lessons read like stories, and the brief examples used to illustrate his points are entertaining and thought provoking.

When I advise people on how to get published in the SF/Fantasy genre, I always recommend this book. Generally I object to "how-to-write" books for a variety of reasons, but this is a book that breaks my general rule. Card gives general sound advice with examples, lists the biggest "do nots" that he's run into, sets some straight-forward methods of submissions -- and most importantly gives some honest encouragement for new writers. If your book is good enough, it will get published. The proof is in the pudding -- I sold my very first book after reading this one, which is, after all, the true test of books on writing.

Even if you are not planning on writing science fiction or fantasy today, this book is worth your time if you are 1) interested in Orson Scott Card and how he gets and develops his ideas, and what he likes to read, or 2) you are interested in writing of any kind, even non-fiction. If you have even a fleeting interest in any of these subjects, Card will tell you more in a little book than almost anyone else in a very big book.

Let me start by saying that I don't mind the notion of someone referring to his own work. If I'm reading Orson Scott Card's book, and he refers to a sentence or paragraph from Ender's Game, then I'm glad to see his advice and technique in action. When Gerrold refers to the Trouble with Tribbles episode of Star Trek, it works.

But when he quotes his unsuccessful works, I simply wonder who cares. Moreover, he doesn't quote a mere sentence or paragraph all the time. Sometimes it will be PAGES of his work, with little analysis afterwards about what does/doesn't work.

The chapters are short, which I thought would be a good thing. It's because some concepts are so elementary, such as the chapter on similes. He emphasizes that you shouldn't use phrases like "as big as a football field" and such in a scifi book. The other reason chapters are so short is because he provides few literary examples. Every other how-to scifi book I've read will show you the same passage written different ways to show you what works and what doesn't. Gerrold does this at times, but sometimes his examples will just be random sentences that don't pertain to scifi at all (see the section on adverbs and the sentence about a barking dog written 5 ways).

Finally, I personally didn't find a lot of his writing exercises helpful or relevant. At times they seemed downright flaky. Pretending to have a conversation with my character, asking him questions, and having him do the same seemed odd to me. But when Gerrold mentions that he did this exercise and a character jumped across the table at him with a knife, I felt like I was listening to some deranged man's rambling.

Not all is lost with Gerrold. He does give you good tips on how to build a world, how to set your own rules, etc. A lot of the advice seems to be for hard scifi, so if you're not interested in biology intricacies or gravitational rules then you'll find yourself skipping over a lot of the book. Moreover, he does the most important thing that all how-to scifi things do, and that's teaching you to exercise cognition to know every corner of the world you're making. Not every detail needs to be written, but if you've truly built your world from the ground up, it will show.

Overall this book was a pain for me to get through. I don't consider myself a scifi veteran, nor a total amateur, and I got very little out of this book. It's not completely worthless, but I'd advise you look elsewhere if you're starting to right some scifi.

I found this to be a very informative book on writing, but feel there needs to be an interjection of reality regarding Orson Scott Card. Anyone familiar with his series (Ender's, Maker, etc) are aware are what poorly written prose Mr. Card has been turning out to complete each series. If you do not believe me, please check out the reviews for the last few books in each of his series.

Why do I bring this up? Well, because I feel its necessary to explain to those who hunger to write and be published that the author of this book, while providing some good advice, has not been following it. Carpe Diem!

Take away what good you can from this book, but don't do so with a sense that that this, or any other author, has a hold on their own writing simply becasue they write a book on the craft. I enjoyed much of this book, but was brought back to reality after reading reviews on the store about Mr. Card's poor fiction (as of late), and his desire to interject and intorduce his audience, directly and indirectly, to his passionate Morman religious views.

Simply put, Orson Scott Card has an inability to finish a story in a captivating way, so while reading this book on writing, keep that fact in mind. Would you buy a used car from your auto mechanic neighbor if his own car was a beater than never ran correctly?

I am hesitant about worshipping "how to write" books from an author that has lost his ability to tell a story. While I consider this book an essential to the collection, please remember that the writer of this book is not following his own advice, and learn from that.

This is a great book by Orson Scott Card, one of the masters of the genre of science fiction and fantasy. My only complaint is that the 2001 addition, which I do not own is not listed as a revised edition. Many New authors and books, have appeared since and this book could appear to be dated information, since it was first published in 1990. and a lot has happened in science fiction and fantasy in 14 years! He does not even mention the internet as a resource to writers in this book, that makes it seem ancient info.

In this book, Orson Scott Card uses his own experiences to illustrate the process of writing. Fans may appreciate his personal stories - I certainly enjoyed hearing about where some of his ideas came from and how they were developed.

Beyond that, however, he gives practical and inspirational advice about how to write that can be applied to any genre (although he focuses on SF and fantasy). Definitely a must-read for anyone interested in writing.

This was a great book written by a very respected author from within the science fiction community. Most of the writing techniques could be gathered from other instructional books, but Card does an excellent job demonstrating and applying them in the realms of science fiction and fantasy. This book is a must read for any aspiring science fiction or fantasy author. The last chapter is a very practical guide to up and coming authors about the realities of the business. I highly recommend.

This book is an excellent resource, summarizing why and how one writes science fiction or fantasy. Other the store reviews back up this opinion.

The book is a bit larger (length and width) than a paperback and a bit thin at 140 pages, 3 of which are the index.

The book is a beginner's book, and only a passing familiarity with science fiction and fantasy is needed to understand the occasional name-dropping of books and authors. The language used is at the late middle-shcool/early high-school level. The book is broken into easy-to-digest sections within chapters, and reading the book is a joy rather than a chore.

A second edition of this book has been printed, and I do not know what changes have been made. This edition is $CHEAP$ but worth more than you will pay for it.

My main complaint with this book is that the author seems enamoured of his own writing. The chapters on love scenes and sex scenes, for example, essentially consist of nothing but the author's own fiction used as an example--and quite frankly, his sex scenes aren't all that good. In other respects the book is basically mediocre--with nothing you couldn't find in other writing books--and has very little that deals specifically with fantasy and science fiction. That said, some of the advice, particularly the last chapter about not taking yourself seriously until you've written a million words, does ring true.

This is a great book for both beginning and experienced sf&f writers. Orson Scott Card focuses on Science fiction mostly, but showes distinct differences between the TWO genres. I would have liked a separate book for fantasy, instead of both tegether, but Card does not add Fantasy as an afterthought. He explains both in detail, and shows how to write well for both audiences. He uses a small assortment of books as examples, including J.R.R. Tolkein's "The Lord of the Rings", and Octavia Butler's "Wild Seed." Over all I would definitely recommend this book to writers of either genre.

This book is simply wonderful. I teach writing everyday and I was able to take advice from this book and use it immediately in my classroom. Not only does Card do a masterful job of explaining how to construct a story, but he also discusses some of the harder aspects of writing such as character development, writing exposition, and determining where a story should begin and end. Card also emphasizes the importance of creating the rules of Time, Space, and Magic for your world and following them, a rule that many writes often forget. Most importantly though, Card reveals all this useful information in a way that makes it easy to understand, so that you can start using it immediatly.

Though it won a Hugo, a lot of the information that Orson Scott Card provides offered in even the smallest of writing courses. The one stand-out in this book is Chapter 2: World Creation, as it details great ways of creating that fictional world for your characters roam. Not the best, though. Worlds of Wonder by David Gerrold is much better.

This book allowed me to write some of the best books I had ever hoped for. It gives (in detail) how to write an Ender's Game quality book. I had trouble getting of the first page of my writitng. Now thanks to Orson Scott Card I can write excellent stories and give me a basis for setting and feeling. If you want to have good writing that is intelligent and powerful I urge you to buy this book!!

Very useful, even just for understanding the structure of stories and how to begin and end them, etc. It wound up being helpful even in analysing other books in my classes at the time that I read it. I've wound up teaching the MICE structure to my own students.

Having taken a number of fiction-writing classes, I thought that the most valuable part of this book was that it discusses the ways in which writing a good fantasy novel or sci-fi novel is not the same as writing non-genre fiction. Past workshops have given me plenty of information on character-building and similar standard elements of fiction, but it was really helpful to have someone articulate the special concerns needing attention in the realm of fantasy.

...in a time far away, I was an aspiring fantasy writer, and I picked this book up off the shelf shortly after it was published. I've never forgotten the MICE, and to this day, I still use the basics of that idea to help me focus my stories.

If you're an advanced writer, this book may not hold as much as you'd like. But for the beginning/low intermediate writer, this book presents many ideas that helps them get a grip on the mysteries of storytelling, esp. SF&F.

Books like this are almost self-parodying. 'How to Paint a Mona Lisa', 'How to Play Like Yo-Yo Ma', etc. All this book did is show that sci-fi writers are going thru such lean times that they can make more money selling how-to books than doing their 'thing'. Seriously, would a real pro in a crowded market sell his secrets for success for a few bucks, hoping to create his own competition? Not likely. Writing great lit. takes a dedication to art that makes this slim how-to volume seem like an insult, sorry. If he had titled it 'How I Write Sci-Fi/Fantasy", it might have been more honest; but not really, precisely because he's hiding his 'best secrets' to keep you from topping him. Think for yourself.

still applicable and a read worth every page!! Perfect for the aspiring scifi/fantasy author (amateur and professional). I learned so much from this book. It's a perfect length for it's purpose. You shouldn't expect to be able to write the perfect novel after reading just this guide, but you can expect to be pointed in the right direction.

This is a good book for a high school level or above who want to get into the "mainstream" sci-fi writing scene. Card doesn't delve much into the fantasy genre because, as he states clearly in the first few pages, he's mainly a sci-fi writer. It contains a few tips and tricks that will be useful. However, it's a bit outdated in some of the views (it was written almost 15 years ago) and the genres have changed a bit, especially with the advent of Harry Potter. But again, it's allright IF your just starting to get interested in writing.

I can only presume that Card sees a lot of really terrible stories at writing workshops. While the advice in this book is great, it's also all very basic, and most of it should be obvious to people who have read a significant amount of fiction. I would recommend this book only for extremely inexperienced authors who haven't yet learned the basics of good writing.

3 1/2 stars.

Pros: This book is a great book for beginners in writing. Very informative, and I especially enjoyed the section about publishing your own books. This is a short paragraph, I know, but it still acounts for three stars.

Cons: For more experienced writers (I'm fourteen, and have just experimented a little) Which I'm afrais include myself, this is repetative, and probably a little tedious. I understand where he's comming from, and, frankly, it isn't Card's fault. To write a book, specific only to writing a genre, you can only include basic things, vague, general, things. You can't tell somebody how to write a book becase a. Everybody's unique, and you'd be surpressing creativity on their part, and b. You'd probably be wrong. Some techniques work for some, and some other techniques, work for some other people. I still recommend buying this book, especially since it's now dirt cheap.

This book is not a guideline. And books like this shouldn't be, because when writing fiction, it is your ideas that bring the story along - not a step-by-step, how-to book.
In these pages you will find suggestoins and helpful guidelines concerning perspective and environment. I know this sounds vague, but there's not much room here. The book does seem a little on the short side, but it really is helpful. Buy it. Consider what he has to say, and it will help you write better.

Mr. Card has focused on writing science fiction well. However, the book is as much about writing well as it is about writing science fiction. I don't write science fiction, but I enjoyed and learned from this book. Thank you Mr. Card.

This is a great book. It is simple enough that anyone can understand it, but it doesn't talk down to you. I've been writing for awhile, and there were some things in there I just hadn't thought I needed to sit down and do before starting the story. The advice works - and your stories will be stronger for it. Anyone interested in writing Science Fiction or Fantasy should have this book in their library.

The power of this book lies, not in the actual facts listed, but in the way Card connects and organizes those facts. Card sticks to the basics, as well he should: they are the fundemental building block of good speculative fiction, and I suspect even professionals constantly strive to improve in these areas. Card's talent lies in his ability to cast these basic concepts in a new light, showing how they connect to each other and to the story as a whole. This book has brought my writing to a new level.

Mr. Card tells everything in this book! Apart from telling all about the differences between Sci-Fi and Fantasy, World Creation, Story Contstruction, and Writing Well, he gives us informations about cool ideas we've never heard about and informs us about many good books to buy.
It was very helpful to me, I hope any writer reading this will pick it up too!

Orson Scott Card tackles many sides of writing, and not just of Science Fiction or Fantasy. He is an admirable writer, both of fiction and writing books. You can read this book with half a mind, and get ideas which will soon devellop into stories, or you can read it with all your attention, and learn more of the craft of writing. A very good buy. I really enjoyed reading it several times.

This book may have been better titled "About Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy" instead of "How To". Mr. Card gives many very good essays on the forms used in writing this genre, not so much the how to's.
He does supply several good do's and don'ts, and over all I found it to be a good (though not exclusive) resource for my library.

If you're a writer and wish to know where to get started, or what elements you might be missing, this is the book for you! David Gerrold is clever, and this book is most helpful and amusing.
Tricks of the trade and subtle nuances to help any writer and here within the pages of this book!

Though, it had some good advice for beginning writers, I felt that it didn't delve deep enough into writing science fiction & fanasty. It didn't contain any advice that I couldn't find online for free.

I found this book helpful in writing fantasy. I did sense that the book focused more on science fiction and the various ways to write sci-fi. Card has a concise and direct way of writing. The reader has a clear picture of what Card is conveying.

I was amazed when I first started reading this book. As a relatively novice writer, I felt the book helped me understand a lot more about writing certain kinds of fantasy novels, and taught me a general overview on how to make a living doing so. Card is a worthwhile author and this book is an indispensible guide for ANY fantasy writer.

I just finished reading the old hardback edition published in 1990. I'm sure the new edition is as good or even better. Much of Card's advice applies to any fiction writing - not just SF/F. Read and learn.

If you've never written Sci-fi and DON'T know the market it's 5 star, even though its print date is a little old. It's a start. I'm not all the way through the book and so far most of what's discussed I already knew--through my own research.

Take out a $10 bill. Light it on fire. Now you have light and heat - more than you'll get out of this book.

Further info:
Anyone that is a fan of sci-fi and/or fantasy, and has a high-school diploma, will already know everything in this book. Chapter 1 tells you what is and isn't fantasy and/or sci-fi (seriously?). Chapter 2 tells you that you should create a believable and interesting world (again, seriously?). Chapter 3 tells you how to structure a story (at this point, are you freakin' kidding me?). Chapter 4 tells you that you should ease the reader into your creation rather than throw them in the deep end and other pointless things (aside from the fact that I prefer the latter type of novels personally, there's nothing here a kid in elementary school doesn't know about stories and/or writing). Chapter 5 is full of terrible advice better garnered from other sources.

This and Steven Kings books on writing are two of the best writing books out there. And I think this one, by being more technically specific is the better one. OK if you know all this stuff, it is not going to help, and maybe if you are just setting out as a writer it might be too much. It hit me just right. I had just had a lesson on why "head hopping' was likely bad. This book covers that level of knowledge and much more besides.
It is an easy read.

I am an aspiring writer, and strongly recommend this for anyone trying to put words on paper.

I'm also an avid science fiction reader, and strongly recommend this for anyone who loves the genre.

I ended up with a copy of this relatively slim work because someone had donated it as a door prize at a recent Spokane Authors and Self-Publishers meeting. I read a lot of science fiction and fantasy and as well incorporate it in my own work. I thought it would be interesting to see what a well-known writer has to say about it.
Mr. Card begins by defining the genres, combining the two into speculative fiction while maintaining a sometimes narrow difference between the two. He also looks at genre as a marketing tool, or as a means of classifying work and what shelf it will go on in the bookstore. He also looks at science fiction and fantasy standbys such as world building, possible scientific breakthroughs, and the creation of magic. I was a little miffed as he seemed to dismiss Star Trek’s Warp Drive as being scientifically impossible.
Mr. Card also spends a little time offering advice on getting published. As the book was published in 1990, some of this might be a bit dated. He suggests that one seeking traditional publication need not look for a literary agent until offered a publishing contract. In more recent times one generally needs an agent in order to even approach a publisher.
On the whole, this is an informative and educational work. I feel that my time in reading it was well-spent.