How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card
How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Orson Scott Card is a sci-fi writer of some renown, Ender’s Game anyone? (I still need to read it, but I’ve heard of it.) And he wrote a book on writing speculative fiction. You could really apply it to writing in general, but there are a few chapters specifically on the genre of speculative fiction.
He discusses the origins of the genre, before delving in further to what defines the genre. What is the difference between fantasy and science fiction? Is there even a difference? Well, a very broad definition is if the world doesn’t look or function like ours it’s speculative. I also liked the chapter on putting together ideas. The process of writing, advice for those who want to write, and general advice for getting published.
It took me a couple of tries to finish this book. It is packed with information. It is a bit outdated as it was written in the 1990s, pre-internet era, so it doesn’t touch on ebooks at all, but I would still say it is worth reading for any serious writer. He talks about beta readers (and training them!), how to put ideas together and formulate a story, things that don’t change no matter what. If you read sci-fi or fantasy, this is a must read.
