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Spec Fic for Newbies Vol 2: A Beginner's Guide to Writing More Subgenres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror
Beam aboard your own Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror classroom with the next volume of the BSFA-shortlisted writing-guide series!
Join Tiffani Angus (Ph.D.) and Val Nolan (Ph.D.) for a whirlwind introduction to the storytelling basics of 30 more subgenres and major tropes from across the limitless realms of Speculative Fiction.
Learn about Space Opera, Folk Horror, Climate Fiction, Werewolves, Astronauts, Mythic Fantasy, Goblin Markets, Dragons, and many more with deep dives into each subgenre's history and development, spotter's guides to typical examples, pitfalls to watch out for in your own writing, and activities to help you get started! All derived from a combined two decades of university-level practices and experience!
Spec Fic for Newbies breaks genres into bite-sized pieces for students or for any budding writer. It offers a welcoming introduction to how writers, filmmakers, and other creatives can begin to explore the infinite potential of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror to create new stories beyond the boundaries of the ordinary.
This is not another dusty rulebook. This is a portal to endless other worlds!
Join Tiffani Angus (Ph.D.) and Val Nolan (Ph.D.) for a whirlwind introduction to the storytelling basics of 30 more subgenres and major tropes from across the limitless realms of Speculative Fiction.
Learn about Space Opera, Folk Horror, Climate Fiction, Werewolves, Astronauts, Mythic Fantasy, Goblin Markets, Dragons, and many more with deep dives into each subgenre's history and development, spotter's guides to typical examples, pitfalls to watch out for in your own writing, and activities to help you get started! All derived from a combined two decades of university-level practices and experience!
Spec Fic for Newbies breaks genres into bite-sized pieces for students or for any budding writer. It offers a welcoming introduction to how writers, filmmakers, and other creatives can begin to explore the infinite potential of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror to create new stories beyond the boundaries of the ordinary.
This is not another dusty rulebook. This is a portal to endless other worlds!
270 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 2024
1 person is currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Tiffani Angus
19 books24 followersTiffani Angus, PhD, is the co-author of the multi-award-finalist Spec Fic for Newbies: A Beginner's Guide to Writing Subgenres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror, volumes 1, 2, and 3, from Luna Press. She's also the author of the multi-award-finalist historical-fantasy novel Threading the Labyrinth (2020), which was re-issued in 2024 by Luna Press as an extended 2nd edition. In a former life she was a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing and Publishing, Course Leader for the MA Creative Writing, Co-Course Leader for the MA Publishing, and General Director of the Anglia Centre for Science Fiction & Fantasy at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, UK. A graduate of Clarion 2009, Viable Paradise XII (2008), and a regular attendee of the Milford Writers' Workshop UK, she's published short fiction in a variety of subgenres. When she's not working on her next stories and novels, she's freelance editing, proofreading, writing, and mentoring, and she has a regular column on the British Fantasy Society's website doing deep dives on SFF/H subgenres. She also owns the book typesetting business Book Polishers.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 3, 2025
I really appreciate the ethos of making this info accessible to people outside of universities, and treating fantasy on an equal level with realist fiction. The creative writing activities are a really cool idea too.
By necessity, however, the scope remains quite superficial - in particular, the racial/colonial implications of a lot of the points discussed are glossed over. The tone is also a little patronising; this seems to be primarily aimed at university students, but the tone doesn't match that level. The book overall may lack wider appeal both because of that and because it doesn’t offer in-depth critical engagement - it's quite descriptive, rather than analytical.
Finally, the separation of science fiction and fantasy makes sense as an organising principle, but also then by design removes opportunities for a more nuanced cross-genre consideration.
By necessity, however, the scope remains quite superficial - in particular, the racial/colonial implications of a lot of the points discussed are glossed over. The tone is also a little patronising; this seems to be primarily aimed at university students, but the tone doesn't match that level. The book overall may lack wider appeal both because of that and because it doesn’t offer in-depth critical engagement - it's quite descriptive, rather than analytical.
Finally, the separation of science fiction and fantasy makes sense as an organising principle, but also then by design removes opportunities for a more nuanced cross-genre consideration.
September 20, 2024
(copied from my review of volume 1)
Forget ‘newbies’ in the title and ‘beginners’ on the cover; this is a helpful compact overview and reference guide for speculative fiction authors. The book is divided into three sections, Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror, each with ten sub-genres. Within each is a short history of the genre, a list of common tropes/themes/settings and a list of ‘what’s cool’ about the style. Chapters close with suggested writing exercises and topics to explore.
A second volume, in the same format, describes ten more sub-genres of the categories. The books represent a valuable checklist, particularly for writers wishing to explore a new area, helping them to avoid cliches.
Forget ‘newbies’ in the title and ‘beginners’ on the cover; this is a helpful compact overview and reference guide for speculative fiction authors. The book is divided into three sections, Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror, each with ten sub-genres. Within each is a short history of the genre, a list of common tropes/themes/settings and a list of ‘what’s cool’ about the style. Chapters close with suggested writing exercises and topics to explore.
A second volume, in the same format, describes ten more sub-genres of the categories. The books represent a valuable checklist, particularly for writers wishing to explore a new area, helping them to avoid cliches.
October 25, 2024
An excellent sequel to the first. Explores a variety of interesting subgenres and tropes. Provides brief but informative historical insight, a wide range of examples from across media, and analysis of key tropes and features. Discusses the limitations of and reductive nature of some earlier works and encourages one to go beyond these simplistic ideas and update them for the modern world when writing. Very fun little challenges at the end of each chapter too!
15 Star Trek references counted!
15 Star Trek references counted!
November 26, 2024
More granular subgenres, with some interesting examples. Not just books, but other media as well (movies, etc.)
September 25, 2025
This was a fun book to read. If, like me, you're a reader and not a writer, you will still enjoy the authors' fine sense of humor and insights. Reading this book is an excellent use of time!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews