Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction

by Brian M. Stableford

Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Getting Published (Teach Yourself (McGraw-Hill)) 0844200204

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Speculative Fiction

168 pages, Paperback

First published December 3, 1997

About the author

Brian Michael Stableford was a British science fiction writer who published more than 70 novels. His earlier books were published under the name Brian M. Stableford, but more recent ones have dropped the middle initial and appeared under the name Brian Stableford. He also used the pseudonym Brian Craig for a couple of very early works, and again for a few more recent works. The pseudonym derives from the first names of himself and of a school friend from the 1960s, Craig A. Mackintosh, with whom he jointly published some very early work.

Reviews

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a refreshing book about writing that tackles the building-blocks of story: setting, plot, character, and voice. I've probably been reading the wrong books on writing, but the majority of what I've read before -- even of what I've been assigned to read as part of creative writing courses -- are loose collections of exercises for the aspiring writer to complete, well-worn advice to "write every day" and "show, don't tell", and useless musings about the author's own life. Rather than do that, Stableford presents a well-organized text on the elements of storytelling, provides some deconstruction of fantasy and science-fiction tropes, and discusses the ways in which characterization, world-building and information-dumps, and action and dialogue can be used to tell a story in these genres. He also provides a final section on marketing and publishing your work that, despite being dated, remains useful, especially for writers unfamiliar with standard manuscript format, the business of writing, and the politics of the publishing world. For writers that don't need that information, the section could be skipped as the resources provided are dated and fairly specific to the UK. Rather than look here for market resources, just subscribe to Duotrope.

[Tristan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2012 reissue of a 1997 work, currently available on the Internet Archive. It is definitely one of the better books about writing I have come across. Well-read, erudite, occasionally cynical, and intelligently set out, it’s also a pleasure to read.

This book is not a “how to”. It does not set out rules or methods. What it does do - and does very well - is to coach the writer into considering the effects of various choices, of topic, tone, setting, voice, etc. on the reader’s experience, to produce a coherent, entertaining, and emotionally satisfying whole, and avoiding the bear traps that are particular to science fiction and fantasy where writers cannot rely on real world shortcuts. There are no right or wrong ways to do things, but writers must take ownership of their imaginary worlds and meet their promises to their readers. The only admonition here is to think things through.

This book distills all the best bits from the other good writing books I have read so far and demonstrates the professional storytelling skill behind the writing methods to which other books limit themselves, which is to communicate clearly with the reader and partner their entertainment experience. It’s clear that there is an editor speaking here too: this is the way to a successful product, not high art.

There’s nothing so new in these wise words to make me think “wow, that’s an epiphany”, so this is not a five star book, but its constant high relevance makes this book a definite reference to read time and again, every time my writing wobbles. A high four stars.

[Truly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 25/5
Punya banyak teman penyuka kisah fantasi, pastinya ada beberapa yang bersemangat untuk menulis kisah fantasi. Diantara mereka, ada juga yang memang penulis. Maka dari salah satu mereka, buku ini bisa mendarat di rak saya.

Secara teori, penulis fantasi seakan mudah dilakukan, namun praktiknya, tak semudah itu Forguso!

Tak hanya butuh imajinasi luas, namun menjadikannya sebagai hal yang sudah seperti itu, adalah hal yang berbeda.

Eyang Djokolelono yang bisa dikatakan sebagai perintis penulis fantasi di tanah air, menyebutkan selain imajinasi, penulis harus mampu memberikan alasan kenapa hal tersebut bisa terjadi/diterima.

Menarik!

[Casie Blevins · Rating 3 out of 5]

So dry. I really tried to read it.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative on all writing and then had a specification for fantasy and Sci fi for each section.

[Chris Lynch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a useful little book for inexperienced speculative fiction writers. In particular, the final chapter on getting published lays it out simply and succinctly, and the 'Further Resources' point in the right direction. I don't seek out books like this any more -- not because I'm experienced, just because I get more from workshops and peer critique. But I picked this up at the Lifeline Bookfest for a couple of dollars, and it was a good refresher on the basics. It's more of an overview of the elements of fiction than nitty gritty writing advice, but I learned a few things nonetheless. The exploration of the differences between realistic and non-realistic fiction was particularly good, and helped to clarify what draws me to genre fiction as a writer.

[Jeremy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much better off reading John Gardner's "The Art of Fiction" which has aged more gracefully than this book and will improve your ability to write. Those effects will carry over into effective sf/f. Stableford's effort seems the most focused on summing all the possibilities that are open in sf/f, and much less on the writing. This book's best advice might be that you will only get better not by reading it, but by writing your stories.

glhf!

[Scott Golden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid guide to fiction writing in general, and SF & Fantasy writing specifically. Stableford takes a straightforward but careful approach to the unique challenges inherent in creating stories set in unique worlds with unique characters.

[Lewis Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Sort of a series of essays on writing rather than a text book or reference.

[Seawood · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good look at writing in the genre, hitting many useful and interesting points.

[M.T. Bostick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful for me. it's a great reference book and will remain on my desk in a handy spot as I write.

[Laura Gilfillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just the kind of writing book I've been looking for. It gets into the nitty gritty of what it takes to put a story together, and it especially focuses on the peculiarities of fantasy and science fiction. I got a lot out of it, and I definitely want to give it another read. And maybe another one.