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Summary: Useful Guide for Beginners & Intermediate Writers
Review: 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.
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Summary: Best "How to Write" Book I've read!
Review: 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!
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Summary: As a total newbie to writing, this book was very helpful.
Review: My friends commented after reading this book that the quality of my writing significantly improved. I highly recomend it.
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Summary: A Wonderful Book for Beginners
Review: 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.
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Summary: NOT Just for SF/F Writers...
Review: 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
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Summary: Nothing so practical as a theory
Review: Orson Scott Card is one of the most admired men in modern Science Fiction, and for good reason. He started from scratch, wrote about the thing that he loved, never compromised his principles, and made himself a great success.
This is the man who created Ender's Game talking--anybody who ever wants to succeed in Science Fiction would do well to listen.
Card loves to see how things work. He doddles working towns and worlds as a way to pass time. These town may never see the light of day, or he may find them be fleshed out and built into literary worlds.
"How to Write Science Fiction" differs from books such as Doctrow and Schroeder's "Idiot's Guide to Publishing Science Fiction" in that Card spends more time on impractical matters--the matters of writing.
Card leaves himself wide open to the reader, exposing how he things and proceeds. He exposes pitfalls and discusses many of the accepted mechanics of writing Science Fiction.
If you are serious about writing Science Fiction, GET THIS BOOK! It is a shortcut to experience. Reading this book will not guarantee your publication, but it will help you avoid many of the unneccessary pitfalls to trap so many new writers.
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Summary: One of the most helpful books I've ever read - amazing
Review: 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!!
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Summary: One of the most helpful books I've ever read - amazing
Review: 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!!
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Summary: An Excellent Resource
Review: 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.
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Summary: Not just for SF writers---all writers can benefit.
Review: The principles that "Uncle Orson" covers in this smart little book will benefit fiction writers of any genre. I recommend it to students in my writer's workshops. I found the book helpful in writing my first novel, "Ember From the Sun" (which ended up a big success). Naturally, I'm grateful for Orson Scott Card's good advice. I'll be teaching a Science Fiction Writing class at Florida State University in January 2002, and I will require this book, plus another excellent book by OSC, "Characters and Viewpoint."
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