I've read a lot of books about writing, and while this one does not say anything I didn't already know, it does go into more detail specifically regarding the speculative fiction genre. For example, Card explains things like the use of metaphor in science fiction (very tricky); the importance of backstory, world history, and even alien evolution (and what happens if you skimp on it); and developing the rules of the universe you've created. This is a good book as far as writing speculative fiction goes, but it assumes you already know something about fiction writing in general. I would recommend it as a companion or secondary book on writing, not the very first thing you pick up upon making the decision to try your hand at the craft. ( )

I enjoyed the book, but not for the reasons that I should have. There are lots of lists that have information in them, and I'm a sucker for a good list, so that's where I pulled the meat of my enjoyment from the book. Not great, simply because it tells very little about actual writing, but not horrible by any means. A good read for science fiction and fantasy fans, probably really boring for anyone else. ( )

A great author gives some great tips to budding and experienced authors ( )

Review on my blog. ( )

This book wasn't very good. Or, to be more accurate, it was almost completely empty of what I was looking for, the themes and matters of relevance of speculative fiction, instead concerning itself almost wholly with the surface elements. Supposedly he has a better and respected book about actual writing, but based on this I'm not running to seek it out. ( )

The title is slightly misleading - this is more a review of the status of sff at the end of the 1980s than an actual how-to. There are occasional insights into Card's own works, but much time is spent on genre overview and history, rather than actual writing advice.

It's not a bad book, but for a how-to, it does not compare favourably to the Elements of Fiction Writing series. ( )

http://nhw.livejournal.com/46897.html...

137 pages of well-written advice, in case my vague ambitions to so some sf writing as well as reading ever should take on less nebulous form. ( )

Overall, Orson Scott Card’s book was a quick but interesting read. Though, I must say, it was only quick because I was already familiar with many concepts. Newer conceptions or newer perspectives on familiar concepts made me slow down a bit and pay closer attention, and through-out, I had a notebook beside me to take notes for the novel, complete with avenues of thought I need to pursue that I hadn’t considered before.

For a full review, just click here: http://calico-reaction.livejournal.co... ( )

my suggestion? read it once. read it in *small* doses and let each section get absorbed. i was lucky enough to only get a chapter or two in at a time before my 40+ minute commute to work. i had plenty of time to absorb and think about what he said and why he was saying it.

i've seen mixed reviews about this book at amazon, but i think it's because these people either sat down and read it cover-to-cover without thinking about it inbetween chapters or they already know (or think they know)how to do the things he talks about.

Orson Scott Card does a good job of taking novice and/or amateur writers (like myself) through the *process* of creating scifi/fantasy worlds. he gives examples of his process and tells you it might not work for you but here are some other ways you *could* do it.

my favorite part was the 2. Language section in Chapter 4 Writing Well (pg 100 softcover). he took the same "scene" (female reads letter, faints, etc.) and wrote it 3 different ways to show examples of how the language characters use can change the tone of the story.

he uses good, concrete examples from works of other authors and tells you *why* they're good. he tells you what to avoid and how to recognize if you're doing it.

i finished the last 2 chapters this morning and i plan on rereading this after a day or two of digestion. only this time i'm going to dogear and highlight to pick out sections i need to remember. ( )

If you're looking for an actual 'how-to' book on writing science fiction and fantasy, don't look here. Mr. Card seems to spend much of the book attempting to classify what makes a story science fiction or fantasy--only to reach the conclusion (which I already knew) that there is no simple classification.

And yet, for all that, I still give the book a 3-star rating; written in his trademark style, it has enough little gems of wisdom scattered through it to make it worth mining.

If Mr. Card had, perhaps, titled it "On Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy" rather than "How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy" it would easily have gotten a higher rating from me. As a how-to book, however, it was rather disappointing. ( )

An interesting book, but not as helpful as some of Card's other works on writing. There's definitely some interesting bits here, especially the section on the realities of time travel, but overall I found this a bit lacking in the nuts-and-bolts section, which is what I'm looking for. A good read if you're writing in these genres, though. ( )

http://www.i-reports.info/b/B199303.h... ( )