3.5 stars. I read most of this book in the fall of ‘21, but just finished the final chapter on revision and the lengthy Appendix. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed what at first seemed like a gimmicky book. There’s a lot going on in it, which sometimes distracts from the core text of each chapter. It has a lot of the same writing advice you’d find anywhere, but it presents more immersive examples of said advice. I liked Vandermeer’s bullet/numbered lists that he uses regularly for all topics — actionable questions/tips/ideas to apply to one’s own writing. I liked the many short essays by established writers on their process, for the same reason I like to read the Paris Review. A lot of the visual material is used as potential generative exercises, which I might return to. There are a lot of prompts and exercises hidden throughout that make it worthwhile to keep on the shelf for inspiration. It definitely makes the creative struggle feel more fun. It’s a great resource to find new “weird lit” or speculative fiction to read. Nearly every page is bursting with references to stories, authors, novels I’d never heard of. ( )

3.5 stars. I read most of this book in the fall of ‘21, but just finished the final chapter on revision and the lengthy Appendix. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed what at first seemed like a gimmicky book. There’s a lot going on in it, which sometimes distracts from the core text of each chapter. It has a lot of the same writing advice you’d find anywhere, but it presents more immersive examples of said advice. I liked Vandermeer’s bullet/numbered lists that he uses regularly for all topics — actionable questions/tips/ideas to apply to one’s own writing. I liked the many short essays by established writers on their process, for the same reason I like to read the Paris Review. A lot of the visual material is used as potential generative exercises, which I might return to. There are a lot of prompts and exercises hidden throughout that make it worthwhile to keep on the shelf for inspiration. It definitely makes the creative struggle feel more fun. It’s a great resource to find new “weird lit” or speculative fiction to read. Nearly every page is bursting with references to stories, authors, novels I’d never heard of. ( )

One of the few books I'll read twice. And an affordable price. Could have charged a lot more, but the price makes it accessible. ( )

Easily the most imaginative writing book I've read in the past few months, and definitely the prettiest. ( )

Extremely useful and innovative approach to writing craft with loads of real life book examples and informative essays from an army of famous writers. Wonderbook works as a spot reference book but is best read from start to finish at least once so that you can follow the context before dipping back to troubleshoot specifics.

The other thing I would add is that this is perhaps not the best book for a beginner writer seeking to learn basics. For that, I would recommend Story Genius by Lisa Crohn, On Writing by Stephen King, and/or The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maass.

Wonderbook (imol is more geared at intermediate writers who are pursuing serious publication (whether self or trade), or advanced writers looking to dive deep into fine turning of craft, structure, and story telling, perhaps by taking a novel (harhar) approach to novel writing. ( )