---
product_id: 196880
title: "How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy"
price: "€ 41.73"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.de/products/196880-how-to-write-science-fiction-and-fantasy
store_origin: DE
region: Germany
---

# How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy

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- **What is this?** How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy
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## Description

desertcart.com: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy: 8601234625742: Card, Orson Scott: Books

Review: top resource for writing speculative fiction, particularly sf - Orson Scott Card (well known to sf circles as the author of Ender's Game) presents his advice on writing science fiction and fantasy. The book has a specific and limited scope: rather than trying to teach everything one needs to know to write fiction, Card addresses only those areas where speculative fiction differs from other types. Consequently, this is not a stand-alone writing book. If you are unacquainted with the craft of plotting, character development, dialog, etc., you will need to fill those gaps in some other way. Within the scope the book sets for itself, however, it is top notch. Card really knows his stuff, and has a knack for articulating what he knows in a helpful and memorable way. Particularly valuable is the section on exposition. While most books on fiction writing preach minimizing exposition, Card understands that speculative fiction requires it. The imaginative worlds of speculative fiction are not familiar to readers; they need explaining, and readers expect satisfying explanations. Card explains the conventions of the genre that are used to present exposition without stalling the story. He uses Wild Seed by Octavia Butler to illustrate the ideas, so the reader can see tangible examples of the principles he describes. I also enjoyed his breakdown of stories into four categories (MICE, for milieu, idea, character, and event). He deftly summarizes how each type of story needs to work, and the problems that can result if you don't know what type of story you are writing. This was illuminating and refreshing, since most books on writing do not even acknowledge that fiction can be driven by anything other than character development. In speculative fiction, however, milieu and idea driven stories are part of the landscape, and the aspiring writer needs to understand how they work. Card also offers excellent advice about the business of writing, covering subjects beyond manuscript preparation and agents, such as writer's workshops and classes, sf conventions, and so on. Once again, his familiarity with the world of sf writing comes through strong and clear; he's not merely repeating standard bits of advice, but is writing from experience. A few words of caution: The book was published in 1990, and so is a bit dated in places (there is a bigger market for fantasy short stories than when Card was writing, for example), and the book emphasizes sf more than fantasy. (One notable disappointment in this regard: In one section, there is a discussion of the mechanics of interstellar travel, time travel, and magic. The first two topics receive well-thought-out lists of the different approaches used in sf, and their story implications. Magic, instead of receiving a similar treatment, gets a digression riffing off the idea that magicians sacrifice body parts to cast spells. It's an interesting train of thought, but something less narrow and idiosyncratic would have been appreciated.) On balance, this is the very best book I have found on the special issues that arise when writing science fiction and fantasy. Paired with something like The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing, it will answer most questions an aspiring writer in these genres is likely to face.
Review: Motivational and well done; one of two must read "how to write" books - This book is a great complement to Stephen King's On Writing book for any aspiring writer, especially sci fi and fantasy writers. Both books are upbeat, useful, and entertaining reads with lots of gems from two great writers. Card's book is more straightforward about the steps to take when writing any book and covers more ground on the topic of how to write, whereas King's book is half autobiography (about becoming a writer, himself), funnier, and more specific to King's personal experience (Card, probably because he teaches, does a better job of synthesizing and drawing upon many references to other authors/books). Both authors agree that it is important to let ideas evolve, let the story tell itself through the characters, be as honest as possible, and to not hold on too tight to the original idea at the expense of ignoring a more interesting story that reveals itself as you follow the characters around in the world you created. There's not much overlap between the two books (making their common themes all the more powerful), so I think together they are a great package for the aspiring writer. I also do not see much reason to spend time reading more than a couple "how to write" books when every successful author says the two most important things are 1) Write a lot and 2) Read a lot (not "how to" books, but in your genre of interest, the Classics, and whatever lights your fire beyond that). Read these two books, be highly entertained and motivated, and get out there and make the magic happen!

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #143,625 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #31 in Science Fiction & Fantasy Writing #86 in Creative Writing Composition #173 in Writing Skill Reference (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (410) |
| Dimensions  | 6 x 0.36 x 9 inches |
| Edition  | First Paperback Edition |
| ISBN-10  | 158297103X |
| ISBN-13  | 978-1582971032 |
| Item Weight  | 5.6 ounces |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 144 pages |
| Publication date  | September 15, 2001 |
| Publisher  | Penguin Publishing Group |
| Reading age  | 1 year and up |

## Images

![How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61FylU5MytL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ top resource for writing speculative fiction, particularly sf
*by T***S on December 27, 2008*

Orson Scott Card (well known to sf circles as the author of Ender's Game) presents his advice on writing science fiction and fantasy. The book has a specific and limited scope: rather than trying to teach everything one needs to know to write fiction, Card addresses only those areas where speculative fiction differs from other types. Consequently, this is not a stand-alone writing book. If you are unacquainted with the craft of plotting, character development, dialog, etc., you will need to fill those gaps in some other way. Within the scope the book sets for itself, however, it is top notch. Card really knows his stuff, and has a knack for articulating what he knows in a helpful and memorable way. Particularly valuable is the section on exposition. While most books on fiction writing preach minimizing exposition, Card understands that speculative fiction requires it. The imaginative worlds of speculative fiction are not familiar to readers; they need explaining, and readers expect satisfying explanations. Card explains the conventions of the genre that are used to present exposition without stalling the story. He uses Wild Seed by Octavia Butler to illustrate the ideas, so the reader can see tangible examples of the principles he describes. I also enjoyed his breakdown of stories into four categories (MICE, for milieu, idea, character, and event). He deftly summarizes how each type of story needs to work, and the problems that can result if you don't know what type of story you are writing. This was illuminating and refreshing, since most books on writing do not even acknowledge that fiction can be driven by anything other than character development. In speculative fiction, however, milieu and idea driven stories are part of the landscape, and the aspiring writer needs to understand how they work. Card also offers excellent advice about the business of writing, covering subjects beyond manuscript preparation and agents, such as writer's workshops and classes, sf conventions, and so on. Once again, his familiarity with the world of sf writing comes through strong and clear; he's not merely repeating standard bits of advice, but is writing from experience. A few words of caution: The book was published in 1990, and so is a bit dated in places (there is a bigger market for fantasy short stories than when Card was writing, for example), and the book emphasizes sf more than fantasy. (One notable disappointment in this regard: In one section, there is a discussion of the mechanics of interstellar travel, time travel, and magic. The first two topics receive well-thought-out lists of the different approaches used in sf, and their story implications. Magic, instead of receiving a similar treatment, gets a digression riffing off the idea that magicians sacrifice body parts to cast spells. It's an interesting train of thought, but something less narrow and idiosyncratic would have been appreciated.) On balance, this is the very best book I have found on the special issues that arise when writing science fiction and fantasy. Paired with something like The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing, it will answer most questions an aspiring writer in these genres is likely to face.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Motivational and well done; one of two must read "how to write" books
*by M***N on January 13, 2011*

This book is a great complement to Stephen King's On Writing book for any aspiring writer, especially sci fi and fantasy writers. Both books are upbeat, useful, and entertaining reads with lots of gems from two great writers. Card's book is more straightforward about the steps to take when writing any book and covers more ground on the topic of how to write, whereas King's book is half autobiography (about becoming a writer, himself), funnier, and more specific to King's personal experience (Card, probably because he teaches, does a better job of synthesizing and drawing upon many references to other authors/books). Both authors agree that it is important to let ideas evolve, let the story tell itself through the characters, be as honest as possible, and to not hold on too tight to the original idea at the expense of ignoring a more interesting story that reveals itself as you follow the characters around in the world you created. There's not much overlap between the two books (making their common themes all the more powerful), so I think together they are a great package for the aspiring writer. I also do not see much reason to spend time reading more than a couple "how to write" books when every successful author says the two most important things are 1) Write a lot and 2) Read a lot (not "how to" books, but in your genre of interest, the Classics, and whatever lights your fire beyond that). Read these two books, be highly entertained and motivated, and get out there and make the magic happen!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Extremely Good
*by N***E on March 3, 2008*

Well written, with lots of great insights and real confidence builder. Card also give a lot of resources for further study. At one point (from memory) he says that you must simultaneously believe that the story you are working on today is the greatest story ever written ... so that you have the confidence to move forward. And that the current story you are working on is drivel (my word), so you can take the criticisms and rejection and move on. The advice he gives on how to query magazines and publishers is worth it's weight in gold, and the section on being careful not to get "pegged" in a specific genre is pretty good too. The only reason this book doesn't currently rate 5 stars is because some of the information is outdated. I simply have to wonder if, other than certain magazines being out of print, if anything else in the Sci Fi & Fantasy realms have changed since the book was written? Maybe it's time to spend a day or two updating the content, and releasing a new edition.

## Frequently Bought Together

- How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy
- On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (A Memoir of the Craft (Reissue))
- Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book On Novel Writing You'll Ever Need

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*Last updated: 2026-02-25*