The Science Of Science Fiction Writing Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
Written by one of the leading authorities on writing, publishing and teaching science fiction, The Science of Science Fiction Writing offers the opportunity to share in the knowledge James Gunn has acquired over the past forty years. He reflects on the fiction-writing process and how to teach it, and the ideas he has shared with his students about how to do it effectively and how to get it published afterwards.The first section discusses why people read fiction, the parts of the short story, the strategy of the science fiction author, scene as the smallest dramatic unit, how to speak well in print, suspense in fiction, how to say the right thing, and how to give constructive criticism. The second section takes a more philosophical approach. Here, Gunn elaborates on the origins of science fiction, its definition, the worldview of science fiction, and the characters that appear in science fiction novels. The third section highlights well-known sci-fi authors: H.G. Wells, Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Henry Kuttner, C.L. Moore, and others, and the impact they have had on the development and progression of science fiction.
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Scarecrow Press (October 31, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1578860113
ISBN-13: 978-1578860111
Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.8 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #1,318,985 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #65 in Books > Reference > Writing, Research & Publishing Guides > Writing > Science Fiction & Fantasy #745 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Genres & Styles > Science Fiction & Fantasy #828 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > History & Criticism
As a writer and teacher of fantasy and science fiction, I have read a =lot= of how-to books over the years. Most of them range from terrible to so-so. Many can be destructive to an inexperienced or uncertain writer.This is a wonderful exception, one of only two books I consistently recommend (the other is Orson Scott Card's CHARACTERS AND VIEWPOINT). I have been assisting at Gunn's summer workshop at the University of Kansas for years now, mostly because I think he's one of the best writers -- and teachers -- in the genre. Now he's put the wisdom of his decades in the field into a book which I think can be useful to every writer, regardless of experience.I really cannot recommend this highly enough.
After the glowing reviews I read online, I was disappointed in this book. It was quite obviously patched together from previously published materials that did not meld gracefully: just looking at the chapter headings, it is obvious that no one would have organized a book that way if starting from scratch. At the very least, the book should have been edited to remove the obvious repetitions. Appendices in the back are basically class notes in the form of bulleted lists and sentence fragments.The title is misleading, though probably not intentionally so. I was hoping for something more targeted toward, well, science. For example, I would have liked something about FTL travel (pro or con, possible workarounds, etc.), climatology, or any of a dozen other scientific topics of relevance to science fiction. With one whole chapter about fiction in general, and several other chapters about prominent science fiction authors, there really wasn't very much of the book that could justifiably be said to relate to the science of science fiction writing, even when you put the emphasis on the word WRITING. A better title might have been "Miscellaneous Essays on Fiction, Science Fiction, and Famous SciFi Authors."That is not to say it was worthless. Some of the information was useful and relevant, and the book overall was very well written. There were probably a total of 20 pages that, for me, made the book almost worth the price of admission. I just felt a little cheated by the feeling that this was recycled content without much effort expended to make it a cohesive or focused.
I bought this book due to the glowing reviews of the other reviewers, and was very disappointed. The book was sloppily edited. I wasn't looking for errors, but kept finding them - picky stuff like typos, contradictions, and word for word repetition. A writing book shouldn't contain these types of errors.Nearly half of the book was long-winded bios of SF authors which were sometimes interesting, but mostly not - and suggested nothing to improve writing. There were a few good tidbits, but they were few and far between.Do not buy. Get Damon Kight's book instead - Creating Short Fiction. Much more practical and interesting.
The first chapter (Why People Read Fiction) is worth the price of the book alone. Some reviewers have nitpicked a few typos and repetition. Having taught eye surgery for 45 years and having written a textbook on eye surgery - I can say with confidence that repetition lies at the heart of teaching typos not withstanding.Be that as it may - the aspiring writer will find much of value within these pages.
This is an excellent book written by a legend in the business. If you want an in-depth resource of Science Fiction writing tips and history, look no further. The book is wonderfully written, comprehensive, and organized. James Gunn uses "The Science of Science Fiction Writing" as a text book for his own creative writing courses and comments that the book is the result of roughly 40 years of writing observations. I can certainly see his vast experience played out on every page. Some of the chapters herein are articles previously published by entities such as Writer's Digest and Oxford Press. This book is a true gem for Science Fiction and Fantasy genre writers bent on perfecting their craft.
This book a compilation of James Gunn's writings about writing science fiction. There are articles about the craft, the history of science fiction, and about the work of some famous science fiction writers. If you are looking for a basic book on how to write fiction, this is not the one to start with. I like this book because it talks about what goes into writing science fiction, both techniques and how other authors have approached it. Think of it as a more advanced writing book, though non-writers who are interested in sci fi might also find it of interest.
This book was priced very reasonably and delivery was prompt. I really enjoyed this book as it was very useful in my research and will be sitting in the reference section for years to come.
After reading this book my writing was better tenfold and found myself writing longer better stories al of the time. I got my copy from the ALA convention in New Orleans from a representative of Scarecrow publishing and now thing that I should have paid the full price for it. Thanx for the book, Sarah!P.S. i know this was a little later than expected, but with school and writing I just got around to... writing this... in school?!LOL Hope to see you soon.
Writing Romance: The Top 100 Best Strategies For Writing Romance Stories (How To Write Romance Novels, Romance Writing Skills, Writing Romance Fiction Plots, Publishing Romance Books) The Craft of Science Fiction: A Symposium on Writing Science Fiction and Science Fantasy Writing: A Guide Revealing The Best Ways To Make Money Writing (Writing, Writing Skills, Writing Prompts Book 1) Science Fiction 101: Where to Start Reading and Writing Science Fiction Creating Short Fiction: The Classic Guide to Writing Short Fiction How to Write a Non-Fiction Kindle eBook in 15 Days: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Non-Fiction eBook that Sells! The Complete Guide to Writing Science Fiction: Volume One - First Contact (The Complete Guide to Writing Series) Writing Science Fiction & Fantasy (Writing Series) Using Medicine in Science Fiction: The SF Writer's Guide to Human Biology (Science and Fiction) Love Writing: How To Make Money Writing Romantic or Erotic Fiction (Secrets to Success) Get Started In Writing Erotic Fiction (Teach Yourself: Writing) The Science of Science Fiction Writing Time Travel: A Writer's Guide to the Real Science of Plausible Time Travel (Science Fiction Writing Series) Of Worlds Beyond: The Science of Science Fiction Writing, A Symposium An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories (Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, & True Stories, Volume 1) Bologna Annual '98: Fiction (Bologna Annual: Fiction) Better Than Fiction: True Travel Tales from Great Fiction Writers NON FICTION BOOK TEMPLATES (2016): 3 Simple Templates for Your New Non-Fiction Book Apocalyptic Fiction: TUMULTUS: A pulse-pounding apocalyptic fiction thriller... (Mac Walker Book 5) Resume Writing for IT Professionals - Resume Magic or How to Find a Job with Resumes and Cover Letters: Google Resume, Write CV, Writing a Resume, Get Job, IT Resume, Writing CV, Resume CV
