Book description
Although the problems of writing fantasy and science fiction include
all those pertaining to the writing of any kind of fiction, particular
problems arise in stories in which unprecedented things can and do
happen, as well as stories that often involve unhuman characters of
various sorts, and that might require the elaborate design of entire
imaginary worlds. This book provides an elementary introduction to
problems of those kinds, and the ways in which they modify the general
problems of writing fiction. It also suggests strategies that might
enable the problems to be handled constructively and productively. The
author has published more than seventy novels in the field, more than
twenty short story collections, and more than twenty related works of
non-fiction; he has, as the saying goes, been there, done that, and
chewed his t-shirt in relevant frustration. Robert Reginald says:
"An absolutely first-rate guide to writing fantastic literature.
Stableford has much to say that potential writers of ALL fiction might
find valuable, interesting, and highly illuminating. His reasonable
discussion and dissection of the basic issues facing authors of creative
fiction--and the solutions to be found to each problem--are dollops of
solid gold advice, in this editor's humble opinion. Every would-be
author should read this book--and more than once!"
