Leído en diagonal.
Ameno. Explica mucho sobre lo básico en escribir, y da ejemplos de algunos tópicos en cifi. Interesante para ver lo explorado.
Pero no he profundizado porque no hay nada nuevo bajo este árbol (y se nota que recurre de los clásicos a la hora de ejemplificar) y está desfasado por los acontecimientos del siglo xxi (por ideas como tbien de la actividad en cf y f en el momento de publicarse --1990).

Nota a la edición de Alamut: lo mejor son las entrevistas a autores del final del libro ;D

Whew! That's a lot of information packed in 140 pages! My brain needs to process this before I can write a decent review. More later.

Some books, even instructional/reference books, are like fine wine: they only improve with age.

This book is not such a book.

While there are worthwhile tidbits scattered throughout its pages, the original value offered by How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy from the great Orson Scott Card has largely been lost to time; except, that is, for true newcomers to the world of F&SF. For newcomers, this work will cover the basics and educate them on the unique facets of the speculative fiction genre. But for those with more than a passing familiarity with spec-fic, don't go into this book expecting a fount of revelations.

The lack of depth of the content isn't the only issue. There's also its age. And while plenty of decades-old writings have gone sour in our modern, equality-focused, politically-correct atmosphere, parts of this book are almost impossible to swallow as seen through the eyes of today's world. The ultimate example spans almost the entirety of pages 34 and 35: the usage of cyclical domestic violence as a casual storytelling device, including the notion that an abused spouse secretly likes such treatment. This section left me so upset that I had to take a few days off from reading before I could continue.

Now, for the writer or aspiring writer looking for advice from an expert on the level of Mr. Card, there truly are nuggets of wisdom still to be found, and for those with a higher threshold for politically incorrect musings, they may find nothing wrong with some of the faults I've pointed out in this review. But for myself, ultimately, I feel that only roughly half of the book remains relevant, useful, and inoffensive, so I've given it 3 Stars out of 5.

I am kind of obsessed with Orson Scott Card right now, despite having only read two of his books (so far...). When I found out that he wrote this book, I immediately ordered it sent to my local library. I felt that I needed to read it before I continued work on the fantasy novel I'm in the process of conceptualizing, and it turns out I was right--I did need to read this.

Forewarning: Despite the title, most of this book is about science fiction. This isn't surprising, as Card is a science fiction writer. It was great for me, because I'm interested in both. However, even if I was only looking at fantasy, it would still have been well worth a read. In fact, regarding what I'm currently writing, I was only looking at fantasy, and it was still tremendously helpful.

This book doesn't have all of the secrets, but it presents the basics in a clear and logical way. In fact, after reading one part, I had an epiphany. "Ohhh, so THAT'S what my Fiction Writing professor was talking about. Now I totally understand what she was trying to tell me was wrong with both of my stories!" If you're not a published speculative fiction writer already, you WILL find useful information in this book.

It's not even that long. In fact, a day or two after I started reading it, I was shocked to look down and notice the page number. I had almost reached a hundred pages without even realizing it. And I was even taking notes while reading! Point being, it's actually a smooth, entertaining read despite being a How To book. The man does wonders with words.

Worth it worth it worth it worth it worth it. And it's entertaining to boot.

A fantastic (pun intended) resource for storytellers of all kinds, especially those writing speculative fiction. As you would expect, some of the market advice is dated, but the principles of storytelling are as true as ever.

Although this book does not teach you everything you need to know about writing (what book could?), this is certainly one of the most useful books I've ever read as a writer and as a reader.

While mostly focused on Sci Fi and Fantasy, Card includes the gem of MICE. MICE explains how identifying the predominant thematic feature of your story will, in fact, guide you to the ideal structure for the story.

As soon as I read his explanation, I had an AHA! moment. "So THAT's why my story isn't working!"

Card breaks down the differences between the subgenres of speculative fiction nicely, although it's not earthshaking. There are several excellent and informative breakdowns of well-written stories (one from an Octavia Butler novel particularly sticks out). There's detailed advice about the unique nature of the SF/Fantasy genre, which is generally very good but not necessarily above what's available online. I would have liked a little bit more about world creation, though, and a bit more about the history of SF and how the contemporary market demands different things than the market of 50 or 60 years ago.

I'm looking forward to reading Card's other book about writing, Characters and Viewpoint, which is supposed to be less genre-specific.

3,5. Personalmente conocía la mayor parte de las cosas que enseña Scott Card en este manual pero hay cosas que no y me ha dado grandes ideas. Está bastante más enfocado al mercado extranjero y por eso la parte del final de esta edición con entrevistas a Elia Barceló o a Cesar Mallorquí es un gran acierto.

Sin duda es recomendable para todo el que lea/escriba fantasía y ci-fi porque va a poder analizar/escribir mejor una obra del género, aunque soy de los que creen que estas cosas las sabe ya uno desde dentro, no sé si me explico...

PD: Me hubiese gustado que se nombrase a otras grandes escritoras de cifi y no que se hubiese quedado con Butler y Le Guin, pero algo es algo... PD2: No he leído el Juego de Ender y ahora tengo curiosidad. PD3: Me han entrado muchas más ganas de leer Wild Seed, de Butler, y sé que a ciertas personas les va a alegrar esto xD

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.

the basic advice is:

a) have an annoying wunderkind,
b) ??????
c) profit!

Overdue for a re-read.

I remember liking it, feeling that Card had made tangible many of the elements of good fantasy that I admired in favorite genre books, but couldn't clearly "see" because the authors were too adroit to let readers glimpse the scaffolds.

I have notes scattered throughout my research notebook with my craft writing notes, and some are from this book. I will write the full review once I gather them, but I recall finding this book very helpful when I thought that the novel I was writing was a portal fantasy.

Disclaimer: this is not a book that teaches you everything you need to know about writing (SF or otherwise).

For what it is, this book rocks. While the publishing industry segments are outdated, the other sections remain helpful and insightful.

Of particular salience was the MICE quotient, a helpful tool in plotting a story and deciding where it should start and end.

It also provides a few recommended readings in the genre, ones that are classics, or are (probably) classics by now.

I wouldn’t buy this book brand new, as you could probably Google search for updated industry information and the MICE quotient. But if you can get your hands on a copy, I’d recommend it.