Nonfiction books about or dealing with speculative fiction and spec fic topics. You can also check out these subcategories:
Note: these books are currently sorted by release date, with newest first.
Word Count: 119,312
Summary: Are you a fantasy author who wants to create more vivid worlds or give them greater depth? If so, this is the book you have been waiting for. Subjects covered include: - How to create complex characters and an epic cast - Detailed lists of intelligent fantasy beings from myths and the world of fantasy, including celestial and paranormal species - How to create a celestial world and an underworld - Planning a novel - Ideas for plots, sub-plots, plot twists and book themes - Twenty-seven individual sub-sections on creating every aspect of a fantasy culture, from its history and jobs to its level of technology - Another five sub-sections on creating a planet, from geography to different realms to the effects of the sun(s) and moon(s) on the planet - Seven sub-sections about every aspect of creating a magic system - A list of fantasy creatures and how to create your own - Find inspiration and add an extra layer to your writing by using real myths, legends, folktales, historical events and stories of the paranormal - Eighteen detailed sub-sections on fantasy subgenres - Ideas to help you market your books - Twelve templates that you can use again and again every time you begin a new fantasy novel or series, that let you take the ideas in the book and turn them into something unique of your own In addition to all this, the paperback version of “Writing Fantasy” also contains over 100 illustrations to give you extra information and even more ideas. This is the perfect book for writers of fantasy. Get your copy now so that you can take your writing to a whole new level.
Word Count: 88000
Summary: From the back cover: Tiffani Angus (Ph.D.) and Val Nolan (Ph.D.) met at the 2009 Clarion Writers’ Workshop in California and since then have collaborated many times as fans and scholars on panels for SFF conventions and writing retreats. Working together on this book and combining their experience as SFF writers and as university lecturers in Creative Writing and Literature made perfect sense! Every year they see new students who want to write SFF/Horror but have never tried the genres, have tried but found themselves floundering, or, worse, have been discouraged by those who tell them Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror are somehow not “real” literature. This book is for all those future Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror writers. Tiffani and Val are approaching these three exciting fields by breaking them down into bite-sized subgenres with a fun, open, and contemporary approach. Each chapter contains 10 subgenres or tropes, with a quick and nerdy history of each derived from classroom teaching practices, along with a list of potential pitfalls, a description of why it’s fun to write in these subgenres, as well as activities for new writers to try out and to get them started!
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Summary: The twenty-first century has witnessed an explosion of speculative fiction in translation (SFT). Rachel Cordasco examines speculative fiction published in English translation since 1960, ranging from Soviet-era fiction to the Arabic-language dystopias that emerged following the Iraq War. Individual chapters on SFT from Korean, Czech, Finnish, and eleven other source languages feature an introduction by an expert in the language's speculative fiction tradition and its present-day output. Cordasco then breaks down each chapter by subgenre--including science fiction, fantasy, and horror--to guide readers toward the kinds of works that most interest them. Her discussion of available SFT stands alongside an analysis of how various subgenres emerged and developed in a given language. She also examines the reasons a given subgenre has been translated into English. An informative and one-of-a-kind guide, Out of This World offers readers and scholars alike a tour of speculative fiction's new globalized era.
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Summary: What makes a writer tick? What happens when an author gives up pure entertainment and aims instead at a deeper meaning? Can books somehow save the world? Will readers even care? A/not A explores the life and meaning of the work Tracy Shew, science fiction and fantasy author. The book begins with a detailed autobiography, and Shew's various attempts to "make the world a better place" from an early age. Then, the author's philosophy is described in detail. The description contains aspects of religion, mind science, dreams, biocentrism and especially quantum mechanics. The author concludes with a hopeful revelation that understanding "A/not A" as a philosophy and a somewhat different way of looking at the world will assist people in gaining new perceptions and new tools for understanding reality. Common social stumbling blocks which lead to division and hate might be dissolved. The author has for the last five years "salted" aspects of A/not A into all his writing. At the very least, this book will help the reader understand Shew's more bizarre stories, how (and why) he has toyed with Abstract Surrealism as a writing form, and what he hopes to accomplish. This book is half autobiographical, half philosophy (with a strong flavoring of quantum physics and neuroscience). The most basic message is that the loss of dialog between people who disagree (the "division") is the greatest threat we face today. The author recommends a simple grassroots solution: Start talking and listening to one another.
Word Count: Information not available
Summary: Do you write horror, speculative fiction, dark fantasy, paranormal romance, or fairy tales? Are you an author who wants to take your career to the next level? The Spooky Writer's Planner helps you get it done! The planner includes:
- 13 undated monthly and weekly calendars
- monthly goal and recap sheets
- weekly check-ins and note pages
- writing challenges
- trackers for submissions, published works, and contacts
- planners for marketing, newsletters, and blog posts
- check-off sheets for website maintenance, social media profiles, and expenses
- Also included are fun sheets to generate writing ideas, track your favorite TV series, or to be read and watched lists.
Word Count: 91
Summary: Even fictional characters gotta eat. These are their recipes. Now you can make the favorite foods of the fictional country of Industralia, from breakfast right on through to late night snacks. You’ll even learn how to make traditional New Year's “Coal Week” holiday treats.
Word Count: 8000
Summary:
Expanded 2nd Edition!
A collection of short poems in rhyme Inspired all by science; Outward to the edge of time; Or tied to earthly cadence. Light and written all for fun, There is no angst to hide. You're invited now to sample one Of my poems inside. These poems are inspired by Richard Feynman, who said "Poets say science takes away from the beauty of the stars - mere globs of gas atoms. I too can see the stars on a desert night, and feel them. Why do the poets of today not speak of it?" I take his words as a challenge and this book collects some of my science-inspired poems.
