Battlestar Grammactica

“The Writer’s Digest Guide to Science Fiction & Fantasy” gives writers everything they need to know write the next sci-fi classic. Writers of all skill levels will discover helpful advice from best-selling author Orson Scott Card’s “How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy” on how to wield story elements that ‘define’ the science fiction and fantasy genres; build, populate and dramatize fantastic new worlds; and, construct compelling stories by developing ideas, characters, and events that keep readers turning pages, and more. In this book, readers will learn the art of world building by exploring traditional fantasy cultures, examples from world cultures, the rituals of magic and witchcraft, mythological creatures and fantasy races, weapons and armor, clothing and fashion, and much more.

(more…)

Amazon.com

The visionary work of science fiction legend Philip K. Dick inspired the films Blade Runner (1982), Total Recall (1990), and Minority Report (2002). Films from John Carpenter’s They Live to David Cronenberg’s eXistenZ to The 6th Day mine the same sense of the technological morass, complex conspiracies, and manipulated and uncertain realities that Dick spun out in such novels as Time Out of Joint and A Scanner Darkly. Dick’s unnerving ideas influenced a generation, but despite the title of this labor-of-love documentary, it’s less about his work than the life-changing events of the last decade of his life. The bizarre true story of paranoia, mind-altering drugs, mystical visions, and an 8,000-page treatise called The Exegesis is as compelling as any of his novels. All it lacks is a grounding: filmmakers Mark Steensland and Andy Massagli take for granted a familiarity with the author and his work. That may leave the casual viewer a bit bewildered by it all, but (more…)

Middle School Learning System 2007 for grades 6-8 features 85 titles with in-depth coverage of 24 core middle school subjects, 47 hours of interactive multimedia lessons and video presentations, top-rated reference materials, over 37 hours of audio books and eBooks – now compatible with your iPod for learning on the go! All core subjects including English, math, science, U.S. history, world history, and geography are brought to life with interactive multimedia presentations and lessons. Printable tests make is easy to monitor student comprehension and progress. World-renowned reference materials such as Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary and Barron’s Concise Encyclopedia bring a complete and superior study environment that encourages research. Examine themes, characters, and plot synopses of 101 classics with 101 Barron’s Book Notes. Subject details: Math: fractions, decimals, numbers review, pre-algebra, algebra I, geometry, Rapid Calculation Method – a step-by-ste (more…)

Amazon.com Review

Another in Ben Bova’s series on Science Fiction Writing, here geologist and SF scribe Stephen Gillett helps you construct star systems and planets from the atoms up. While it may take you a little more than the proverbial seven days (well, six with rest), when you’re done, your knowledge of gravity, weather patterns, cosmic mass and stellar patterns–in this universe–will be greatly enhanced.
–This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

This book is designed to give science fiction writers the solid grounding they need in real science to make their fictions read like fact. World Building is a blueprint in words, calculations, tables and diagrams to help writers transport readers from one world to another.

(more…)

Review

“In short, if you were going to look up ‘experts’ to talk to about some aspect of the world you are building, these are the people you’d ask.” –Moira Allen “All aspiring and newly established science fiction writers should read The Complete Guide to Writing Science Fiction before sending out their manuscripts.” –Leslie Halpern, My Shelf Book Review

The Complete Guide to Writing Science Fiction: Volume One is a comprehensive writer’s guide for the amateur to semi-pro writer on the genre of science fiction. The book begins with a warning for new science fiction writers about the pitfalls and clich?s that often plague a first science fiction story. It finishes with practical information on how to present, sell and promote a finished novel and what to prepare for once the writer has achieved success. Topics range from alien creation to world building, fan fiction and space travel. EPPIE 2007: Finalist (non-fiction category) Contrib (more…)