THE ICE PICK

On Writing Science Fiction: the Editors Strike Back, by George H. Scithers, et al. Philadelphia, Owlswick Press, 1981, ISBN 0-913896-19-5, $14.00, 227 pages.

If you are a beginning writer of science fiction, or would like to be, this book was written by editors of Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine just for you. Long considered to be one of the best books ever written on how to write commercial science fiction, this is an excellent place to start learning the craft.

The Foreword, by Isaac Asimov, explains the personal qualities needed by a science fiction writer, and the book goes on with remarkable clarity and simplicity "to help you teach yourself to write at a publishable level of competence and to dispel some of the superstitions that are all too common among not-yet-published writers."

Separate chapters cover in detail the practical building blocks you will need to write your stories. These include the necessary basics of finding ideas, generating conflict, creating characters, plotting, establishing and revealing background, and using science. There are also chapters on how to write tragedy and humor with their attending pitfalls.

Attached to each chapter are whole reprinted stories, originally purchased for publication in the magazine. These amply illustrate the points in each chapter. And as further encouragement, the stories are all first sales by their authors.

The book concludes with an explanation of manuscript format (including the mysteries of word count, rights, proofreading, cover letters, and mailing), and a list of rules, both serious and lighthearted, that should not be broken and why not.

The bad news is there is "no magic formula, no secret tricks, no hidden shortcuts" to success in any writing field, and science fiction is no exception. The good news is that there are excellent books, like this one to help you.

It is mandatory reading for members of the Workshop, and I highly recommend it.

{Published in SF and Fantasy Workshop Newsletter, Dec. 2001.}