Review by Booklist Review
From the pens of master storytellers such as Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, and Marion Zimmer Bradley comes valuable advice to the writer starting out in the field of speculative fiction. The emphasis here is on the creative process rather than the business of writing. For example, William F. Nolan illustrates the use of the explosive first sentence and chapter; Marion Zimmer Bradley stresses the importance of placing fantasy characters inside a believable (for the genre) context, warning writers that if their heroes can walk through walls, they need to explain why they don't also fall through the floor; and Thomas Millstead lectures on choosing character names, showing why Dracula is a better name than Cuthbert L. Cooch for a bloodsucking vampire. This book is both indispensable for the novice writer and informative (and fun) for the fan of the various genres discussed. To be indexed. PLR. 808.3'876 Science fiction Authorship / Fantastic fiction Authorship / Horror tales Authorship
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
