Reviews

Putting the Science in Fiction: Expert Advice for Writing with Authenticity in Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Other Genres by Rebecca Enzor, Gareth D. Jones, Chuck Wendig, Anne M. Lipton, Danna Staaf, Jamie Krakover, Benjamin Kinney, Stephanie Sauvinet, Sylvia Spruck Wrigley, Gwen C. Katz, Judy L. Mohr, Abby Goldsmith, Bianca Nogrady, Kathleen S. Allen, William Huggins, Dan Koboldt, Karyne Norton, Mike Hays, Philip Kramer

chan_fry's review

4.0

My spouse found this at the local public library and brought it home for me, knowing I’ve been trying to write science fiction. I’m glad she did. Not only is there plenty of useful information, but the chapters are short and the writers are each experts in their fields.

Much of this information is available on Dan Koboldt’s blog site, which I’ve bookmarked for future reference as I continue to write sci-fi. Personally, I think filmmakers need this more than book authors — I’m far more likely to spot farcical “science” in movies than in books — but all of us could probably do a little better.

(I have published a longer review on my website.)

toomanytomes's review

challenging informative slow-paced

4.0

laurenjamesauthor's review

This was so useful, both as a writer and a reader of science fiction. I spend a lot of time researching science for my books, and this really put the topic into perspective. I loved the mix of subjects addressed here too.

brocc's review

3.0

This one is a little tricky for me to review, but I'll give it my best shot. I am abolutely not doubting that the people who contributed to this book are intelligent - that is definitely apparent from page one, and I really appreciated learning about different realms of science and such. However, I will say that a lot of the text seemed dedicated to complaining about how unrealistic scifi can be, and I found that a little bit... frustrating? Because honestly, I feel like the majority of readers of scifi aren't actually looking for serious science, they're looking for escapism. I like the idea of knowing more about certain areas of science so that the writer can have some background for what they're writing about, but a lot of that research won't actually go in the book itself.

There were also quite a few threats of throwing books across the room, which I do not condone at all! So cheeky.

Overall, I think this was informative, but perhaps a little unrealistic about it's actual "real-world" (or perhaps "real-fiction) applications.


I received an egalley copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

sylvia's review

5.0

Excellent resource! Lots of fascinating information and details that I never even knew I needed to know!

delphinbella's review

5.0

While I haven't read every single essay in this book, the ones I have read have been really informative and helpful! My favorite is "How The Ocean Will Kill You" (for obvious reasons). If you're a SFF author, or if you're just curious about science, definitely pick up this amazing resource!

Full transparency: my essay "Proper Lab Procedure" is in this book, but I hadn't read the other essays until I got my copy :)