Emilio Fos Fos itibaren Sele, Slovenya
I have a soft spot for books on writing. There's something about reading how others describe the craft of writing that I find really appealing. Thankfully, after investing time and money into The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction I came away feeling that I learned something new and fresh. The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction is a no-nonsense guide to writing in these two respective genres. Athans quickly gets to the point, and stays on point throughout the entire book. The one criticism I have is that I found, after finishing the book, is that I wanted more: more examples, more little exercises, more stuff. My favourite sections were those on plot and character development. I made notes, and I now have a “master file” spreadsheet that I put together using information that I picked up from The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction. Using a spreadsheet is a great idea to keep track of notes and organize thoughts, and thankfully Athans points out this obvious detail in the book. It's a simple little detail, but one that can provide immeasurable return. All in all The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction is a good little book, and a welcome addition to the growing list of science fiction/fantasy writing guides. If you're in the market for something new on the topic, or if you are interested finding the perfect starting point to delve into the subject of writing sci-fi, then pick up this book.
Oh why can't I fall in love with this book. My sister absolutely adores this piece of literature; it's won a Nobel Prize in Literature, and my daughter recommends it. It was a gift from my sister at Christmas - we have very similar tastes in reading...and why not...we grew up reading each other to sleep during the long and cold winters in North Dakota, tucked under our featherbed, cozy and secure as we drifted off with Grimbolds Other World or Mystery of the Green Cat...maybe a Mary Stewart book. Note: we never read aloud from The Lord Of The Rings as this was considered a private, sacred read...such a right of passage that it was something to be adventured upon by oneself...it was going to change forever the person who read it and we all new that. My Dad had been telling us stories from it for years by then. This is my second attempt at loving this story....and I still can't add it to my favorites. I want to love it....I should love it.....
A Japanese novelist on writing, running, and training for the NY marathon. Throw in some photography, and this book was written for me. "One runner told of a mantra his older brother, also a runner, had taught him which he's pondered ever since he began running. Here it is: Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. Say you're running and you start to think, Man this hurts, I can't take it anymore. The hurt part is an unavoidable reality, but whether or not you can stand anymore is up to the runner himself. This pretty much sums up the most important aspect of marathon running."