As someone who reads a lot, I've learned many things. I knew about 3/4 of what Card says. Part of it was because I'd read his "Characters and Viewpoint" days before which is on fiction in general, but it's in depth. And partly because I'd learned it while reading, but didn't always know what I'd learned. There were things I went "duh" on to Card; and things I went "duh" on to myself when I realized I should have known that. Then I'd try to think of examples from things I'd read to see if Card was right. I'd always concluded he was... I just never really thought about some things. For instance, the part on prologues. I'd never wondered if they actually made a point, just accepted them as necessary. Card changed my mind.

This is a perfect book for anyone starting out in the SF&F genres (although it's more about Sci-Fi than Fantasy). Which is another thing: I wanted more on fantasy. Maybe half the book on Sci-Fi, and the other half on Fantasy. I write both, so that would have been more helpful. But I also think it's great for the more experienced writer who's willing to humble themselves and go over the basics and sometimes obvious.

What I like the most about this book is that it makes you think about what you're doing in your own story. It made me go over my stories and look closely at my worlds. It's also a good reminder that a good story is a balance of the creative and the technical. So it's great if you've finished a story, draft, or outline because you can go through the book and through your work to look at the details and improve the story. and if all you've got is an idea, it'll help you to really flesh that thought out.

I recommend getting Card's "Characters and Viewpoint (Elements of Fiction Writing)" along with this since he doesn't go into those subjects very deeply in this one.

...in a time far away, I was an aspiring fantasy writer, and I picked this book up off the shelf shortly after it was published. I've never forgotten the MICE, and to this day, I still use the basics of that idea to help me focus my stories.

If you're an advanced writer, this book may not hold as much as you'd like. But for the beginning/low intermediate writer, this book presents many ideas that helps them get a grip on the mysteries of storytelling, esp. SF&F.

I was amazed when I first started reading this book. As a relatively novice writer, I felt the book helped me understand a lot more about writing certain kinds of fantasy novels, and taught me a general overview on how to make a living doing so. Card is a worthwhile author and this book is an indispensible guide for ANY fantasy writer.

I, like many aspiring filmmakers, read Aristotle's Poetics in college as part of a dramatic writing class. There is nothing in there that one cannot reason out for oneself; still, it is useful to have it written out and classified. This is both because not all of us have time to think about dramatic theory/contemplate our navels, and also because Aristotle was a pretty clever guy and it's good to see what he thought about the things he was an expert on.

Of course, Orson Scott Card is not Aristotle; he is not even my favorite science fiction writer. Still, he is a fairly good science fiction writer, and he has also taught college classes about writing science fiction, so he has a lot of insight in the theory of speculative fiction. It may seem obvious and intuitive, but if it wasn't, then it wouldn't be true.

I found his classifications fairly useful. For example, the difference between fantasy and science fiction, and what that means for business; the difference between various forms of space travel; and the difference between what he states as the three main forms of science fiction: hard science fiction, "gosh-wow" gadget stories, and pulpy space opera/adventure. He gives good examples of each, some his own, some historical, and some obscure.

There are faults, as is to be expected. His examples from his own work grow tiresome sometimes; by the end of his section about Hart's Hope, I began to think he was a terrible writer. He also has an irrational hatred of all things Star Trek, which grates. Yes, Star Trek is pulpy pop culture, and I'm not the biggest fan myself, but there is some brilliant stuff in there -- several authors that Card lionizes in here have written episodes.

This is not a book that will teach you how to write a bestseller; it will not turn you into a Hugo winner if you are not one. Anyone expecting that from a book is naive. This slim guide is a good starting point, though, giving some good pointers, vocabulary, and suggestions for inspiration.

Following much of Card's advice (AND Gerrold's in World's of Wonder), I recently published a strong science fiction book on the promises and perils of the rapidly approaching Singularity (Beyond Future Shock with ISBN 1419609440 ). For my first ever book, I've gotten a book signing, a great review from a NY Times best selling author, a radio interview (see the online Changesurfer radio archives 2005) and a chance to moderate a UN panel on stem cells and cloning (search online for "Top bioethicists discuss cloning at the UN"). As I work at improving my sales, I don't believe I could have achieved what I have so far without the tips and rules in both Gerold's and Card's respective books to begin with.

Sincerely,

Alex Alaniz

1. Please see the reviews of my own strong science fiction book: Beyond Future Shock about the near-terms perils and promise of advanced bio/nano technology in a world still roiled with Middle Age religious conflict and ever growing extreme wealth gradients.

2. I have REVIEWED many books from undergraduate to graduate in: PHYSICS, MATH, ECONOMETRICS, and HISTORY among other areas.