Vaid’s Verdict: A hard-nosed, no nonsense guide to writing sci-fi/fantasy novels that gives you a detailed understanding of the market, sub genres, publishing, writing techniques, and pretty much everything you need to know to get your foot in the door.

Science fiction and fantasy novels are an acquired taste. Most of us are content with watching a few episodes of Star Trek or enjoying the Lord of the Rings trilogy on the big screen…but what puts us off these types of novels? For me, it’s always been the hackneyed regurgitations of classic tales – nearly every sci-fi novel is about aliens invading Earth or even worse, in fantasy fiction, there’s the buxom blonde who knows how to ‘kick ass,’ cast spells, ride horses backwards, and do it all in a giant metal bra and spandex shorts. When I picked up this ‘how to,’ I expected the author to train me in the ways of clichés and cookie cutter characters because I thought that’s what the readers wanted. No sir, Crawford Kilian wants just the opposite…for us to boldly go where no man has gone before.

This is one *comprehensive* how to. From grammar to sub genres, Kilian covers a broad range of subjects for the aspiring writer, and he does it in a way that makes you feel like you’re sitting in class with *that* professor. You know the one – always hard on you, knowledgeable, experienced, sarcastic – the person who, at the end of the day, is the one you want approval from most. If I were a sci-fi/fantasy writer, I’d want Kilian reading my manuscript and (hopefully not) ripping it to shreds. And if he did rip it to shreds, I’d listen to his reasoning.

The ‘how to’ doesn’t simply give you writing tips and strategies to manage your time or create good writing habits. It gives you a history of sci-fi and fantasy novels, suggested reading that covers Western and Eastern literature, and a number of different resources where you can get great ideas. Kilian is thorough in his approach and completely direct. There are few sentences that tell you nothing and even less that are repetitive.

What I really enjoyed however, is what he describes as his “admittedly crabby opinions on some standard kinds of SF (science fiction) tales and the cliché hazards they pose.” Thus follows a list of every type of sci-fi story and the traps they usually fall into. Biting humor, sarcasm and great examples make it a very fun read indeed. He tosses away all the conventions, stereotypes and clichés and implores the readers to look at sci-fi and fantasy with new, fresh eyes. And Kilian doesn’t even spare his own body of work – he consistently uses examples from his own novels to demonstrate what *doesn’t* work, which just adds to the humor. Nothing like some good old fashioned self depreciation to make you chuckle. And for any aspiring writer, sci-fi/fantasy or not, the lessons that Kilian is teaching are absolutely necessary to the success of a story.

To top it all off, Kilian gives the readers a tough, realistic view of what’s involved in getting their novels published – time lines, contracts, literary agents and the hardest pill to swallow, how little money you’ll make. Very rarely do you come across a ‘how to’ that can actually teach you something new, or at the very least, crystallize ideas that you already vaguely understood. Kilian’s ‘how to’ does both, and even if it doesn’t inspire you to write sci-fi/fantasy, it’ll make you want to discover the genre for yourself.

About the Author:

If you’re in Vancouver, BC, you might be able to catch Kilian at a writing workshop! He teaches writing and communication at Capilano College in North Vancouver and has conducted numerous writing workshops nationally and internationally. Kilian has published 20 books, including Icequake, Gryphon, Greenmagic and Redmagic. Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy is in its 2nd Edition and comes with a CD filled with worksheets, Ten Steps for Pre Editing, and a number of articles and reviews by Kilian.

The following checklist (taken from the book) is a reminder of some basic copyediting principles: