Books for Writers (3): How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy, Orson Scott Card

After being absolutely thrilled by Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game I thought I'd give his How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy a go. At just 137 pages it's a short read but the five chapters cover those elements of writing that are unique or of particular importance to the speculative genres: the infinite boundary (what is and isn't sf&f), world creation, story construction, writing well, and the life and business of writing. (I skipped the last chapter as it covers things I've read elsewhere.)

Though this is a brief book Card covers interesting ground. I'm a sci-fi neophyte myself, but I have read a lot of fantasy, especially the non-epic, YA variety. If you're familiar with these genres a lot of what Card has to say you will know implicitly. For example, "the rules" of magic in stories: there must be some cost to the user; power can't be limitless. Because I don't know much about sci-fi I found many passages of this book very helpful--and Card spends most of his time discussing sci-fi rather than fantasy. For example, the rules of starflight. Chances are that if you are writing a sci-fi you're going to have your characters in space at some point, or they will have just landed, or someone will be arriving from far away etc. I don't know where else you'd be able to find a discussion of the various types of imaginary space travel and how they will affect story, but it's here in Card's book and worth buying the book for this alone. One thing that he stresses over and over again is that you're writing science fiction: the science must make sense even if it's physically impossible, at this point in time or any. He writes one particularly amusing passage about warp speed:

I haven't even touched on the silliest of space travel rules--the one used in the Star Trek universe, where the speed of light is no more a barrier than the speed of sound, and you only have to persuade Scotty in the engine room to really step on the gas to get four, eight, ten times the speed of light. This sort of stardrive shows such contempt for science that it's best to reserve it for light adventures or comic stories--or, of course, Star Trek novelisations ... Beware of anything that makes non-Trekkie readers think of Star Trek.

I'm glad someone told me this before I had one of my characters shouting, "Increase to warp speed ten!"

Card also covers made up words and languages and how to use them, the problem with metaphor in science fiction, and how quickly you can lose a reader by being sloppy. Because it's just so interesting, let me explain to you what he said about those last two.

The problem with metaphor in sf&f is your reader will probably take you literally. If you write, "She approached the door with leaden feet," a reader might assume the character's feet are made of lead. Card also has this to say about being sloppy and faking it:

Wherever you can be truthful, you should be truthful; if your readers can see that you're acting by a credo, they'll trust you, and you'll deserve their trust. But if they catch you faking it, and doing it so carelessly that you can easily be caught, they'll figure that if the story wasn't worth much effort to you, it shouldn't be much worth to them, either.

I'll go one step further with this: if your careless, you're reader will assume that you think he or she is stupid. Nothing enrages me more than action films that blatantly disobey the laws of physics: the nuclear blast that Indiana Jones survives by hiding in a refrigerator; James Bond falling over a cliff after his light plane and then catching up to it as they falls; in fact, just about everything in the James Bond universe. (Except Casino Royale. Casino Royale was brilliant and funny, and then that damn Russian (Russian?) biatch had to go and break his heart and we're back to wooden, Mr too-many-car-chases Bond. P.S. Daniel Craig=swoonarama.)

There's lots of insightful nuggets in this book. It's not a book on writing that you would read for pleasure as well, like Bird by Bird, but it's pithy and useful, as all good how-to books should be.

*scampers off to perve on Daniel Craig in those blue swimming trunks*

Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card

At the age of six, Ender Wiggin is taken to Battle School. He's a Third, the third child in a family of geniuses and he might be the human race's last hope of survival against the invasion of the buggers. At the school, Ender devises battle tactics that no one has even dreamed of, all the while being manipulated into isolation by his teachers. If Ender is to become Earth's saviour, he must learn to count on no one but himself, no matter what the cost.

Be prepared for a rave: I loved this book. I loved the story and I loved the experience of reading it. I often bring up my current read in conversations with people and the titles I recite are usually met with a light frown, an "Oh, yes? No, I don't know it." (Unless they're a YA blogger!) But with Ender's Game, I elicited beatific smiles and knowing nods. "Ah, yes," they'd say. "Ender's Game. What bit are you up to?" Not since I read Shantaram by Gregory Roberts have I experienced this odd socialness that comes from reading a well-loved book. It's strange and pleasing to find that just about everyone you run into has read and loved your current read. It's also rather irritating to learn that they've been keeping a such a gem to themselves instead of telling you about it.

Being a Third in Card's imagining of the world is to be something less than human. Ender exists to fulfill the promise of his parents' genes. Though only six, Ender has learned to expect little love from his peers, an expectation that sharpens his battle instincts. He affects cold calculation and little mercy when it comes to stemming the violence directed at him, but inside he fears the worst: that he is no different from his cruel older brother, Peter. It is to escape from Peter, and out of love for his sister, Valentine, that Ender consents to attend battle school.

I was reminded of certain themes in The Hunger Games while reading this book: children being exploited by adults in violent ways. It's Ender's love for his sister, like Katniss's love for hers, that becomes the driving force behind his actions. And while Ender is busily devising new and thrilling ways to defeat his peers in the battle room in zero gravity, Valentine and Peter, back on Earth, are attempting to take over the world. Both geniuses themselves, they develop aliases and begin to publish political commentaries on the "nets". Double-thrill here: writers doing cool stuff! Geekfest overload!

There are as many heart-breaking moments as there are thrilling moments in this novel; the moments when you see not soldiers, but small boys and girls pushed to their limits and manipulated without their knowledge; Petra's (one of Ender's peers) desperate "Tell Ender I'm sorry! Tell him I'm sorry!" when she burns out mid-battle. Card tells his story simply and with dry humour--especially when the adults are speaking--one of startling complexity in regard to both its characters and political backdrop. There's always a danger that military sci-fi will stray into right-wing propaganda, but Ender's Game hinges on its morality: the terrible price of winning, and deeds that can never be undone.

Neither children's nor adult fiction, this book straddles multiple demographics. It's perfect for young adults. Those of you who are looking for a dystopian-esque novel to ease the ten month wait until the third Hunger Games book (oh, how shall we do it! Ten months!) should go out and get this book right now. I can't recommend it enough.

~~
An excerpt from the end of chapter four:

One of the teachers near [Graff] said, "Is that the one?"
"God knows," said Graff. "If Ender isn't him, then he'd better show up soon."
"Maybe it's nobody," said the teacher.
"Maybe. But if that's the case, Anderson, then in my opinion God is a bugger. You can quote me on that."
"I will."
They stood in silence a while longer.
"Anderson."
"Mmm."
"The kid's wrong. I am his friend."
"I know."
"He's clean. Right to the heart. He's good."
"I've read the reports."
"Anderson, think what we're going to do to him."
Anderson was defiant. "We're going to make him the best military commander in history."
"And then put the fate of the world on his shoulders. For his sake, I hope it isn't him. I do"
"Cheer up. The buggers may kill us all before he graduates."
Graff smiled. "You're right. I feel better already."

~~

A little xkcd humour for those of you who have read Ender's Game:

*grin*