Best Books for Writing Speculative Fiction

Heck, some of these are great books for writing any fiction, but since I primarily discuss speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, horror and a mix of all three), I figured I would toss "speculative" into the title.

Here is the list of finalists:

Best Books on Writing for Speculative Fiction Authors

1. Sometimes the Magic Works – Terry Brooks
2. On Writing – Stephen King
3. How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy – Orson Scott Card
4. Writing for Comics – Peter David
5. Bullies, Bastards and Bitches – Jessica Morrell
6. How to Write a Damn Good Novel – James Frey
7. Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting – Syd Field

You will notice I have one comic book text in the list and a screenwriting text. Why? Our industry often deals with larger-than-life issues like comic books and it is also a very visual genre, hence the screenwriting book. Not only that, but Syd Field knows a ton about good storytelling.

That's not to say that this is the end of the list. As I read more and more, I reserve the right to add to the list.