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The Best of Fantasy Authors Handbook, Volume I 2009-2013
Editor and author Philip Athans offers hands on advice for authors of fantasy, science fiction, horror, and fiction in general in this collection of 58 revised and expanded essays from the first five years of his long-running weekly blog, Fantasy Author’s Handbook. Essays range across six parts: Genre, Characters, Storytelling, Worldbuilding, Craft, and Authorship, covering everything from the nature of the genres themselves to the life of a professional writer, all steeped in a lifelong passion for fantasy, science fiction, and horror.
The Best of Fantasy Author’s Handbook will educate, inspire, amuse, and encourage anyone who sets pen to paper to write in these essential genres.
Philip Athans is the founding partner of Athans & Associates Creative Consulting and the best-selling author of Annihilation and more than a dozen other fantasy and horror books including The Guide to Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction and Writing Monsters. His blog, Fantasy Author’s Handbook, is updated every Tuesday. He makes his home in the foothills of the Washington Cascades, east of Seattle.
The Best of Fantasy Author’s Handbook will educate, inspire, amuse, and encourage anyone who sets pen to paper to write in these essential genres.
Philip Athans is the founding partner of Athans & Associates Creative Consulting and the best-selling author of Annihilation and more than a dozen other fantasy and horror books including The Guide to Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction and Writing Monsters. His blog, Fantasy Author’s Handbook, is updated every Tuesday. He makes his home in the foothills of the Washington Cascades, east of Seattle.
- GenresWriting
311 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 15, 2021
4 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Philip Athans
55 books245 followersI 100% support AUTHORS AGAINST BOOK BANS
https://www.authorsagainstbookbans.com
I give every book 5 stars in protest against the concept of star ratings in general and the ever-unfolding algorithm dystopia!
Philip Athans, an anti-AI, anti-book bans liberal, is the founding partner of Athans & Associates Creative Consulting (www.athansassociates.com), and the New York Times best-selling author of Annihilation and more than a dozen other fantasy and horror books including The Best of Fantasy Authors Handbook Vol. I 2009-2013, The Guide to Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Writing Monsters. Born in Rochester, New York he grew up in suburban Chicago, where he published the literary magazine Alternative Fiction & Poetry. His blog, Fantasy Author’s Handbook, is updated every Tuesday (https://fantasyhandbook.wordpress.com), less regularly on the FAH YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@FantasyAutho...), and you can follow him on Twitter @PhilAthans. He makes his home in the foothills of the Washington Cascades, east of Seattle.
https://www.authorsagainstbookbans.com
I give every book 5 stars in protest against the concept of star ratings in general and the ever-unfolding algorithm dystopia!
Philip Athans, an anti-AI, anti-book bans liberal, is the founding partner of Athans & Associates Creative Consulting (www.athansassociates.com), and the New York Times best-selling author of Annihilation and more than a dozen other fantasy and horror books including The Best of Fantasy Authors Handbook Vol. I 2009-2013, The Guide to Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Writing Monsters. Born in Rochester, New York he grew up in suburban Chicago, where he published the literary magazine Alternative Fiction & Poetry. His blog, Fantasy Author’s Handbook, is updated every Tuesday (https://fantasyhandbook.wordpress.com), less regularly on the FAH YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@FantasyAutho...), and you can follow him on Twitter @PhilAthans. He makes his home in the foothills of the Washington Cascades, east of Seattle.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 28, 2021
What a gem of a book! The Best of Fantasy Authors Handbook by Philip Athans is an inspiring collection of essays packed full of tips for writers of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. The book is divided into six parts. Each section covers a different aspect of writing, from characters, storytelling, and worldbuilding to procrastination and the challenges of being an author. There are very few books geared toward the writers of the abovementioned genres, so it’s a great addition to any aspiring author’s toolkit. The information is delivered clearly, and the advice given is easy to follow. I found the chapter on Typesetting Basics extremely useful, and I’ve already implemented the author’s suggestions.
What is delightful about this little Handbook is the style in which it’s written. The author uses humour to great effect, and I laughed out loud during some sections. What I found really motivating is how Philip uses examples from his own creative writing journey to share the many difficulties he had faced along the way. Reading about his challenges made me realise that even the best writers suffer setbacks from time to time.
If you’re looking for a guide to writing fantasy, look no further. I’ll be referring to it, especially when faced with writer’s block or a lack of inspiration.
What is delightful about this little Handbook is the style in which it’s written. The author uses humour to great effect, and I laughed out loud during some sections. What I found really motivating is how Philip uses examples from his own creative writing journey to share the many difficulties he had faced along the way. Reading about his challenges made me realise that even the best writers suffer setbacks from time to time.
If you’re looking for a guide to writing fantasy, look no further. I’ll be referring to it, especially when faced with writer’s block or a lack of inspiration.
July 11, 2021
An excellent addition to the library of every writer, no matter preferred genre or level of expertise.
Mr. Athans knows his business, and his business is the craft of writing. This volume, collecting the best of his professional blog from 2009-2013, is filled with articles and essays (and a few informative rants) that will not only educate but also inspire the serious-minded wordsmith. Drawing upon a lifetime of experience in and around the publishing industry, from struggling submitting author to supervising editor, Athans brings all his knowledge and considerable wit to bear on this project with the sole purpose of guiding future storytellers to greatness.
If you are considering a foray into the world of professional fiction, or if you've already begun the journey, I strongly recommend you get this book AND subscribe to the weekly blog of the same name. I can personally attest that the knowledge and guidance I've gained from Mr. Athans over the years has directly contributed to my own published titles.
Absolutely a must-read (and re-read).
Mr. Athans knows his business, and his business is the craft of writing. This volume, collecting the best of his professional blog from 2009-2013, is filled with articles and essays (and a few informative rants) that will not only educate but also inspire the serious-minded wordsmith. Drawing upon a lifetime of experience in and around the publishing industry, from struggling submitting author to supervising editor, Athans brings all his knowledge and considerable wit to bear on this project with the sole purpose of guiding future storytellers to greatness.
If you are considering a foray into the world of professional fiction, or if you've already begun the journey, I strongly recommend you get this book AND subscribe to the weekly blog of the same name. I can personally attest that the knowledge and guidance I've gained from Mr. Athans over the years has directly contributed to my own published titles.
Absolutely a must-read (and re-read).
September 13, 2021
One of the best books I’ve read on writing.
Reminiscent of Stephen King's On Writing with instruction and story but geared toward fantasy and sci fi authors specifically. This work is presented in the form of Phil Athan’s condensed blog posts on the subject. It's knowledge and stories with scattered rants that made me laugh out loud but were easy to understand. All entertaining. I’ve turned the final page on some how-to writing books and felt more confused and that the process was more nebulous than I thought it was going in, or I've felt I'd read a 101 course in high school creative writing. This book skips the fluff but keeps it all clear.
Phil Athans sprinkles gems of knowledge throughout this handbook, but it's all told in the style of brief topics and through stories and experiences that keep it interesting. If you're an author, there are many topics you often hear about, but you hear conflicting information. This leaves you wondering what you should or shouldn't do (or worse, some editors have distinct rules that bestselling authors never seem to follow). Phil Athans dives into the genres utilizing his vast experience in the business and tells you what he's seen work and what doesn't, specifically for questions you may have about sci fi and fantasy writing. And he covers all of it succinctly.
I will be keeping this book on hand when I outline and write my next story.
Reminiscent of Stephen King's On Writing with instruction and story but geared toward fantasy and sci fi authors specifically. This work is presented in the form of Phil Athan’s condensed blog posts on the subject. It's knowledge and stories with scattered rants that made me laugh out loud but were easy to understand. All entertaining. I’ve turned the final page on some how-to writing books and felt more confused and that the process was more nebulous than I thought it was going in, or I've felt I'd read a 101 course in high school creative writing. This book skips the fluff but keeps it all clear.
Phil Athans sprinkles gems of knowledge throughout this handbook, but it's all told in the style of brief topics and through stories and experiences that keep it interesting. If you're an author, there are many topics you often hear about, but you hear conflicting information. This leaves you wondering what you should or shouldn't do (or worse, some editors have distinct rules that bestselling authors never seem to follow). Phil Athans dives into the genres utilizing his vast experience in the business and tells you what he's seen work and what doesn't, specifically for questions you may have about sci fi and fantasy writing. And he covers all of it succinctly.
I will be keeping this book on hand when I outline and write my next story.
July 20, 2022
This is ... an okay read. I understand that this is from a collection of blog posts, and I have read books culminated as such before. The information here is interesting in some places, boring in others, and just plain worthless (to me) in this context. From a great author and editor, I sort of felt like I should walk away feeling a little bit smarter and a bit more inspired. Instead, I kind of feel let down by this one. I may hang on to this but I also think I may throw it in my 'To Sell' pile of books.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews