This book is designed to give science fiction writers the solid grounding they need in real science to make their fictions read like fact. World Building is a blueprint in words, calculations, tables and diagrams to help writers transport readers from one world to another.
Another in Ben Bova's series on Science Fiction Writing, here geologist and SF scribe Stephen Gillett helps you construct star systems and planets from the atoms up. While it may take you a little more than the proverbial seven days (well, six with rest), when you're done, your knowledge of gravity, weather patterns, cosmic mass and stellar patterns--in this universe--will be greatly enhanced.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Miss leading title:
The author of this book is very well versed in the subject of plantary geology, but the title is somewhat miss leading. I bought this issue because I wanted to create beleviable worlds in my own stories, but I did'nt want to be bogged down in detail.
This book is perfect for theortical science and plantary geologists, but to have so much detail in a work of fiction can seem overwhelming.
The scientific information was there in large sums, but the author does not instruct in this "how to" book... more info
A Little Dissappointed:
I was a little dissappointed with this book. The author never really got down into the guts of the worldbuilding topic. It teaches the logistics of star systems and orbits and stuff, but it doesn't talk about what happens down on a specific world. The bottom line: the book would've been better if you had focused more on what happens on the planet rather than in the solar system.
Great for English Majors:
Awesome book for figuring out all the science stuff I never learned or didn't pay attention to in school. I am an English major who likes to read and write science fiction. But, before reading this book, I really did not know how to go about creating other worlds or making things feel more authentic. I don't go as far as the author (and other hard science fiction fans) about the absolute need for such attention to details because I feel that my audience is broader and won't care (or know) about... more info
Think Astronomy!:
Polishing up my own work, I recently considered purchasing this book. I checked it out at my local library, who had it in stock! (Helpful tip: check out possible purchases at the library, or request your library district buy what you're looking for!)
While the information between the pages was very interesting and useful to possibly a space sci-fi writer, it wasn't what I was looking for. If you purchase this book looking for the world of a character, you'll be disappointed. If you purchase this book... more info
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