I purchased this book, naturally, because I want to write a fantasy novel. I wanted a book to teach me how to write fantasy, not one that teaches me how to write a book (I already have a very excellent book for this: Writing Fiction For Dummies). This book does exactly that. If you're interested in writing sci-fi, just about everything I say in this review will still apply to you. The information is fairly balanced for both. Though there are a couple chapters that seem more heavily balanced toward fantasy writing, they are worth reading if you're writing sci-fi because concepts they deal with are the exact same as you will find in writing sci-fi.
So what's different about writing a novel and writing fantasy, and why do you need a book for this? Well, first of all, keep in mind this is written by Philip Athans, who is the Managing Editor for Wizards of the Coast, and he also writes his own fantasy. That's important to note because editors, in the writing world, are experts at finding what's wrong in your writing (such as anachronisms). They're going to be the ones who, in the end, tell you what you can and can't do. One biggest rules in writing is listen to your editor. Don't confuse this paragraph as meaning he's a bossy editor in this book, though. He's very modest about it.
This book is a high-level guide to writing fantasy and sci-fi. It deals a lot with the polishing over in your fantasy world and narrative. Major strong points of the book are (but not limited to): how to deal with issues such as the use of archetypes, how to avoid anachronisms, identifying what kind of sci-fi or fantasy you're writing, ways to guide your research in topical matters, how much of the mundane (animals, weights and measures, units of time, foods, diseases, et cetera) you should create or leave alone, and how to approach an agent or publisher with your completed works. It is all presented in a very casual and easily read tone.
One of my favorite aspects of this book is that Athans uses article references and quotes of other authors in the fantasy and sci-fi genre, presenting a broader scope than his own. This is something I look for in any "guide" or "how to" book because many who claim to know the special secret and only their method works are trying to scam you.
Also remember, because this book is a high level view of writing fantasy, it's short. I consider that a good thing because I don't want to be sifting through pages and pages about creating languages, diseases, magic systems, or other things that are research topics when trying to find answers to very simple questions about writing my fantasy world.
Overall, I recommend picking this book up if you plan on writing sci-fi or fantasy. It's a great supplement to add to your personal writing library. After reading through it, it's improved my confidence in my ability to world build and reviewing my own writing. Also, excellent short story by R. A. Salvatore included at the end!
