World Building (Science Fiction Writing)

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 looking for how different geological elements and gases, orbits and the like work together, you'll be rewarded with a great peice of reference. I, for one, will not buy and stick to astronomy books from college.

I'm finding this a facinating book to read if only in terms of looking at how the Earth actually works and all the little details which seem to need to be just right in order to have a stable biosphere.

While tackling some very technical issues, and being packed with enormous amounts of information, the book remains very readable.

The only thing infuriating about this book (and it's not the books fault) is that it will force me to rethink the a world I was planning as it clearly appears to be implausible.

Some would argue that this is evidence that it is a barrier to creativity but I beg to differ, a reallity check will force me to be more creative to get the story effects which I want. Even then at the end of the day just because I know the theories about how world work doesn't mean that I can't ignore them if so doing suits my purpose. The only difference will be that I'll know I'm ignoring them. In the end it is better to break the rules on purpose then to do so accidentally.

Picked this book up as a reference for beginning my own SF book. Enjoyed it. Has some good info presented in a understandable manner.

As both a author and reader of fiction I enjoyed World Building even though I was not able to use any of it in my first book. I was looking for something to help me build heaven. However in my next book a lot of what I have learned from reading this book will be use to help me build believable worlds
Tommy Taylor

This book explores and details assorted aspects of world-building, some that I hadn't considered previously. Going through it's questionnaire helped me flesh out and enliven my fantasy planets. Well done!