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Jeff VanderMeer's Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction

Picture of Wonderbook by Jeff VanderMeer
It's a gorgeous book, and I've skimmed through some tasty tantalizations in it so far.
I’ve been following Jeff’s posts about this book, which is a very VanderMeerian approach to writing theory, for a while, and so I danced around a bit when this arrived in yesterday’s mail.

If you haven’t heard of it, here is the description from the Amazon listing:

This all-new definitive guide to writing imaginative fiction takes a completely novel approach and fully exploits the visual nature of fantasy through original drawings, maps, renderings, and exercises to create a spectacularly beautiful and inspiring object. Employing an accessible, example-rich approach, Wonderbook energizes and motivates while also providing practical, nuts-and-bolts information needed to improve as a writer. Aimed at aspiring and intermediate-level writers, Wonderbook includes helpful sidebars and essays from some of the biggest names in fantasy today, such as George R. R. Martin, Lev Grossman, Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, Catherynne M. Valente, and Karen Joy Fowler, to name a few.

It’s a freaking GORGEOUS book (to the point where I’m surprised by the relatively low price, given how glossy it is). I spent some of last night flipping through and being delighted. I’m looking forward to a more careful read. Highly recommended.

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You Should Read This: About Writing by Samuel R. Delany

The cover of About Writing by Samuel R. Delany, a writing guide recommended by Cat Rambo.
Delany says: "A reasonable concern -- in many a worry; and in few a hope -- is whether a creative writing teacher wishes to teach her or his students to write the way he or she writes. Emphatically that is not my enterprise. But the agenda here is no less personal. The thrust of these pieces is to teach writers to produce works I would enjoy reading. "
I can’t think of a better book to begin with than a writing book I go back to over and over again, both for teaching and to apply to my own writing. Be aware that many of these essays are also contained in The Jewel-Hinged Jaw.

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Why: Delany is one of the foremost SF writers of our time. His work speaks not just to those beginning to write, but those well along their path. If, like me, you love his fiction, you’ll find About Writing sheds new light on those works.

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Cover for A Theory of Fun for Game Design by Raph Koster
One of the many nice things about the book is the illustrations, which are both informative and quirkily entertaining. Highly recommended for anyone who likes games on either the design or playing side of things.
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A listing of the chapters provides a good sense of the book:

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