Ouroboros territory, I know, but I’m sketching out a project and the heart wants what it wants: anybody have any favorite pieces ABOUT criticism of speculative fiction?
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This might have one foot in writing advice and one foot in critique, but I've always appreciated this piece from Christie Yant. (The formatting went wonky since I last read it) www.inkpunks.com/2011/01/14/l...
sep 2, 2025, 4:31 pm • 1 0 • view
Thank you!
sep 2, 2025, 4:40 pm • 0 0 • view
Gunn & Candelaria's SPECULATIONS ON SPECULATION is due for a follow-up (it's from 2005), but is pretty much all this.
sep 1, 2025, 7:39 pm • 5 0 • view
Ah!!
sep 1, 2025, 7:42 pm • 1 0 • view
Like a whole book comprised of writing about writing about science fiction? briardenebooks.uk/shop/
sep 1, 2025, 6:12 pm • 7 0 • view
Bingo!!
sep 1, 2025, 7:20 pm • 1 0 • view
Exactly like that!
sep 1, 2025, 6:13 pm • 2 0 • view
Delany's "Critical Methods/Speculative Fiction" (in THE JEWEL-HINGED JAW, but also that whole book + STARBOARD WINE and THE SILENT INTERVIEWS), Russ's "The Wearing Out of Genre Materials" (in THE COUNTRY YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN: ESSAYS AND REVIEWS). Ellison must have something on the subject too!
sep 1, 2025, 6:25 pm • 8 1 • view
Ah, perfect (Delany, duh!!), thank you
sep 1, 2025, 6:43 pm • 3 0 • view
There’s some good stuff in Delany’s About Writing as well.
sep 1, 2025, 7:12 pm • 4 0 • view
🫡
sep 1, 2025, 7:27 pm • 0 0 • view
it's a bithidden in the advice to writers and, most especially, the cranky interviews at the end of the book, though
sep 1, 2025, 7:31 pm • 1 0 • view
Ah, perfect - I actually have this one but haven’t ever figured out the best way to get started or pick through it
sep 1, 2025, 7:39 pm • 1 0 • view
For your purposes, I'd probably read the Introduction and then skip to the interviews. Then skim through the other chapters as you have time/inclination.
sep 1, 2025, 7:41 pm • 1 0 • view
Here goes nothing!
sep 1, 2025, 7:42 pm • 1 0 • view
I can't guarantee that it'll be fruitful, but it's Delany so it will be entertaining and not lacking in strong opinions
sep 1, 2025, 7:51 pm • 1 0 • view