Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

About sabian30

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Sixty something retired banking software analyst in Little Rock, Arkansas who writes science fiction and fantasy short stories. Has four great kids (one the editor of Cannonball Fodder) and one awesome grandson.

sabian30's Reviews:

And Now For Something Completely Different

Making Shapely Fiction by Jerome Stern

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As I’m reading these DIY writing books, I find many of them are very similar to one another. They lay out the same steps for starting a writing process, what rules to follow, and how to get the most out of every word. Making Shapely Fiction is not one of those. It’s so far outside the box, I can’t begin to explain it. Mr. Stern has a different approach to writing. He sees each of the writing parts as “shapes” and explains those shapes through […]

“Things are as they are, and I am part of them.”

Earth Abides by George R. Stewart

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There’s something very pleasing about having a book recommended to you and discovering it is one you have read before and really liked. I blame it on the vague title, but this novel, written in 1949 (!), is probably the first “last man on Earth” story and a great read. A normal guy, hiking in the California mountains is bitten by a rattlesnake, and while he recuperates in an isolated cabin, a pandemic kills 99.9 percent of Earth’s population. Ish, the young man, survives the […]

“Plant a Bomb on the First Page”

The Craft of Writing Science Fiction That Sells by Ben Bova

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The late, great science fiction novelist, Ben Bova (1932-2019) began his life in aeronautics and his incredible planetary fiction shows it. He didn’t cotton with malarky like wormholes and faster-than-light drives. His use of hard (and practical) science distinguished him from other SF writers, and he shared that with us through his own writing experiences in this book. I’d not read many of his short stories, but he reprints his shorter ones in this book to give new writers solid examples of developing character, plot, […]

I’m Wearing Out My Copy

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King

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There are several basic self-help books out there for amateur writers, and I was surprised I hadn’t heard of this one before a fellow writer used this book to point out some of my own misdeeds. Since then, Self-Editing has become my go-to book for basic things like point of view, the mechanics of dialogue, avoiding dreaded exposition, and other building blocks of the writer’s trade. Recently, I was struggling with inner monologue for my characters (I don’t use it a lot and I should), […]

Sell, Sell, Sell!

WRITING 21ST CENTURY FICTION – High Impact Techniques for Exceptional Storytelling by Donald Maass

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I guess the law of averages says that all these self-help books on writing aren’t going to be winners, but I was disappointed at this book for a couple reasons. First of all, it was recommended by a professional writer friend whose opinion I trust and respect. When I found it unhelpful and a little condescending, I questioned my friend’s recommendation. Secondly, this book is all about writing for a market and getting your story sold. It’s not about the writer’s passion or subject matter. […]

Those Who Can Do, Can’t Teach

How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card

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I’ll admit to some prejudice to reviewing this. While I think Mr. Card is an exceptional writer, I find his homophobic comments hard to take. But this was on my list of books that beginning writers should consume, so I bought a used copy  to learn something. As with other books written over thirty years ago, the section on the writing business at the end is outdated and totally skippable. But the basics of world and story construction are helpful. I found his section on […]



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