Saturday, 29 October 2016
The Sleeper Awakes by H G Wells
H G Wells wrote a story about just such a problem, When the Sleeper Wakes, that was serialised between 1898 and 1899. It was rewritten as a novel, The Sleeper Awakes in1910. His view of the future is decidedly dystopian.
Wednesday, 26 October 2016
Head Hopping
I wrote last week about point of view (POV) and the problems it caused and solved. I decided to overcome the POV problems by using three different points of view, told by a narrator.
The important thing is to make it quite clear which point of view each section of the story is from. The sections have to be clearly delineated to avoid confusing the reader. But when you are writing, it is SO easy to hop heads without even noticing.
Saturday, 22 October 2016
Rudyard Kipling’s Influence on Science Fiction
I was surprised to find it could be argued that Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) has exerted the most lasting influence on modern science fiction. Poul Anderson says, ‘His influence pervades modern science fiction and fantasy writing.’
Although his best-known work is not science fiction, Kipling wrote stories whose subject-matter is explicitly science-fictional. With the Night Mail: A Story of 2000 AD portrays futuristic aviation in a journalistic present-tense. The Eye of Allah deals with the introduction of advanced technology into a medieval society that may not be ready for it.
Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Point of View
Point of view (POV) is the term for who is telling the story in a book. Most books are written in the third person, as an independent narrator, who may or may not reveal things that the characters in the book don’t know. This is the way I write.
The problem with this POV is that it’s possible to be distanced from the events you’re talking about, do too much ‘telling’ and not enough ‘showing’. Then your readers won’t connect with your characters, won’t care about them. You need to get inside your characters’ heads, show what they’re thinking and feeling.
Monday, 17 October 2016
Le Voyage dans la Lune Science Fiction Film

Le Voyage dans la Lune (A Trip to the Moon) is a 1902 French silent film directed by Georges Méliès. It was inspired by a wide variety of sources, including Jules Verne's novels From the Earth to the Moon and Around the Moon.
Saturday, 8 October 2016
Erewhon by Samuel Butler (History of Science Fiction)
The first few chapters of the novel dealing with the discovery of Erewhon are in fact based on Butler's own experiences in New Zealand where, as a young man, he worked as a sheep farmer for about four years (1860–64), and explored parts of the interior of the South Island.
Saturday, 1 October 2016
The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall by Edgar Allen Poe
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Edgar Allen Poe |