Writing Monsters: How to Craft Believably Terrifying Creatures to Enhance Your Horror, Fantasy, and Science Fiction

Athans, Philip

ISBN 10: 1599638088 / ISBN 13: 9781599638089

Published by Penguin Publishing Group (edition ), 2014

About this Item

The item might be beaten up but readable. May contain markings or highlighting, as well as stains, bent corners, or any other major defect, but the text is not obscured in any way.

Seller Inventory # 1599638088-7-1-13

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Writing Monsters: How to Craft Believably Terrifying Creatures to Enhance Your Horror, Fantasy, and Science Fiction
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group (edition )
• Publication Date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1599638088
• ISBN 13: 9781599638089
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Fair

About this title

Synopsis

Monsters are more than things that go bump in the night...

Monsters are lurking in the woods, beneath the waves, and within our favorite books, films, and games--and there are good reasons why they appear so often. Monsters are manifestations of our fears and symbols of our society--not to mention they're a lot of fun--but each should serve a purpose and enhance the themes and tension in your fiction.

In Writing Monsters, best-selling author Philip Athans uses classic examples from books, films, and the world around us to explore what makes monsters memorable--and terrifying. You'll learn what monsters can (and should) represent in your story and how to create monsters from the ground up.

Writing Monsters includes:

   • In-depth discussions of where monsters come from, what they symbolize, and how to best portray them in fiction
   • Informative overviews of famous monsters, archetypes, and legendary creatures
   • A Monster Creation Form to help you create your monster from scratch
   • An annotated version of H.P. Lovecraft's chilling story "The Unnamable"
Whether you write fantasy, science fiction, or horror, your vampires, ghouls, aliens, and trolls need to be both compelling and meaningful. With Writing Monsters, you can craft creatures that will wreak havoc in your stories and haunt your readers' imaginations--and nightmares.

About the Author

Philip Athans is the New York Times best-selling author of Annihilation and more than a dozen other books, including The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction. He teaches creative writing, appears at numerous conferences and conventions, and is a freelance editor, ghostwriter, and publishing consultant (www.athansassociates.com). His blog, Fantasy Author's Handbook, is updated every Tuesday, and you can follow him on Twitter @PhilAthans.