Craft Books for Writing Speculative Fiction

For fiction writing in general

• Creating Short Fiction: The Classic Guide to Writing Short Fiction by Damon Knight
• Elements of Writing Fiction – Characters & Viewpoint (Elements of Fiction Writing) by Orson Scott Card
• Elements of Writing Fiction – Conflict, Action & Suspense (Elements of Fiction Writing)by William Noble
• Elements of Writing Fiction – Description (Elements of Fiction Writing) by Monica Wood
• Elements of Writing Fiction – Scene & Structure (Elements of Fiction Writing) (Paperback) by Jack Bickham
• Elements of Writing Fiction – Beginnings, Middles & Ends (Elements of Fiction Writing) by Nancy Kress
• Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Dynamic Characters and Effective Viewpoints (Write Great Fiction) by Nancy Kress
• Plot & Structure: (Techniques And Exercises For Crafting A Plot That Grips Readers From Start To Finish) (Write Great Fiction) by James Scott Bell
• Description & Setting: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Believable World of People, Places, and Events (Write Great Fiction) by Ron Rozelle
• Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain
• Writing Fiction: The Practical Guide from New York’s Acclaimed Creative Writing School by Gotham Writers’ Workshop

For novel writing

• How to Write a Damn Good Novel: A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling (How to Write a Damn Good Novel) by James N. Frey
• How to Write a Damn Good Novel, II: Advanced Techniques For Dramatic Storytelling by James N. Frey
• Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
• No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days by Chris Baty

For SF specific skills

• Writing Science Fiction & Fantasy by Analog and Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine
• How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card
• The Science of Science Fiction Writing by James Gunn
• World Building (Science Fiction Writing) by Stephen Gillett
• The Science Of Aliens by Clifford Pickover
• Aliens and Alien Societies (Science Fiction Writing Series) by Stanley Schmidt and Ben Bova
• Space Travel (Science Fiction Writing Series) by Ben Bova
• Time Travel: A Writer’s Guide to the Real Science of Plausible Time Travel (Science Fiction Writing Series) by Paul J. Nahin
• The Poetics of Science Fiction by Peter Stockwell

For Fantasy specific skills and reference

• The Writers Complete Fantasy Reference (Paperback) by Writers Digest
• Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth by Carol Rose
• Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins: An Encyclopedia (Paperback) by Carol Rose

Editing

• Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print by Renni Browne and Dave King

Annotated collections of speculative fiction

• Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the 20th Century by Orson Scott Card

And for when you get down, to know how others made it

• On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
• Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You by Ray Bradbury
• Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life by Terry Brooks
• Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
• Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within (Shambhala Pocket Classics) by Natalie Goldberg
• The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life by Julia Cameron