Lessons From the Pulps: How to Write Bestselling Science Fiction and Fantasy

What can the classic era of pulp fiction magazines teach the contemporary science fiction, fantasy, and/or horror author? Examples from the pulps can remind contemporary authors to write to entertain, surprise, and delight their readers. After all, the current bestselling fiction authors in every genre, if taken back in time to 1936, would be writing for the pulp magazines. This presentation covers fiction as entertainment, why the villain starts the story, why the hero ends the story, and more.

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Philip Athans is the founding partner of Athans & Associates Creative Consulting, and the bestselling author of Annihilation and more than a dozen other fantasy and horror books, including The Guide to Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction and Writing Monsters. Born in Rochester, New York, he grew up in suburban Chicago where he published the literary magazine Alternative Fiction & Poetry. His blog, Fantasy Author's Handbook, is updated every Tuesday, and you can follow him on Twitter @PhilAthans. He makes his home in the foothills of the Washington Cascades, east of Seattle.