Books with effective action?

[JE Loddon]

My novel series is starting to become more action oriented, and I've realised that writing action doesn't come that naturally to me. Can anyone recommend books that have really effective action scenes in them? I'm talking about mainly gunfights, and hand-to-hand, in a sci-fi setting? Thank you.

 

[tinkerdan]

Personally sex scenes and other violent activity are overrated. I think we should concentrate more on what happens before and then the aftermath. Let the reader imagine what the fight was like.

Seriously:However.
Check the first chapter of this book and see what I mean.
All the Windwracked Stars (The Edda of Burdens)
Oct 28, 2008 | Kindle eBook
by Elizabeth Bear
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003KN3WS6/?tag=id2100-20
All the Windwracked Stars (The Edda of Burdens) eBook: Elizabeth Bear: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

She has the greatest description of an aftermath and then follows that with an action piece.
If you can read the kindle sample it should all be there.

this might help::
Elements of Fiction Writing: Conflict and Suspense: James Scott Bell: 0035313653513: Amazon.com: Books
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elements-Fiction-Writing-Conflict-Suspense/dp/159963273X/

There are more on amazon if you search.

 

[Inari Writer]

If action doesn't come naturally to you then you could consider writing in an evocative rather than a descriptive blow-by-blow fashion.

There's a short fight scene in one of Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle that really stuck with me.

Two men have a duel and the description goes something like this. (Time has eroded my memory of this scene and I've had to fill in a couple of blanks but yous should get the idea I think).

'Character A' fought as animals fought; fluidly, instinctively and without mercy.

'Character B' fought as men fought, all hesitations and second thoughts; he was very quickly full of holes.

That's it, characters characterised, fight described, one character dead, job done.

For a sci-fi battle for example you could do something like this.

The space-pirates stamped and shot and swore their way through the ship; expecting to be met in kind.

Joe protagonist pointed his laser pistol and clicked through them one by one as though he were shopping for groceries.

When it was over he treated their corpses in the same way he had treated their assault; as a tiresome chore to be worked through before getting on with more important jobs.

That little scene is not nearly as engaging or tightly written as Stephenson's work but you get the idea.

For more complex action scenes you might find a writer with a military background e.g. Myke Cole to be a useful starting point.

Simon R. Green also does some very fun sword and gun action in his Deathstalker series. Though he does recycle some descriptions; characters run around in battle wearing 'death's head grins' like they're going out of fashion.

 

[SilentRoamer]

My novel series is starting to become more action oriented, and I've realised that writing action doesn't come that naturally to me. Can anyone recommend books that have really effective action scenes in them? I'm talking about mainly gunfights, and hand-to-hand, in a sci-fi setting? Thank you.

Well I'll dissent from the above in that I love a kick ass action scene and an occasional gratuitous sex scene, gets the adrenaline going!

I think Brandon Sanderson writes really evocative fight scenes. The fight scenes in Mistborn and the Wax and Wayne novels are fantastic. The Wax and Wayne novels are pretty steampunkish.

R. Scott Bakker writes really good action scenes in The Second Apocalypse series.

Abercrombie writes great action - I particularly like how he leaves things messy and vague just like it would be in a real battle.

Brent Weeks Night Angel Trilogy had tonnes of action, laser eyed ninja angel type action.

Now a lot of these aren't specifically sci fi but do have a modern voice and they write great action which carries across genre.

Regards

 

[pambaddeley]

A useful inexpensive how-to book is Writing Fight Scenes by Marie Brennan -
Writing Fight Scenes eBook: Marie Brennan: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

 

[Brian G Turner]

If you want to write realistic violence, I'd recommend Violence: A Writer's Guide by Rory Miller: Violence: A Writer's Guide Second Edition eBook: Rory Miller, Steve Perry: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

 

[Vaz]

Agree with what Silent Roamer said, especially Abercrombie, writes visceral, fantastic action scenes.

 

[tinkerdan]

Usually when people give links for this type of advice I go and read the sample and find it to be wanting because the sample gives no idea of what you might be getting.

If you want to write realistic violence, I'd recommend Violence: A Writer's Guide by Rory Miller: Violence: A Writer's Guide Second Edition eBook: Rory Miller, Steve Perry: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

This is the exception:
Read the sample and if you are serious about writing about violence or even any sort of fight scene [which is violence] then this book will be a resource.

 

[J Riff]

Crime and war novels? Especially heist crime novels, which start tense and get worse, and are more or less action-based by definition. SF has no such tension unless you put it in there.

 

[biodroid]

Chris Wooding, Ketty Jay series, its like a sci fi western with guns and swords.

 

[biodroid]

Brian Mcclellan is also good, flintlock fantasy

 

[Ronald T.]

If you like and want violent action scenes, you can't do better than the Brent Weeks series, "Night Angel Trilogy". However, it's epic-fantasy, not Science Fiction. I loved it.

 

[J Riff]

Reading Vance's Demon Princes right now, sometimes the fight goes on for pages atta time.

 

[LittleStar]

All the Windwracked Stars (The Edda of Burdens)
Oct 28, 2008 | Kindle eBook
by Elizabeth Bear
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003KN3WS6/?tag=id2100-20
All the Windwracked Stars (The Edda of Burdens) eBook: Elizabeth Bear: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

She has the greatest description of an aftermath and then follows that with an action piece.
If you can read the kindle sample it should all be there.

I've been trying to remember this book for nearly ten years. I picked it up, thought it was great, and put it down when I was done. I jst had no clue where to begin searching for it when I wanted to read it again. I needn't have fretted

 

[JE Loddon]

Thanks everyone! It's going to be a very busy weekend for me now. Looks like some great recommendations in there, I just have to decide where to start.