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SoBrief
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Acts of Meaning
by Jerome Bruner • 1990
The cognitive revolution was supposed to study meaning. It gave us a machine instead.
4.06
346
Acts of Meaning Summary
Acts of Meaning 89%
The cognitive revolution was supposed to study meaning. It gave us a machine instead.
by Jerome Bruner 1990
4.06
346 ratings
Travels in the Scriptorium
by Paul Auster • 2007
An amnesiac wakes in a labeled room and reads a typescript telling his story.
3.26
12k+
Travels in the Scriptorium Summary
Travels in the Scriptorium 88%
An amnesiac wakes in a labeled room and reads a typescript telling his story.
by Paul Auster 2007
3.26
12k+ ratings
Video Game Storytelling
by Evan Skolnick • 2014
Screenwriting's classic tools applied to games, so story and gameplay pull the same direction.
3.99
503
Video Game Storytelling Summary
Video Game Storytelling 88%
Screenwriting's classic tools applied to games, so story and gameplay pull the same direction.
by Evan Skolnick 2014
3.99
503 ratings
Plowing the Dark
by Richard Powers • 2000
One artist, one hostage, two rooms: a novel about the stories we tell to survive.
3.65
1k+
Plowing the Dark Summary
Plowing the Dark 88%
One artist, one hostage, two rooms: a novel about the stories we tell to survive.
by Richard Powers 2000
3.65
1k+ ratings
The Anatomy of Genres
by John Truby • 2022
Genres are philosophies disguised as story types. Crack the beats and you crack writing and life.
4.21
607
The Anatomy of Genres Summary
The Anatomy of Genres 88%
Genres are philosophies disguised as story types. Crack the beats and you crack writing and life.
by John Truby 2022
4.21
607 ratings
Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends
by Michael White • 1990
Your life is a story under revision. A therapeutic method for taking back the pen.
4.06
396
Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends Summary
Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends 88%
Your life is a story under revision. A therapeutic method for taking back the pen.
by Michael White 1990
4.06
396 ratings
Dialogism
by Michael Holquist • 1990
All speech answers prior speech, all selves depend on others: the dialogic philosophy of Bakhtin.
4.09
88
Dialogism Summary
Dialogism 88%
All speech answers prior speech, all selves depend on others: the dialogic philosophy of Bakhtin.
by Michael Holquist 1990
4.09
88 ratings
The End of Mr. Y
by Scarlett Thomas • 2006
A cursed book lets her enter other minds. Now shadowy agents hunt her through that world.
3.77
19k+
The End of Mr. Y Summary
The End of Mr. Y 88%
A cursed book lets her enter other minds. Now shadowy agents hunt her through that world.
by Scarlett Thomas 2006
3.77
19k+ ratings
The Seven Basic Plots
by Christopher Booker • 2004
All stories are one of seven shapes. And they all solve the same psychological problem.
3.76
2k+
The Seven Basic Plots Summary
The Seven Basic Plots 88%
All stories are one of seven shapes. And they all solve the same psychological problem.
by Christopher Booker 2004
3.76
2k+ ratings
About Writing
by Samuel R. Delany • 2006
The sentence, not the world, is science fiction's true unit of meaning. A master explains why.
4.26
459
About Writing Summary
About Writing 88%
The sentence, not the world, is science fiction's true unit of meaning. A master explains why.
by Samuel R. Delany 2006
4.26
459 ratings
Aspects of the Novel
by E.M. Forster • 1927
A novelist dismantles fiction into its working parts: story, plot, and the characters who breathe.
3.80
5k+
Aspects of the Novel Summary
Aspects of the Novel 88%
A novelist dismantles fiction into its working parts: story, plot, and the characters who breathe.
by E.M. Forster 1927
3.80
5k+ ratings
Maps of Narrative Practice
by Michael White • 2007
A problem is a story that has become the only story. The maps for finding the others.
4.34
621
Maps of Narrative Practice Summary
Maps of Narrative Practice 88%
A problem is a story that has become the only story. The maps for finding the others.
by Michael White 2007
4.34
621 ratings
The Facts
by Philip Roth • 1988
A master of fiction tries to write the straight truth about his life, and discovers why he cannot.
3.70
1k+
The Facts Summary
The Facts 88%
A master of fiction tries to write the straight truth about his life, and discovers why he cannot.
by Philip Roth 1988
3.70
1k+ ratings
Identity And Story
by Dan P. McAdams • 2006
The self is not one voice but many, and identity is the story they rewrite together.
4.12
26
Identity And Story Summary
Identity And Story 88%
The self is not one voice but many, and identity is the story they rewrite together.
by Dan P. McAdams 2006
4.12
26 ratings
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler
by Italo Calvino • 1979
You, Reader, chase the missing pages of a defective novel into a labyrinth of interrupted stories.
4.01
114k+
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler Summary
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler 88%
You, Reader, chase the missing pages of a defective novel into a labyrinth of interrupted stories.
by Italo Calvino 1979
4.01
114k+ ratings
Damaged Identities, Narrative Repair
by Hilde Lindemann Nelson • 2001
Who you are is jointly told. Oppression writes a degrading version; counterstories write the repair.
4.12
50
Damaged Identities, Narrative Repair Summary
Damaged Identities, Narrative Repair 88%
Who you are is jointly told. Oppression writes a degrading version; counterstories write the repair.
by Hilde Lindemann Nelson 2001
4.12
50 ratings
Sophie's World
by Jostein Gaarder • 2022
Anonymous letters teach a girl philosophy, and with every lesson her world feels less real.
4.09
1k+
Sophie's World Summary
Sophie's World 88%
Anonymous letters teach a girl philosophy, and with every lesson her world feels less real.
by Jostein Gaarder 2022
4.09
1k+ ratings
Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint
by Nancy Kress • 2005
Viewpoint controls what your readers know, who they root for, and what the story finally means.
4.05
2k+
Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint Summary
Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint 87%
Viewpoint controls what your readers know, who they root for, and what the story finally means.
by Nancy Kress 2005
4.05
2k+ ratings
Good Prose
by Tracy Kidder • 2013
Everything a Pulitzer winner and his editor know about writing nonfiction that people finish.
3.92
1k+
Good Prose Summary
Good Prose 87%
Everything a Pulitzer winner and his editor know about writing nonfiction that people finish.
by Tracy Kidder 2013
3.92
1k+ ratings
Storythinking
by Angus Fletcher • 2023
Story isn't just for communication: it's an ancient intelligence that logic and AI can't touch.
3.57
81
Storythinking Summary
Storythinking 87%
Story isn't just for communication: it's an ancient intelligence that logic and AI can't touch.
by Angus Fletcher 2023
3.57
81 ratings
Outline
by Rachel Cusk • 2014
In Athens to teach writing, she listens to every story but tells none of her own.
3.67
72k+
Outline Summary
Outline 87%
In Athens to teach writing, she listens to every story but tells none of her own.
by Rachel Cusk 2014
3.67
72k+ ratings
The Broom of the System
by David Foster Wallace • 1987
When her great-grandmother vanishes, a phone operator discovers that words are all she is.
3.85
25k+
The Broom of the System Summary
The Broom of the System 87%
When her great-grandmother vanishes, a phone operator discovers that words are all she is.
by David Foster Wallace 1987
3.85
25k+ ratings
I'm Thinking of Ending Things
by Iain Reid • 2016
A woman's doubts explode into horror when a visit to her boyfriend's family farm turns surreal.
3.50
206k+
I'm Thinking of Ending Things Summary
I'm Thinking of Ending Things 87%
A woman's doubts explode into horror when a visit to her boyfriend's family farm turns surreal.
by Iain Reid 2016
3.50
206k+ ratings
The Storytelling Animal
by Jonathan Gottschall • 2012
Why a world without stories would unravel civilization, and why dreams are survival drills.
3.70
7k+
The Storytelling Animal Summary
The Storytelling Animal 87%
Why a world without stories would unravel civilization, and why dreams are survival drills.
by Jonathan Gottschall 2012
3.70
7k+ ratings
Draft No. 4
by John McPhee • 2013
How a New Yorker writer earns every sentence: drafts, checking, silence, and a dictionary.
4.09
4k+
Draft No. 4 Summary
Draft No. 4 87%
How a New Yorker writer earns every sentence: drafts, checking, silence, and a dictionary.
by John McPhee 2013
4.09
4k+ ratings
Invisible Ink
by Brian McDonald • 2010
Forget formulas: the deep craft of story is a hidden framework of theme, pain, and dramatic irony.
4.38
2k+
Invisible Ink Summary
Invisible Ink 87%
Forget formulas: the deep craft of story is a hidden framework of theme, pain, and dramatic irony.
by Brian McDonald 2010
4.38
2k+ ratings
A Deadly Episode
by Anthony Horowitz • 2026
A novelist and his detective investigate a murder on the set of their own book's adaptation.
4.02
11k+
A Deadly Episode Summary
A Deadly Episode 87%
A novelist and his detective investigate a murder on the set of their own book's adaptation.
by Anthony Horowitz 2026
4.02
11k+ ratings
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five
by Curtis Smith • 2016
A writer unpacks the alien logic and buried grief inside Vonnegut's time-jumping anti-war classic.
4.27
41
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five Summary
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five 87%
A writer unpacks the alien logic and buried grief inside Vonnegut's time-jumping anti-war classic.
by Curtis Smith 2016
4.27
41 ratings
Bubblegum
by Adam Levin • 2020
In an Internet-free America, his companion robot's cuteness tempts him to ruin his only friend.
3.76
962
Bubblegum Summary
Bubblegum 87%
In an Internet-free America, his companion robot's cuteness tempts him to ruin his only friend.
by Adam Levin 2020
3.76
962 ratings
How Fiction Works
by James Wood • 2008
How do novels create the illusion of a thinking mind? A master critic explains the techniques.
3.99
8k+
How Fiction Works Summary
How Fiction Works 87%
How do novels create the illusion of a thinking mind? A master critic explains the techniques.
by James Wood 2008
3.99
8k+ ratings
Documentary Storytelling
by Sheila Curran Bernard • 2010
From research to final cut: the craft rules for making nonfiction films that grip like fiction.
4.00
148
Documentary Storytelling Summary
Documentary Storytelling 87%
From research to final cut: the craft rules for making nonfiction films that grip like fiction.
by Sheila Curran Bernard 2010
4.00
148 ratings
Doppelganger
by Naomi Klein • 2023
Mistaken for her alt-right double, a leftist author maps the mirror world devouring our politics.
4.19
37k+
Doppelganger Summary
Doppelganger 87%
Mistaken for her alt-right double, a leftist author maps the mirror world devouring our politics.
by Naomi Klein 2023
4.19
37k+ ratings
The Lonely Voice
by Frank O'Connor • 1961
The short story speaks for the outsider the novel was never built to see.
3.89
246
The Lonely Voice Summary
The Lonely Voice 87%
The short story speaks for the outsider the novel was never built to see.
by Frank O'Connor 1961
3.89
246 ratings
The Thirty Six Dramatic Situations
by Georges Polti • 1921
Every story fits into 36 conflicts. The art is in how you combine them.
3.45
222
The Thirty Six Dramatic Situations Summary
The Thirty Six Dramatic Situations 87%
Every story fits into 36 conflicts. The art is in how you combine them.
by Georges Polti 1921
3.45
222 ratings
Writing Fantasy Heroes
by Jason M. Waltz • 2008
Turn your fantasy heroes from armored clichés into people who bleed, doubt, and still inspire.
3.87
215
Writing Fantasy Heroes Summary
Writing Fantasy Heroes 87%
Turn your fantasy heroes from armored clichés into people who bleed, doubt, and still inspire.
by Jason M. Waltz 2008
3.87
215 ratings
The Number of the Beast
by Robert A. Heinlein • 1980
Two couples flee assassins in a flying car that jumps to every universe ever imagined.
3.63
13k+
The Number of the Beast Summary
The Number of the Beast 87%
Two couples flee assassins in a flying car that jumps to every universe ever imagined.
by Robert A. Heinlein 1980
3.63
13k+ ratings
The Art of Intimacy
by Stacey D'Erasmo • 2013
Fiction's real intimacy lives in the subjunctive, the white space, and the shared glance.
3.93
248
The Art of Intimacy Summary
The Art of Intimacy 87%
Fiction's real intimacy lives in the subjunctive, the white space, and the shared glance.
by Stacey D'Erasmo 2013
3.93
248 ratings
Redshirts
by John Scalzi • 2012
Ensigns die like TV extras on his starship. One recruit travels to 2012 to confront the writers.
3.87
119k+
Redshirts Summary
Redshirts 87%
Ensigns die like TV extras on his starship. One recruit travels to 2012 to confront the writers.
by John Scalzi 2012
3.87
119k+ ratings
Julio Cortázar
by Robert Brody • 1976
The novel that made the reader an accomplice: its mechanisms and meanings, fully decoded.
4.37
8k+
Julio Cortázar Summary
Julio Cortázar 87%
The novel that made the reader an accomplice: its mechanisms and meanings, fully decoded.
by Robert Brody 1976
4.37
8k+ ratings
Telling True Stories
by Mark Kramer • 2007
Finding true stories, reporting from the inside, and building scenes that read like novels.
4.08
1k+
Telling True Stories Summary
Telling True Stories 87%
Finding true stories, reporting from the inside, and building scenes that read like novels.
by Mark Kramer 2007
4.08
1k+ ratings
Storycraft
by Jack R. Hart • 2011
Journalists can deploy every fiction technique except making things up. A veteran editor shows how.
4.25
1k+
Storycraft Summary
Storycraft 87%
Journalists can deploy every fiction technique except making things up. A veteran editor shows how.
by Jack R. Hart 2011
4.25
1k+ ratings
Desfile
by Rachel Cusk • 2024
Artists invert reality. Their wives learn to live upside down or split themselves in two.
3.50
7k+
Desfile Summary
Desfile 87%
Artists invert reality. Their wives learn to live upside down or split themselves in two.
by Rachel Cusk 2024
3.50
7k+ ratings
A History of India, Vol. 1
by Romila Thapar • 1990
How a 1999 sci-fi film exposed the simulation we were already living in.
3.63
2k+
A History of India, Vol. 1 Summary
A History of India, Vol. 1 87%
How a 1999 sci-fi film exposed the simulation we were already living in.
by Romila Thapar 1990
3.63
2k+ ratings
Le troisième mensonge
by Ágota Kristóf • 1991
Returning home to die, an exile's search for his twin unravels a lifetime of deceptions.
4.04
7k+
Le troisième mensonge Summary
Le troisième mensonge 87%
Returning home to die, an exile's search for his twin unravels a lifetime of deceptions.
by Ágota Kristóf 1991
4.04
7k+ ratings
An Introduction to Ontology
by Nikk Effingham • 2013
What exists? That's the easy part. Deciding how to decide is where it gets wild.
3.58
59
An Introduction to Ontology Summary
An Introduction to Ontology 87%
What exists? That's the easy part. Deciding how to decide is where it gets wild.
by Nikk Effingham 2013
3.58
59 ratings
Life
by Georges Perec • 1978
A Paris building, room by room. A man paints seascapes just to erase them.
4.17
10k+
Life Summary
Life 87%
A Paris building, room by room. A man paints seascapes just to erase them.
by Georges Perec 1978
4.17
10k+ ratings
Death of the Author
by Nnedi Okorafor • 2025
Her sci-fi novel becomes scripture for real robots centuries later, as they face extinction.
3.94
25k+
Death of the Author Summary
Death of the Author 87%
Her sci-fi novel becomes scripture for real robots centuries later, as they face extinction.
by Nnedi Okorafor 2025
3.94
25k+ ratings
Neil Gaiman and Philosophy
by Tracy L. Bealer • 2012
What Aristotle, Nietzsche, and Derrida would make of Neil Gaiman's gods, graveyards, and dreams.
3.55
92
Neil Gaiman and Philosophy Summary
Neil Gaiman and Philosophy 87%
What Aristotle, Nietzsche, and Derrida would make of Neil Gaiman's gods, graveyards, and dreams.
by Tracy L. Bealer 2012
3.55
92 ratings
Consider This
by Chuck Palahniuk • 2020
Most writing advice avoids the craft that actually builds authority, tension, and voice.
4.37
6k+
Consider This Summary
Consider This 87%
Most writing advice avoids the craft that actually builds authority, tension, and voice.
by Chuck Palahniuk 2020
4.37
6k+ ratings
The Art of Subtext
by Charles Baxter • 2007
What a character won't say, can't hear, and can't admit: the hidden engine of unforgettable fiction.
4.02
1k+
The Art of Subtext Summary
The Art of Subtext 87%
What a character won't say, can't hear, and can't admit: the hidden engine of unforgettable fiction.
by Charles Baxter 2007
4.02
1k+ ratings
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