Book cover of The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human, and How to Tell Them Better

Book description

SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

'If you want to write a novel or a script, read this book' Sunday Times

'The best book on the craft of storytelling I've ever read' Matt Haig

'Rarely has a book engrossed me more, and forced me to question everything I've ever read, seen or written.…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

2 authors picked The Science of Storytelling as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Don’t let terms like “neuroscience” and “psychology” scare you away.

This text is a must-have for any writer curious about why people still love basic storytelling despite our technological advances. Storr makes learning fun through the use of myths, archetypes, and man’s ambition as well as the works of Jane Austen and pop culture favorites like Breaking Bad—perfectly curated examples to help us make our stories more compelling.

I’ve dipped into books about writing, storytelling, and scriptwriting before, and I’ve always found them to be utterly uninspiring, and in fact quite depressing – little more than a set of formulas to ensure your story’s structure is like other stories.

But Will Storr’s excellent book uses insights from evolutionary biology and psychology to help you get to understand why human minds love stories, and what it is about great stories that keeps readers turning the pages. His advice is powerful, simple – primal, even.

I’ve used this excellent book to help improve my writing and ensure my first book…

If you love The Science of Storytelling...

Ad

Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Want books like The Science of Storytelling?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Science of Storytelling.

Browse books like The Science of Storytelling

Book cover of The Cloudspotter's Guide: The Science, History, and Culture of Clouds
Book cover of Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness
Book cover of The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe without Design

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,212

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 If you like The Science of Storytelling, you might also like...

Book cover of Pinned

Pinned by Liz Faraim,

“Rowdy” Randy Cox, a woman staring down the barrel of retirement, is a curmudgeonly blue-collar butch lesbian who has been single for twenty years and is trying to date again.

At the end of a long, exhausting shift, Randy finds her supervisor, Bryant, pinned and near death at the warehouse…

Book cover of Reddy

Reddy by J L Wilson,

This is for those readers who like unusual settings and independent female characters in mid-life.

5 book lists we think you will like!