> In particular, some of it is surely wrong for science fiction...
I think they are all overstated, but for the most part the points underneath them are equally valid for most fiction writing, including science fiction.
I think Neal Stephenson's Anathem outrageously violates rules 9 and 10.
> 9 Don't go into great detail describing places and things, unless you're Margaret Atwood and can paint scenes with language. You don't want descriptions that bring the action, the flow of the story, to a standstill.
> 10 Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip. Think of what you skip reading a novel: thick paragraphs of prose you can see have too many words in them.
I'm sure that Stephenson isn't every science fiction fan's cup of tea, but on the other hand there's quite a lot of science fiction where the exposition is a big part of the appeal.
I think they are all overstated, but for the most part the points underneath them are equally valid for most fiction writing, including science fiction.