What is Speculative Fiction? Science Fiction and Fantasy Umbrella Genre Speculative Fiction

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M.K. Williams

M.K. Williams

Жыл бұрын

The Feminina Series: 1mkwilliams.com/feminina/
The reason I’m so excited to talk about speculative fiction and the distinctions between this categorization and other genres is that I write speculative fiction. I know, I know. You’re thinking, M.K., you write science fiction and short stories. Well I do. But as we’ll see speculative fiction is an umbrella term that can cross multiple genres and in that light, its the best catch-all for my work. So let’s dive in to see what speculative fiction is:
BookRiot says: Speculative fiction is often used as an umbrella term for genre fiction or for narratives that do not fully belong in a particular science fiction or fantasy genre. I have even seen it referred to as a “super genre,” for its broadness.
Oxford Research Encyclopedias article on speculative fiction, the term itself was coined by the writer Robert A. Heinlein in 1941, and then popularized in his 1947 essay “On the Writing of Speculative Fiction.” Heinlein describes it as a specific science fiction subset, which is:
“[N]arratives concerned not so much with science or technology as with human actions in response to a new situation created by science or technology, speculative fiction highlights a human rather than technological problem. “
Dictionary.com defines speculative fiction as “a broad literary genre encompassing any fiction with supernatural, fantastical, or futuristic elements.”
Many articles discussed the “what if” element. What if women were forced to have babies because of declining birth rates? (Handmaid's Tale) What if a pandemic swept the world? (Station Eleven). But honestly, don’t all books start with a what if? The distinction is that speculative books could happen in our world, in our reality if XYZ happened. But if the difference is too big, the gap too far from our reality to the one in the book, then it is not speculative.
And when you are picking your Amazon Categories or BISAC Codes when self-publishing or when you are pitching your book to go the traditional route, there is no speculative genre you can pick. The book is science fiction with speculative elements or fantasy with speculative elements. It’s one of those frustrating definitions where: “you’ll know it when you see it.”
So, what do you think about speculative fiction? Do you write or read this genre? What are your favorite examples (aka fill up my TBR please!) Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments below.
SO MANY SOURCES:
bookriot.com/what-is-speculat...
www.masterclass.com/articles/...
www.theguardian.com/books/201...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specula...
jpellegrino.com/teaching/specv...
oxfordre.com/literature/view/...
www.nownovel.com/blog/differe...
kindlepreneur.com/list-of-boo...
www.bookbub.com/blog/what-is-...
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Пікірлер: 13
@1MKWilliams
@1MKWilliams Жыл бұрын
Catch all the other genres in this series here:
@IntrovertWriter
@IntrovertWriter
Some would say that Philip K. Dick wrote speculative fiction. Although he is put in the category of Science fiction writer. His stories were based on character with the technology as the aesthetics in the story. The marvel stories would be speculative fiction also. In my opinion, which means squat. lol
@RosheenQuynh
@RosheenQuynh
Someone suggested that my story might be this genre and WOW now I understand why!
@user-hq8wm8giyujcg
@user-hq8wm8giyujcg
There should be a name for fiction genre in which a epic level secret reality after being found breaks our foundational understanding of world in epic way. One way can effect our personal immediate world like we are living in simulation. Or non immediate personal world in different space and time which doesnt effect our personal world, examples like incorrect or lost pre ancient history. Basically something which Graham Hancock talks about.
@MargaretPinard
@MargaretPinard
I came across this when I was researching how to position my short story collection, Fabled Passages last fall! Pretty cool, and well presented here. 💜
@mattiadallabenetta7233
@mattiadallabenetta7233
Thanks 🙏🏻
@k.s.brixey4469
@k.s.brixey4469
Interesting. What? We viewed it as an umbrella genre that included Sci-Fi and Fantasy. "Speculative fiction is an umbrella category of fiction that encompasses all the genres that deliberately depart from realism, or from strictly imitating ordinary reality,[1] instead presenting supernatural, futuristic, and other highly imaginative realms.[2] This catch-all genre thus includes, but is not limited to, science fiction, fantasy, horror, superhero fiction, alternate history, utopian and dystopian fiction, and supernatural fiction, as well as combinations thereof (for example, science fantasy).[3] The term has been used with a variety of meanings for works of literature." from Wikipedia Speculative Fiction
@psikeyhackr6914
@psikeyhackr6914
We need a new term. I propose H-spec!
@DreamingTruth.author
@DreamingTruth.author Жыл бұрын
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