Hi,
I often see the phrase 'speculative' fiction described as a genre. Can anyone explain exactly what this is?

The 'speculative' makes me wonder if this is meant to encompass extraorinary 'what if' scenarios, which would describe my work qute well. But I wouldn't want to descrobe my work as 'speculative' if this meant something quite specific.

Ideas anyone?

Taken from a quick google:

"Speculative fiction is set in a world that has not happened. This differs from the definition of fiction itself in that fiction merely consists of events that didn't happen"

Does that not mean, then, that it also encompasses fantasy and most sci-fi?

Thanks for that. I didn't think to do a search myself.

Looks like it's an inappropriate descriptor for my own work.

I hate putting thriller/horror/fantasy. But I guess I'll have to live with it for now.

Again, thanks

Darryl

I tend to call my stuff "dark fiction". I don't really bother to classify it any further than that. Why bother?

speculative fiction is published by TTA, Nemonymous, Roadworks, redsine etc. It's not quite SF fantasy nor horror, nor magic realism though it is close to either. it's sort of odd - slipstream is another term. it's not straight realism but usually is written as well as lit fiction. It's like lit fiction with an odd pyschological (sp?), unreal edge. Hope that helps. It hasn't been broadly defined by those that write it. Look at the work of Nicholas royle, M. John harrison, chris Priest

Jai

Surely this is all speculation, though?

'Speculative Fiction'? Why bother?
'Speculative' simply means that it is based on conjecture. Another meaning is its relationship to investment suggesting 'high risk'. Words, words, words... I often feel that writers who have to resort to such descriptions of their work are perhaps not the best of writers and they 'need' this 'difference'. One gets a lot of this in the Art World.

Marketing has always been a publishers tool, not a writers. Publishers need these terms to identify how to sell something. Unfortunately. It also does help readers identify magazines etc they'd like to read. It's a 2-edged sword. and it does a help a writer who thinks about how to market their work IF they want to be published. It has very little to do with pretentiousness in the 'Art World'

Old Fried,

Quite obviously, all fiction is speculative. However, should you submit your literally speculative romance story to a magazine who publish 'Speculative Fiction' then you'll recieve very short shrift indeed. That's the value in the knowledge.

I write what I write. If it fits the publishers template for s specific genre, then that's where I'll aim.

Darryl

Rather than trying to add to the trove of definitions, I would suggest two examples of specultative fiction - '1984' and 'Fahrenheit 451'; these both conform to Bradbury's dictum about his work in the field, 'I write, not to predict the future, but to prevent it.' A great deal of the best speculative fiction is dystopian.

Best,

Mike

So we're saying it should be "near future what it might be like" sort of stuff?

OK.

I think Paradoxa's slipstream idea is close. M John Harrison would fit in because he doesn't exactly exactly write Sci/Fi. Polyophony is a magazine that might be in line with this, and 'The Edge'.