Speculative Fiction -- genre defining

stephen andrew

Write, write, and keep reading
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 2, 2014
Messages
90
Reaction score
6
Location
Elsewhere
Hi all,

I had always considered the term speculative fiction to be a broad term that would encompass any fantastic or sci-fi elements in a story. However, yesterday I saw it listed on a publisher's website as its own thing, alongside science fiction and fantasy. How would you differentiate between science fiction and fantasy and speculative fiction, or would you?
 

WriterLibrarian

Registered
Joined
Jun 13, 2012
Messages
2
Reaction score
1
Will definitely be following this thread, as I was planning to market my current WIP as YA speculative fiction.
 

Becca C.

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
Messages
4,530
Reaction score
552
Location
near Vancouver, BC
I'm far from an expert, being a contemporary YA writer, but to me it seems that "speculative" means sci-fi/fantasy elements, but more literary than genre style writing. But I don't know for sure.
 

veinglory

volitare nequeo
Self-Ban
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
28,750
Reaction score
2,933
Location
right here
Website
www.veinglory.com
I see speculative as anything not real world plausible. As such it also includes much of horror, some literary (magical realism etc) and so forth. Thus I would see them as indicating they would also consider books that are speculative but not sf/fant.
 

suki

Opinionated
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 4, 2008
Messages
4,010
Reaction score
4,825
IMO, Speculative Fiction is the umbrella genre of all non-our world fiction, with Science Fiction and Fantasy being subsets. Some people prefer Speculative Fiction, and there are definitely subgenres that wouldn't necessarily be classified as fantasy or science ficiton, like magical realism. So the agent might be covering all bases.

~suki
 

eparadysz

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 10, 2011
Messages
1,090
Reaction score
327
Location
come, been, and gone
I think speculative could also encompass alternate history that wouldn't necessarily fit into SF or fantasy.
 

IdrisG

the wicked wit of the west
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
207
Reaction score
18
Location
The Federation Starship Voyager
Spec fic encapsulates my current WIP perfectly. It's too science-bound for fantasy, and a hint too earthbound for science fiction. It's also something of an alternate history. This thread is a lifesaver.
 

JustSarah

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 6, 2012
Messages
1,980
Reaction score
35
Website
about.me
So by literary, a focus on style and character development?

Plus there are some stories that aren't really Sf or F, where the MC just happens to have a 3 ft. Sewer Rat for a pet. Definitely unusual or strange, but not really fantasy or far out SF. In the sense of other world.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jun 29, 2008
Messages
11,042
Reaction score
841
Location
Second star on the right and on 'til morning.
Website
atsiko.wordpress.com
The common use of the term I'm familiar with as a reader of spec fic is an umbrella for Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Magical Realism and combos thereof, with no necessity for literary style.


I wouldn't be surprised to see it occasionally used in another capacity, especially for spec fic s above that doesn't fit directly into one of the genres generally under the umbrella.
 

Sage

Currently titleless
Staff member
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 15, 2005
Messages
64,561
Reaction score
22,365
Age
43
Location
Cheering you all on!
I use spec fic as an umbrella term, but some people seem to use it as a specific subgenre of speculative fiction. ("That isn't fantasy, it's spec fic.") I couldn't tell you what that subgenre would be.
 

Sage

Currently titleless
Staff member
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 15, 2005
Messages
64,561
Reaction score
22,365
Age
43
Location
Cheering you all on!
Plus there are some stories that aren't really Sf or F, where the MC just happens to have a 3 ft. Sewer Rat for a pet. Definitely unusual or strange, but not really fantasy or far out SF. In the sense of other world.

Well, it depends on how that sewer rat is presented. Just a really big one and she carries it around like a pet? Nothing particularly speculative about it. It's huge and it talks to her? Probably fantasy (a fantastical creature), possibly magical realism (if it's a realistic world where nobody thinks this is weird or special). It's genetically modified? Probably SF.
 

JustSarah

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 6, 2012
Messages
1,980
Reaction score
35
Website
about.me
Definitely a talking rat. I just always like stories with talking animals that otherwise seem normal, and nobody finds it strange. I'm thinking Indiana Jones And The Talking Cotton Candy Rat sort of thing.
 

JRTroughton

Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
114
Reaction score
17
Hi all,

I had always considered the term speculative fiction to be a broad term that would encompass any fantastic or sci-fi elements in a story. However, yesterday I saw it listed on a publisher's website as its own thing, alongside science fiction and fantasy. How would you differentiate between science fiction and fantasy and speculative fiction, or would you?
For me, as others have already said, speculative fiction is fundamentally What If? fiction. This can be fantasy, science fiction, horror... anything that asks a question about a change to our world.
 

JustSarah

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 6, 2012
Messages
1,980
Reaction score
35
Website
about.me
Well that's the thing. I usually do:

What if a MC had not narrowly survived slipping on a ledge to the river on a camp ground. It's more like a branching narrative with the branch with the least conflict being removed. It's still contemporary, ... I guess. But it's from if the present was somehow different. Worse perhaps.

Then of course adding talking squirrels and bunnies are just what happens when I discovery write portions.:p
 

SBibb

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 2, 2011
Messages
1,573
Reaction score
116
Website
sbibb.wordpress.com
Reading this, I'm guessing my current manuscript would fall under the spec fic category. It's alternate Earth, modern day, where super heroes exist. But the focus is on the more paranormal aspect of it... and if I write this right, there'll be a strong horror element. But yeah... I'm thinking speculative is the umbrella term for science fiction and fantasy, but also encompasses those hard-to-classify stories.
 

JustSarah

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 6, 2012
Messages
1,980
Reaction score
35
Website
about.me
I've started preferring perception/actuality disconnect. Defining it is a bit difficult. As it is not what we (general) would consider the in our culture contemporary modern life to be normal, but the pets that are owned and other aspects totally strange to us are normal within the context of the story.

Yet it's not set in any overt alternate Earth.

More like things going on aren't exactly how they are perceived.
 
Last edited:

JustSarah

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 6, 2012
Messages
1,980
Reaction score
35
Website
about.me
I really like this, as I prefer stories within our reality that are not in our reality.

Like based on this, my work tends to be both speculative and not speculative. Which makes it really really hard to pitch correctly.
 
Last edited:

LaneHeymont

Not so secret agent
Registered
Joined
May 6, 2011
Messages
665
Reaction score
41
I'd say speculative fiction is any fiction with supernatural, fantastical, or science fiction elements. Magical realism, alternative history, etc. etc.
 

what?

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 7, 2014
Messages
258
Reaction score
14
Google tells me that Wikipedia knows.

Wikipedia said:
Speculative fiction is a broad literary genre encompassing any fiction with supernatural, fantastical, or futuristic elements. This genre is usually attributed to Robert Heinlein, who coined it in 1947 in an editorial essay. Although there are instances of speculative fiction, or its variant ‘speculative literature’ being used before him, Robert Heinlein is, for a number of reasons, hailed as the father of speculative fiction.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speculative_fiction