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Speculative Fiction
37 books / 4 members / 1 posts
Speculative Fiction is an umbrella term used to includes all the forms of fantastic fiction or what for ages has been called science fiction and fantasy.
Speculative Fiction includes all stories that take place in a setting contrary to known reality. This includes:
1. All stories set in the future, because the future can't be known. Out-of-date futures, like that depicted in the novel 1984, simply shift from the "future" category to:
2. All stories set in the historical past that contradict known facts of history or "alternate world" stories.
3. All stories set on other worlds, because we've never gone there. Whether "future humans" take part in the story or not, if it isn't Earth, it belongs to fantasy and science fiction.
4. All stories supposedly set on Earth, but before recorded history and contradicting the known archaeological record--stories about visits from ancient aliens, or ancient civilizations that left no trace, or, "lost kingdoms" surviving into modern times.
5. All stories that contradict some known or supposed law of nature. Obviously, fantasy that uses magic falls into this category, but so does much science fiction: time travel stories, for instance, or invisible-man stories.
6. In short, science fiction and fantasy stories are those that take place in worlds that have never existed or are not yet known.
This link says it better than I ever could: http://www.lostbooks.org/speculative-fiction.html
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