Do you ever feel like some books are too predictable?
General fiction often leaves little room for imagination and thought-provoking ideas, which can frustrate readers who crave deeper, more original stories.
Luckily, speculative fiction offers a solution. This genre pushes the boundaries of reality to provide new perspectives on familiar topics.
Today, I’ll be sharing the meaning of speculative fiction, its history, popular book examples, and much more. You just might find your new favorite genre.
What is the meaning of speculative fiction?
Speculative fiction is an umbrella genre for many types of books. It includes all stories with settings based on “what if” scenarios.
- “What if a society forced its children to participate in televised death matches?” —The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- “What if a desert planet held the most valuable substance in the universe, and its control determined the fate of empires?” —Dune by Frank Herbert
- “What if people stopped aging and lived forever, but with unexpected consequences?” —Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Notice that these three books are from different genres:
- The Hunger Games (Dystopian)
- Dune (Science Fiction)
- Tuck Everlasting (Fantasy)
Their stories are vastly different. However, since none take place in our exact reality, they all fall under the speculative fiction umbrella.
The History of Speculative Fiction
Speculative fiction has been around for a long time. Ancient Greek myths about gods and heroes, like those of Zeus and Hercules, were some of the first examples.
During the Middle Ages, Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy imagined a journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. The story used an imaginative setting to explore moral lessons.
In the 19th century, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley explored themes of creation and the consequences of playing God. Just a few decades later, H.G. Wells’ books introduced readers to time travel and alien invasions.
In 1947, author Robert Heinlein wrote an essay called “On the Writing of Speculative Fiction,” giving “what if” stories an official name for the first time. Since then, the works of many authors, including books like Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, have helped popularize the term “speculative fiction.”
3 Timelines of Speculative Fiction
Speculative fiction can be split into three different timelines:
1. Alternative History
These stories imagine what our world would be like if key historical events had played out differently.
- “What if the Axis powers won World War II and divided control of the United States?” —The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
2. Modified Present
These stories are set in the present but introduce changes to our current reality.
- “What if a modern-day theocratic regime in America subjugated women and stripped them of their rights?” —The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
3. Imagined Futures
These stories envision what the world would look like in the future and often involve advanced technologies.
- “What if children were trained from a young age to fight in an interstellar war against an alien species?” —Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
5 Common Subgenres of Speculative Fiction
These five genres are always categorized under the speculative fiction umbrella:
1. Dystopian
- “What if a present-day theocratic regime in America subjugated women and stripped them of their rights?” —The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
- “What if society suppressed emotions and memories to maintain order and control?” —The Giver by Lois Lowry
2. Science Fiction
- “What if society engineered humans for specific roles and used technology to control and pacify the population?” —Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
- “What if a flu pandemic decimated the population, and survivors had to reconstruct society with remnants of the old world?” —Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
3. Fantasy
- “What if a hidden magical society existed within our own, complete with its own schools, government, and laws?” —Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
- “What if an enchanted forest contained a house made of candy, luring lost children into danger with its magical allure?” —Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm
4. Magical Realism
- “What if a mythical town experienced magical events intertwined with its history and daily life?” —One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
- “What if a woman’s emotions could infuse her cooking with magical effects?” —Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquive
5. Supernatural
- “What if a gothic and eerie world was plagued by an ancient vampire whose presence spread fear and darkness?” —Dracula by Bram Stoker
- “What if our world was home to individuals with extraordinary abilities who shaped global events and fought superhuman battles?” —Marvel Comics
Books in other genres can still fall under this category, so long as they incorporate elements that deviate from reality. For example:
- A romance novel set in a world where love potions are real
- A mystery novel where the detective has supernatural abilities
Speculative Fiction vs General Fiction
Speculative fiction and general fiction represent two opposing umbrella genres. Both provide entertainment but differ in their approach to storytelling.
Speculative fiction includes stories with settings based on “what if” scenarios. In contrast, general fiction (also known as literary fiction or realistic fiction) includes stories grounded in the real world with plausible settings and events.
Examples of general fiction:
- Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird explores social justice and human morality in a realistic setting.
- Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice explores social relations and romantic entanglements within the context of 19th-century England.
While both genres have the potential for amazing storytelling, speculative fiction allows readers to explore worlds and ideas beyond our reality.
Importance and Relevance of Speculative Fiction
Speculative fiction offers benefits that extend beyond entertainment. Exploring “what if” scenarios can often challenge our understanding of the world we live in. For example, 1984 by George Orwell depicts the consequences of a totalitarian regime, leading readers to consider their privacy and individual rights.
The speculative fiction genre also offers a safe space to explore sensitive topics and critique social norms. Imaginative settings make these discussions more engaging and less constrained by reality. For instance, Bojack Horseman, an animated television show, uses a world where humans and animals coexist to comment on mental health, addiction, and fame.
