Speculative fiction  

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-[[Image:From Contes by Octave Uzanne.jpg|thumb|200px|left|''[[Contes pour les bibliophiles]]'' ([[1895]]) is a collection of short stories by [[French writer]] [[Octave Uzanne]] and [[illustrator]] [[Albert Robida]]. The collection features the cult novella ''[[The End of Books]]'', a story about a post-literate society.]]+[[Image:From Contes by Octave Uzanne.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Loisirs Littéraires au XXe siècle]] (English: "Literary leasures in the 20th century") from the story "[[The End of Books]]" by French writer [[Octave Uzanne]] and illustrated [[Albert Robida]]. The illustration depicts a [[female reader]] of the 20th century, imagined by Robida, who is [[audio book|listening]] to "12 poètes assortis" (twelve assorted poets) on a balcony overlooking a [[future city]].]]
[[Image:Le Voyage dans la lune.jpg|200px|thumb|right|This page '''{{PAGENAME}}''' is part of the [[fantasy]] series.<br><small>Illustration: Screenshot from ''[[A Trip to the Moon]]'' ([[1902]]) [[Georges Méliès]]</small>]] [[Image:Le Voyage dans la lune.jpg|200px|thumb|right|This page '''{{PAGENAME}}''' is part of the [[fantasy]] series.<br><small>Illustration: Screenshot from ''[[A Trip to the Moon]]'' ([[1902]]) [[Georges Méliès]]</small>]]
[[Image:Flatland.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''[[Flatland|Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions]]'' is an [[1884]] [[science fiction]] novella by [[Edwin Abbott Abbott]]]] [[Image:Flatland.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''[[Flatland|Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions]]'' is an [[1884]] [[science fiction]] novella by [[Edwin Abbott Abbott]]]]
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==History== ==History==
-Speculative fiction as a category ranges from [[ancient literature|ancient]] works to both [[State of the art|cutting edge]], [[paradigm]]-changing and neotraditional works of the 21st century. Speculative fiction can be recognized in works whose [[Authorial intent|authors' intentions]] or the [[social context]]s of the versions of stories they portrayed is now known, since ancient [[Theatre of ancient Greece|Greek dramatist]]s such as [[Euripides]] (ca. 480–406 BCE) whose play ''[[Medea]]'' seems to have offended [[Athenian]] audiences when he fictionally speculated that shamaness [[Medea]] killed her own children instead of their being killed by other [[Ancient Corinth|Corinthians]] after her departure, and whose [[Hippolytus (play)|Hippolytus]], narratively introduced by [[Aphrodite]], Goddess of Love in person, is suspected to have displeased his contemporary audiences because he portrayed [[Phaedra (mythology)|Phaedra]] as too lusty. In [[historiography]], what is now called speculative fiction has previously been termed "historical invention", "[[historical fiction]]", and similar names and is extensively noted in [[literary criticism]] of the works of [[William Shakespeare]] as when he co-locates [[Athenian]] Duke [[Theseus]] and [[Amazons|Amazonian]] Queen [[Hippolyta]], [[England|English]] fairy [[Puck (mythology)|Puck]], and [[Roman mythology|Roman]] god [[Cupid]] across time and space in the [[Fairy]]land of its [[Merovingian]] [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] sovereign [[Oberon]] in ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]''; in [[mythography]] it has been termed "mythopoesis" or [[mythopoeia]], "fictional speculation", the creative design and generation of lore, regarding such works as [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. Such [[supernatural]], [[alternate history]] and [[Human sexuality|sexuality]] themes continue in works produced within the modern speculative fiction genre.+Speculative fiction as a category ranges from [[ancient literature|ancient]] works to both [[State of the art|cutting edge]], [[paradigm]]-changing and neotraditional works of the 21st century. Speculative fiction can be recognized in works whose [[Authorial intent|authors' intentions]] or the [[social context]]s of the versions of stories they portrayed is now known, since ancient [[Theatre of ancient Greece|Greek dramatist]]s such as [[Euripides]] (ca. 480–406 BCE) whose play ''[[Medea]]'' seems to have offended Athenian audiences when he fictionally speculated that shamaness [[Medea]] killed her own children instead of their being killed by other [[Ancient Corinth|Corinthians]] after her departure, and whose [[Hippolytus (play)|Hippolytus]], narratively introduced by [[Aphrodite]], Goddess of Love in person, is suspected to have displeased his contemporary audiences because he portrayed [[Phaedra (mythology)|Phaedra]] as too lusty. In [[historiography]], what is now called speculative fiction has previously been termed "historical invention", "[[historical fiction]]", and similar names and is extensively noted in [[literary criticism]] of the works of [[William Shakespeare]] as when he co-locates Athenian Duke [[Theseus]] and [[Amazons|Amazonian]] Queen [[Hippolyta]], [[England|English]] fairy [[Puck (mythology)|Puck]], and [[Roman mythology|Roman]] god [[Cupid]] across time and space in the [[Fairy]]land of its [[Merovingian]] [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] sovereign [[Oberon]] in ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]''; in [[mythography]] it has been termed "mythopoesis" or [[mythopoeia]], "fictional speculation", the creative design and generation of lore, regarding such works as [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. Such [[supernatural]], [[alternate history]] and [[Human sexuality|sexuality]] themes continue in works produced within the modern speculative fiction genre.
The creation of speculative fiction in its general sense of hypothetical [[history]], [[explanation]], or [[ahistorical]] [[storytelling]] has also been attributed to authors in ostensibly [[non-fiction]] mode since as early as [[Herodotus]] of [[Halicarnassus]], (fl. 5th century BCE) in his Histories, and was already both practiced and edited out by early encyclopaedic writers like [[Sima Qian]] (ca. 145 or 135 BCE–86 BCE), author of [[Shiji]], which suggests the [[caveat|caveat]] that while many works now considered intentional or unintentional speculative fiction existed before the coining of the [[genre]] term, its concept in its broadest sense captures both a [[conscious]] and [[unconscious mind|unconscious]] aspect of human [[psychology]] in making sense of the [[world]], reacting to it, and creating [[Imagination|imaginary]], [[inventive]], and [[artistic]] expressions, some of which underlie practical progress through [[interpersonal]] influences, [[social]] and [[cultural]] movements, [[scientific]] research and advances, and [[philosophy of science]]. The creation of speculative fiction in its general sense of hypothetical [[history]], [[explanation]], or [[ahistorical]] [[storytelling]] has also been attributed to authors in ostensibly [[non-fiction]] mode since as early as [[Herodotus]] of [[Halicarnassus]], (fl. 5th century BCE) in his Histories, and was already both practiced and edited out by early encyclopaedic writers like [[Sima Qian]] (ca. 145 or 135 BCE–86 BCE), author of [[Shiji]], which suggests the [[caveat|caveat]] that while many works now considered intentional or unintentional speculative fiction existed before the coining of the [[genre]] term, its concept in its broadest sense captures both a [[conscious]] and [[unconscious mind|unconscious]] aspect of human [[psychology]] in making sense of the [[world]], reacting to it, and creating [[Imagination|imaginary]], [[inventive]], and [[artistic]] expressions, some of which underlie practical progress through [[interpersonal]] influences, [[social]] and [[cultural]] movements, [[scientific]] research and advances, and [[philosophy of science]].

Revision as of 20:02, 12 February 2014

Loisirs Littéraires au XXe siècle (English: "Literary leasures in the 20th century") from the story "The End of Books" by French writer Octave Uzanne and illustrated Albert Robida. The illustration depicts a female reader of the 20th century, imagined by Robida, who is listening to  "12 poètes assortis" (twelve assorted poets) on a balcony overlooking a future city.
Enlarge
Loisirs Littéraires au XXe siècle (English: "Literary leasures in the 20th century") from the story "The End of Books" by French writer Octave Uzanne and illustrated Albert Robida. The illustration depicts a female reader of the 20th century, imagined by Robida, who is listening to "12 poètes assortis" (twelve assorted poets) on a balcony overlooking a future city.
This page Speculative fiction is part of the fantasy series.Illustration: Screenshot from A Trip to the Moon (1902) Georges Méliès
Enlarge
This page Speculative fiction is part of the fantasy series.
Illustration: Screenshot from A Trip to the Moon (1902) Georges Méliès
In 1963, Roger Corman directed The Raven, a horror-comedy written by Richard Matheson very loosely based on the poem, "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe. It stars Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, and Boris Karloff as a trio of rival sorcerers.
Enlarge
In 1963, Roger Corman directed The Raven, a horror-comedy written by Richard Matheson very loosely based on the poem, "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe. It stars Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, and Boris Karloff as a trio of rival sorcerers.

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Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, weird fiction, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as related static, motion, and virtual arts.

History

Speculative fiction as a category ranges from ancient works to both cutting edge, paradigm-changing and neotraditional works of the 21st century. Speculative fiction can be recognized in works whose authors' intentions or the social contexts of the versions of stories they portrayed is now known, since ancient Greek dramatists such as Euripides (ca. 480–406 BCE) whose play Medea seems to have offended Athenian audiences when he fictionally speculated that shamaness Medea killed her own children instead of their being killed by other Corinthians after her departure, and whose Hippolytus, narratively introduced by Aphrodite, Goddess of Love in person, is suspected to have displeased his contemporary audiences because he portrayed Phaedra as too lusty. In historiography, what is now called speculative fiction has previously been termed "historical invention", "historical fiction", and similar names and is extensively noted in literary criticism of the works of William Shakespeare as when he co-locates Athenian Duke Theseus and Amazonian Queen Hippolyta, English fairy Puck, and Roman god Cupid across time and space in the Fairyland of its Merovingian Germanic sovereign Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream; in mythography it has been termed "mythopoesis" or mythopoeia, "fictional speculation", the creative design and generation of lore, regarding such works as J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Such supernatural, alternate history and sexuality themes continue in works produced within the modern speculative fiction genre.

The creation of speculative fiction in its general sense of hypothetical history, explanation, or ahistorical storytelling has also been attributed to authors in ostensibly non-fiction mode since as early as Herodotus of Halicarnassus, (fl. 5th century BCE) in his Histories, and was already both practiced and edited out by early encyclopaedic writers like Sima Qian (ca. 145 or 135 BCE–86 BCE), author of Shiji, which suggests the caveat that while many works now considered intentional or unintentional speculative fiction existed before the coining of the genre term, its concept in its broadest sense captures both a conscious and unconscious aspect of human psychology in making sense of the world, reacting to it, and creating imaginary, inventive, and artistic expressions, some of which underlie practical progress through interpersonal influences, social and cultural movements, scientific research and advances, and philosophy of science.

In its English language usage in arts and literature since 20th century, "speculative fiction" as a genre term is often attributed to Robert A. Heinlein. In his first known use of the term, in editorial material at the front of the 2/8/1947 issue of The Saturday Evening Post, Heinlein used it specifically as a synonym for "science fiction"; in a later piece, he explicitly stated that his use of the term did not include fantasy. Heinlein may have come up with the term himself, but there are earlier citations: a piece in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine in 1889, used the term in reference to Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward: 2000–1887 and other works; and one in the May, 1900 issue of The Bookman said that John Uri Lloyd's Etidorhpa, The End of the Earth had "created a great deal of discussion among people interested in speculative fiction". A variation on this term is "speculative literature".

The use of "speculative fiction" in the sense of expressing dissatisfaction with traditional or establishment science fiction was popularized in the 1960s and early 1970s by Judith Merril and other writers and editors, in connection with the New Wave movement. It fell into disuse around the mid-1970s. The Internet Speculative Fiction Database contains a broad list of different subtypes. In the 2000s, the term has come into wider use as a convenient collective term for a set of genres. Academic journals which publish essays on speculative fiction include Extrapolation, and Foundation.

Distinguishing speculative fiction from science fiction

"Speculative fiction" is sometimes abbreviated "spec-fic", "specfic", but these last three abbreviations are ambiguous as they have long been used to refer to science fiction, which lies within this general range of literature, and in several other abbreviations.

The term has been used to express dissatisfaction with what some people consider the limitations of science fiction, or otherwise to designate fiction that falls under readily stereotypical genres so that it can be pigeonholed within such categorical limits as "fantasy" or "mystery".

For example, in Harlan Ellison's writing, the term may signal a wish not to be pigeonholed as a science fiction writer, and a desire to break out of science fiction's genre conventions in a literary and modernist direction; or to escape the prejudice with which science fiction is often met by mainstream critics.

The term "suppositional fiction" is sometimes used as a sub-category designating fiction in which characters and stories are constrained by an internally consistent world, but not necessarily one defined by any particular genre.

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Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Speculative fiction" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.

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