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that do not exist in the real world, often in the context of supernatural,
futuristic or other imaginative themes.[1] This includes, but is not limited to,
science fiction, fantasy, superhero fiction, horror, utopian and dystopian fiction,
fairytale fantasy, supernatural fiction as well as combinations thereof (e.g.
science fantasy).[2]
Speculative fiction differs from other types of fiction such as slice of life and
from non-fiction.
Contents
1 History
2 Distinguishing science fiction from other speculative fiction
3 Speculative fiction genres
4 See also
5 References
6 External links
History
Speculative fiction as a category ranges from ancient works to both paradigm-
changing and neotraditional works of the 21st century.[3][4] Speculative fiction
can be recognized in works whose authors' intentions or the social contexts of the
versions of stories they portrayed are 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,[5] and whose play 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.[6]
These examples highlight the caveat that many works now regarded as intentional or
unintentional speculative fiction long predate 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, and responding to it by creating
imaginative, inventive, and artistic expressions. Such expressions can contribute
to practical progress through interpersonal influences, social and cultural
movements, scientific research and advances, and philosophy of science.[17][18][19]
In its English-language usage in arts and literature since the mid 20th century,
"speculative fiction" as a genre term is often attributed to Robert A. Heinlein. He
first used the term in an editorial in The Saturday Evening Post, February 8, 1947.
In the article, Heinlein used "Speculative Fiction" as a synonym for "science
fiction"; in a later piece, he explicitly stated that his use of the term did not
include fantasy. However, though Heinlein may have come up with the term on his
own, 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".[20] A variation on this term is
"speculative literature".[21]
In the 2000s, the term came into wider use as a convenient collective term for a
set of genres. However, some writers, such as Margaret Atwood, continue to
distinguish "speculative fiction" specifically as a "no Martians" type of science
fiction, "about things that really could happen."[23]
According to publisher statistics, men outnumber women about two to one among
English-language speculative fiction writers aiming for professional publication.
However, the percentages vary considerably by genre, with women outnumbering men in
the fields of urban fantasy, paranormal romance and young adult fiction.[25]
The term has been used by some critics and writers dissatisfied with, what they
consider, the limitations of science fiction: i.e., a need for the story to hold to
strict scientific principles. They feel the term "Speculative Fiction" better
defines an expanded, open, imaginative fiction, stories typically dismissed as
"genre fiction", such as "Fantasy," "Mystery," "Horror," "Science Fiction," etc.
[29] Harlan Ellison used the term to avoid being pigeonholed as a writer. Ellison,
a fervent proponent of writers embracing more literary and modernist directions,
[30][31] broke out of genre conventions to push the boundaries of "Speculative
Fiction."