Alternative History	Harry Turtledove - The Guns of the South
Apocalypse or Holocaust	Wylie, Philip - The Disappearance
Coming of Age	David R. Palmer - Emergence
Contemporary Fantasy	Charles de Lint - The Little Country
Cyberpunk	William Gibson - Neuromancer
Dark Fantasy or Horror	Anne Rice - Interview with the Vampire
Dystopia	Lowis Lowry -- The Giver
First Contact	Ursula K. Le Guin - The Left Hand of Darkness
Genetic Enginerring	Kate Wilhelm - Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang
Hard Science Fiction	Dan Simmons - Hyperion & The Fall of . . .
Light Fantasy	Terry Pratchett - The Discworld Series
Light Science Fiction	Douglas Adams - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Military Science Fiction	David Drake - Hammer's Slammers Series
Movie/TV Tie-In	Any Star Trek, Star Wars, Aliens, etc:
Post-Apocalyptic or Post-Holocaust	Walter Tevis - Mockingbird
Social Science Fiction	Ken Grimwood - Replay
Space Opera	E. E. "Doc" Smith - Lensmen Series
Traditional Fantasy	Terry Brooks - The Sword of Shannara Stephen R. Donaldson - The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever

Speculative Fiction eliminates the need for a separation between science fiction, fantasy, and horror because they are different forms of one thing. The term also cleans up the confusion of having sub-genres lie within sub-genres such as the coming of age story within the post-apocalyptic novel, "Z for Zechariah" by Robert C. O'Brien or the very post-apocalyptic story within Robert R. McCammon's horror novel "Swan Song". Whichever theme you pick, horror or post-apocalyptic, it's still Speculative Fiction. Furthermore, the term Speculative Fiction provides a home for books such Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, which was marketed as plain vanilla or straight fiction, but is clearly Speculative Fiction. Post-Apocalyptic, to be exact, in my way of thinking. As an aside, I would like to think that the above list would serve as a good reading list for anyone wanting to acquaint themselves with Speculative Fiction.

In Speculative Fiction the action of the story can take place in a culture that never existed, a world we know nothing of, or an earth that might have been or might be, to name a few. It can be a simple story wherein a man and woman, have been involved in an experiment to see if opposite genders could co-exist in the close confines of a spaceship. When they emerge from the sealed experimental room, they find that the entire human race has disappeared (Sherwood Springer's short story, No Land of Nod). Naturally, to preserve the human race they have children. All girls! Who will father the children of this second generation? Another example would be the creation of complex societies and cultures as in the work of Frank Herbert in Dune or Anne McCaffrey's imaginative planet called Pern (The Dragon Riders of Pern). And, in the classic sense, J. R. R. Tolkein's creation of 'Middle Earth' in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Terry Brook's Shannara series and Stephen R. Donalson's Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever series. Thus, Speculative Fiction gives a writer the power to create whatever circumstances or cultures necessary to the tale he/she wishes to share.

Speculative Fiction is a term that has not been embraced entirely by the writers, editors, and critics in the science fiction, fantasy and horror fields. However, we need a good way of defining Speculative Fiction other than saying, as Damon Knight said of science fiction, that Speculative Fiction is that which we point to and say it is Speculative Fiction. According to Orson Scott Card (See How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy, Writer's Digest Books, 1990, p. 17), 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.

What If This Goes On?

As a field of literature, Speculative Fiction is unique (and often overlooked by pseudo-intellectuals). This distinctiveness is best illustrated in the primary question asked by the writers of Speculative Fiction, "What if?" What if parents continue to allow others (government agencies, schools, day care providers) to share in the responsibility for raising their children until they no longer have control over the outcome (see David Brin's short story, Dr. Pak's Preschool)? Or suppose the AIDS epidemic drives us towards less and less physical contact even with spouses. However, psychologists and government agencies feel it is important for people to experience the benefits of sexual excitement (stress release) and thus pass laws requiring monthly visits to a machine designed to fulfill your every desire. But, what if you hate the machine? (See Marion Zimmer Bradley's short story, The Engine - all reference to AIDS is mine alone).

What if medical science could genetically eliminate the need for sleep thus causing two separate classes, those who sleep and those who do not? The non-sleepers can accomplish and gain at minimum twice what you or I can simply because they have more time to devote to work and other interests (see Nancy Kress's novella or novel, Beggars in Spain)? What if abortion became even more complicated to obtain and couples resorted to home abortions including flushing the fetus down the toilet? If there are giant Alligators in the sewers of New York, certainly some of these feti might survive (see Harlan Ellison's short story, Croatoan). What if a plague killed all living males on earth and women had to discover a way to procreate without men (see Joanna Russ' short story, When It Changed)? What if aliens declared Earth to be 'prime real estate' and felt about the extinction of humankind as we felt about the Passenger Pigeon (see James Tiptree, JR's. short story, The Screwfly Solution)? What if Robert E. Lee had won the battle of Gettysberg (see Harry Turtledove's novels, The Guns of the South or How Few Remain? The questions range far and deep.

In short, what sets Speculative Fiction apart from other fiction, such as The Hunt for Red October or The Firm? It is because to enjoy Speculative Fiction one must often suspend one's disbelief -- even with hard science fiction which is based on real science. We have the technology to build a super submarine like the 'Red October' and world tensions at the time of that novel's printing could have led to the events that occur in Tom Clancey's novel. Moreover, it is more than possible that some law firms are mirrors of the one portrayed in John Gresham's novel. These were great stories but the foundation of their are not too far removed from reality and we did not have to completely suspend our disbelief to enjoy these novels or movies. Readers of novels such as these are intrigued by them because they might be true (and of course the building tension), whereas readers of Speculative Fiction are fascinated by the myriad of possibilities of what might come to be.

The Literary Laboratory

According to Pamela Sargent "Science fiction is the literature of ideas. Alone among our present genres it can show us a world which does not exit, has not existed, but which could come into being. It can show us alternatives, many of which might be opposite to our presuppositions. It can mirror our thoughts, fears, and hopes about the future in terms of literary experience." As Gordon R. Dickson has so ably stated (see Sargent, Pamela More Women of Wonder: Science Fiction Novelettes By Women, Vintage Paperbacks, 1976):

" . . . the science fiction core audience is interested in the investigation of all possible subjects, whether these happen to be palatable at the moment or not.

Investigation, however, is the key word. Core science fiction does not investigate dark or hitherto unexplored territories simply for the sake of being called explorative . . . The explorations of science fiction are normally for the purpose of testing an idea, a question, or a possibility in the literary laboratory; as opposed to trying it out in the real world, where a botched experiment can mean famine, pestilence, or the bloody slaughter of one people by another.

Science fiction is, in fact, essentially an unstructured think-tank in which authors of differing points of view can paint differing solutions or eventualities suggested by present problems or situations. As a literature it is favorably designed to act as a vehicle for ideas or arguments--to be a seedbag for a philosophical fiction."

Why Read Speculative Fiction?

As a reader of Speculative Fiction, I could be considered a late bloomer. I became an avid reader of Speculative Fiction after a thorough grounding in the classics. Since my discovery of Speculative Fiction I have remained an avid reader of this genre for most of my life because I believe this genre has a special capacity to deal with the human equation. Writers of Speculative Fiction, through the creation of unknown worlds or the recreation of events, etc. are able to place men, women and children against powerful circumstances that bring out the best (and the worst) of human characteristics. In the movie, Starman, the alien played by Jeff Bridges made a particularly relevant statement in this regard. Moments before he returns to his own kind he said, "you (humans) are at your best when things are at their worst." A nice compliment from a superior being who came to study us in response to an invitation in the form of an unmanned space exploration vehicle called Voyager. Voyager carried a platinum record which contained 'greetings' from the president of the United Nations in every known language of earth.

Starman is a realistic story wherein Jenny Hagen (played by Karen Allen) must deal and cope with this other worldly explorer. Most of what Starman learns about humankind, he learns from his interactions with Jenny. What did Jenny Hagen do that was impressive enough to earn such a respectful statement regarding our species? Nothing any of us would consider as special. She behaved as any might have done. At first she was hysterical, then frightened, then wary, until she was finally able to rise above her fears of self-preservation to see the greater goal of the Starman's mission and become his advocate, accomplice, friend, and lover.

Ursula K. LeGuin (Le Guin, Ursula K. "The Left Hand of Darkness" Ace Books), in the introduction to her award winning novel, The Left Hand of Darkness, states that science fiction can be described as a thought experiment.

"Let's say (says Mary Shelley) that a young doctor creates a human being in his laboratory; let's say (says Philip K. Dick) that the Allies lost the second world war; let's say this or that is such and so, and see what happens . . . "

For example, take the novel Walk to the End of the World by Suzy Mckee Charnas. Centuries after a nuclear holocaust, men blamed women for the near annihilation of mankind (by leaving the home, taking men's jobs, becoming independent, etc.). In the belief of their own lie, men's hatred of women grew to the point where women were enslaved and treated little better than beasts of burden. Yet these women maintained a strong culture among them and toiled ceaselessly as they worked silently for equality -- a goal they are eventually successful in achieving. Compare this to Dena's pseudo-feminist theory in David Brin's novel, The Postman. Dena, was a young woman raised by a community of scientists some twenty years or so after the apocalypse. After reading all she can find on the 20th century, she decides it was women's fault that the war began. Dena reasons there are three kinds of men: very good men like this essay's author and Abraham Lincoln, very evil men like Adolf Hitler, and all the rest of the men who fall in between. According to Dena, this third group of men doesn't need to be watched, as they are neither good nor bad enough to make a difference. However, Dena strongly believes that women of the 20th century should have been paying more attention to men and culling out the bad from the good, as the farmer does with potatoes. She means this is a very literal sense. So, the world ended because women did not keep evil men from becoming powerful through politics or wealth. Dena goes on in the novel to raise an army of women who sacrifice themselves, unknown to the Postman, but make a critical contribution to the struggle against the Holnists (a white supremest, neo-Nazi type organization). Are men and women equal in today's society? What responsibility do we have to watching over each other, if any? All good Speculative Fiction questions.

Writers of SF have greater ability to use the literary laboratory or thought experiment, I believe, than writers of plain vanilla or straight fiction. In the words of Charles Champlin, "Science fiction at its finest has always been less a matter of gadgetry's and bug-eyed monsters than a setting for commentaries on what and who we are, seen from a fresh perspective." The gadgets and bug-eyed monsters are simply part of the landscape which allows the pitting of human values against themselves. Consider Star Wars for example--strip away the cool droids, fast space vehicles, evil aliens and all that remains is a powerful struggle of good vs. evil and more importantly the human interactions of the main characters. We see the characters caught in the familiar trap of jockeying back and forth between whom they are and who they wish to be. Han Solo--who learns that his own personal concerns can be superseded by greater, even galactic, ones; Luke Skywalker, barely out of adolescence and struggling to become a man (defined as a Jedi Knight) and win the affection of a competent, intelligent, and courageous woman in the form of Princess Leia. The gadgets, gizmos, groovy gear and even the loveable R2D2 and C3PO are just props. Props as in any movie, play, or story. The challenge of good SF is to make the props propel the story in the desired direction.

When the first Star Trek movie came out in 1979, many years after the cancellation of the original television show, it was a long awaited event for millions of people. I sat in the theater practically drooling over the new streamlined U. S. S. Enterprise and her reunited crew headed by the courageous Captain James T. Kirk. However, what impressed me the most were the six words that appeared on the screen at the movie's end. There in the dark theatre glowed the words, "The Human Adventure Is Just Beginning." It didn't say, "The Technological Adventure is just Beginning" or "The Age of Aliens dripping with KY jelly is Beginning." I believe those words were there to emphasize that above all else the story was about people. Dr. McCoy refers to the final events in the movie as a birth. In the words of the late Gene Roddenberry, "At heart, Star Trek has always been a 'morality play' that explores the human adventure." The key words here are human adventure.

Card's Ender's Game is a great example of the thought experiment or literary laboratory that deals with the human adventure. In particular it deals with the age old question -- how much of us is the result of heredity (nature) and environment (nurture)? Ender is a product of the family he comes from and battle school. In Ender's Game we see Ender struggle with what is happening in battle school. Although his teachers try to mold Ender to their specifications, his nature wins out over many environmental factors and especially at the end of the novel. Ender's struggle between the forces of nature and nurture seen thorough another perspective in Ender's Shadow.

**In keeping with the "research mode", I would like to list some movies and then what I think is the bottom line research question of that movie. Of course these are presented in their simplest form and I acknowledge that no single movie or book deals with only one question about the human adventure. Also, please note that the choice of questions is colored by the person I am.

The Abyss -- Is it superordinate goals, which cause humans to rise above their own selfish interests, that strengthen and keep a marriage together?

Aliens -- Can a human female form as strong and powerful an attachment to a human female child, who is not her own daughter, as the powerful instincts of the queen from a highly intelligent and resourceful hive or colony of insect-like aliens?

Bladerunner -- What are the dimensions that define humanity and what are the bottom line traits necessary to be considered human or humane (note that this question is repeated two more times)?

The Crow -- How powerful is love? Can it overcome the bonds of death to right wrongs perpetrated upon loved ones? If love is as powerful as that, what can it do in life?

The Day the Earth Stood Still -- What is the state of Earth as a violent planet? Do we need a wake up call from our neighbors on distant planets? Do we need to be policed?

Enemy Mine -- Can two individuals from different (alien) races, who have been at war for centuries, learn to value each other's differences when marooned on an asteroid? If so, is there hope for our world?

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken -- Does the goofy good guy always get the beautiful girl in the end? Nah, this is just a funny Don Knots movie.

Judge Dredd -- Will genetic design from the same DNA to create a superior human also create abnormal sibling rivalry? Do brothers owe each other allegiance even if one of them is totally evil?

Ladyhawke -- What is the nature of love between a man and a woman? Is love eternal? Can it overcome great evil? And when love seems impossible is it worth waiting for, worth fighting for, worth dying for?

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome -- How resilient are children? What is our responsibility to children? Can good men exist in absolute evil and stay true to themselves?

The Matrix -- How correct is our perception of the world? Is it colored by all the messages we receive via technology? Can we learn to filter the wheat from the tares? As we become ever more dependent upon technology is it possible that we may spend our lives in an "electronic bubble" devoid of human contact?

Phenomenon -- Walt Disney once said, " ALL our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them." Do we have great potential hidden within ourselves that we only need the courage or a little push to tap? Was George Malley the possibility?

Poltergeist -- Do parents have a special connection to their children that allows them to "reach" them through different dimensions of existence? If so, why is there so much family discord today?

The Postman -- In our communities, especially those that are plagued with drugs and violence, is it true that each individual can make a difference that adds up to a revolution for change? What is the individual's responsibility?

Radio Flyer -- Do children use their imaginations as a way to escape parental abuse? If so, how far do these imaginary escapes extend into consciousness?

Robocop -- What are the dimensions that define humanity and what are the bottom line traits necessary to be considered human or humane?

Soldier -- What are the dimensions that define humanity and what are the bottom line traits necessary to be considered human or humane?

Star Trek: The Wrath of Kahn -- What is a mid-life crisis and some of it's symptoms? Was there a method to Kirk's ability to move past his crisis that can be use by others?

Stranded -- Can fearful fugitives fleeing from an exterminating invasion of their own home find love and kindness from human beings they take hostage? If so, can we learn to treat others of our own kind with the same respect and concern?

T2: Judgement Day -- Can a terminator be re-programmed to provide it's charge (a teenage boy) with fatherly traits such as friendship, affection, stability, non-abusive behavior, permanence (non-abandonment), and proximity keeping? If a terminator, a programmed machine, can learn to value human life, is there hope for us?

White Man's Burden -- If in one instant all Euro-Americans became black and all African-Americans became white, would white and black relations be different today?

Now, let's do the same thing with some novels. Again, please understand that the best I can do is scratch the surface due to space limitations. Still, the human adventure goes on.

Alas, Babylon (Pat Frank) -- In the aftermath of a nuclear disaster, what kind of characteristics are going to be required of those who would survive with order and fairness?

Battlefield Earth (L. Ron Hubbard) -- How low can mankind fall or regress and still be able to come together and conquer invading and enslaving aliens?

Briar Rose (Jane Yolen) -- Is it possible to live through and with the horror of having been in and having survived a Nazi Concentration Camp by equating it with a well know fairy tale. And when friends and family inquire about a person's past, is it fair to tell them the fair tale instead of the horrible truth?

The First (or second) Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever (Stephen R. Donaldson) -- What are the roots of belief and reality? What steps can we take as individuals to believe in ourselves and in our capacity to do good? How do we overcome our doubts? Even a lepar?

Cloven Hooves (Megan Lindholm) -- Are we justified in breaking up our marriages and families and possibly harming children irrepairably because we've found a newer, more exciting love that perhaps fulfills our deepest needs?

The Day of the Triffids (John Wyndham) -- Suppose the spore of smart, ambulatory plants landed on earth and survived by sucking the bodily juices out of living beings, what responsibility do we have to others less capable of surviving than ourselves? Who will lead the blind?

The Deryni Series (Katherine Kurtz) -- What is the root cause of prejudice? Hate or fear? Do people manufacture reasons whenever they wish to control others for their own purposes? Can we relate this to racial problems in our own society?

The Disappearance (Philip Wylie) -- If the world were split into two parallel universes with males in one and females in the other, which gender would be most successful at surviving without the other?

The Dispossessed (Ursula K. LeGuin) -- Is it possible to live without all of the freedoms and material possessions to which we have become accustomed? By giving up the material things of life, might we rise to a higher level of existence? Might other humans look at those people as if they were ignorant children?

Farnham's Freehold (Robert A. Heinlein) -- Are situational ethics justified in extreme circumstances?

Frankenstein (Mary Shelly) -- If one could create life through the reanimation of dead tissue, what responsibility or allegiance would we owe that creation? What, then, is the relation between God and man? Between parent and child?

The Female Man (Joanna Russ) -- Do men play any role in society that is essential? If they all disappeared tomorrow, how creatively would women adapt?

The Gap Into Conflict: The Real Story (Stephen R. Donalson) -- How much good can reside in an evil person or evil reside in a good person? Can you spot wolves in sheep's clothing?

The Girl Who Owned a City (O. T. Nelson) -- Do we short change children? Are they more adult-like than we think and could they rise to the occasion and make order should they awake one day and find all the adults in the world missing?

The Giver (Lois Lowry) -- If we all believe the same thing will it color our perception so strongly than we can see nothing else? That the real world becomes hidden from us? How would we break free?

The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings (J. R. R. Tolkein) -- Can the small things in our lives that we usually ignore be of great significance? Do the small and weak have strengths larger beings never consider? Is their strength in humility?

The House at Pooh Corner A. A. Milne) -- How important to our sanity is humming a little tune everyday?

Jane Brown's Body (Cornell Woolrich) -- Does love justify keeping someone alive at all costs regardless of the pain to the other?

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis) -- Are children's temperaments set and birth and reasonably unchangeable?

Memory, Sorrow, & Thorn Series (Tad Williams) -- When does a boy become a man? With age, height, skill, responsibility or all? How much responsibility should we expect of young adults?

The Mirror of Her Dreams & A Man Rides Through (Stephen R. Donaldson) -- Can people draw so far into their own worlds because of insecurity or fear that they ultimately create a world of their own? Can this world be one where they are forced to face their worst fears and overcome them?

Moby Dick (Herman Melville) -- Can our fears be projected to an object such as a whale and what are the consequences of obsession with our fears?

Mockingbird (Walter Tevis) -- Does servitude, whether by slaves or robots, result in the devolution of mankind? What role does reading play on our ability to maintain our status on the food chain?

Needful Things (Stephen King) -- Are people so selfish that they could be enticed to harm others in order to gain the object of their desire even at the cost of becoming a slave to that desire?

No Blade of Grass (John Christopher) -- Do the needs of the many truly outweigh the needs of the few

The Postman (David Brin) -- Can one person make a worthwhile difference? Can two? Is standing for what is right infectious?

Replay (Ken Grimwood) -- If you had the chance to live your life over and over multiple times, would you try to improve the world in some way each time you pass through?

Running with the Deamon (Terry Brooks) -- As in the Wizard of the Pigeons, are there people we least expect appointed to watch over the world and keep evil at bay? If so, what characteristics would such people have? Would humility be a factor? Also, is there something about young adults that makes them more capable of clear thinking and taking action?

Starship Troopers (Robert A. Heinlein) -- What are the merits of requiring everyone to serve in the armed services before allowing them to become citizens? What role does punishment play in keeping society in order?

Swan Song (Robert R. McCammon) -- When the end of the world comes and evil men use that as an opportunity to take control, could the salvation of humankind be found within simple, common folk, even the poor and homeless?

The Sword of Shannara Series (Terry Brooks) -- Is it true that good can only overcome evil by the sacrifice of ourselves?

Tea with the Black Dragon (Megan Lindholm) -- Are there lessons to be learned from each person we meet and how important is it that we learn those lessons? What are we willing to sacrifice to be human?

Walden Two (B . F. Skinner) -- Is a society conditioned against violence and all social evils as well as conditioned to conform to social norms truly free?

West of Eden, Winter in Eden, Return to Eden (Harry Harrison) -- Suppose a type of reptile evolved into sentient beings and developed a culture far beyond the tribal systems humans of the same time have, what hope would there be for mankind?

Wizard of the Pigeons (Megan Lindholm) -- Is there strength to contribute to the salvation of society in the lowest among us (homeless).

Wolf of Shadows (Whitley Striber) -- Could there come a time in the world when through some disaster humans and animals will be required to depend on each other for survival? Not just kill and eat but to "run" together in the same pack.

The Worthing Saga (Orson Scott Card) -- Is it the freedom to choose our actions, which sometimes result in painful consequences, that is the essence of being human?

Z for Zachariah (Robert C. O'Brien) -- Does survival justify murder, rape, and other forms of maniacal behavior? Do young, preadolescent girls have the strength to cope with and overcome murder, rape and survive on their own in a post-apocalyptic world?

All of these questions are related. Each of them is asking some part of a larger question. Do we, human beings, have the right stuff? The right stuff to survive, be just, overlook racial differences, love unconditionally and rise out of the dust as the Phoenix? And there seems to be a common thread or theme running through these novels and movies -- that above all else we need to be humble. That true strength comes from being humble. I am thinking of how Frodo and Sam are ignored, for the most part, on their journey to mount doom to destroy the one ring. Perhaps Yoda said it best, "Size matters not. There is no try, do or do not."

*Some quotes in this essay use the term 'science fiction' instead of 'speculative fiction'. I have been true to the original material.