Presentation on speculative fiction: what it is, why we read it, and what are its genres.

1. ca
fr an
a
im m
Speculative Fiction C co
ld t.
ra aand other genre fiction
e v n
Science-fiction, fantasy, horror,
G sa
ue Gerald M. Cimafranca
By Dominiquedi
ot
n eiq i
ivillageidiotsavant.com
m lag
o il
D v
( c)
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Philippines
License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ph/ or send
a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.

2. Let's get something out of the way first:
ca
Why Speculative Fiction?
fr an
a
im m
C co
Isn't all fiction nt.ldspeculative?
ra a
e v
G sa
ue iot
iq begin with What If?
Doesn't all fictionid
in ge
om illa
D v
( c) Let's just chalk it up to a
matter of distinction...

3. ...or the degree of unreality...
ca
anfr
a
im m
C co
ld t.
What's Real ra an What
e v Isn't
G sa
ue iot
iq id
in ge
om illa
D v
( c)
...or our perceptions, at any rate.

4. Therefore....
ca
an fr
a
im m
C co
Realism a n Speculative
ld t.
er va
G sa Fiction
ue iot
iq id
in ge
om illa
D v
( c)
Real Unreal

5. ca
an fr
a
im m
C co
Where does the unreality ld t. come in?
ra an
e v
G sa
ue iot
iq id
in ge
om illa
D v
( c)

6. Elements of Fiction
ca
Plot an fr
a
Characters
im m
C co
ld t.
ra an
e v
Point-of-View G sa
ue iot
iq id
in ge
Setting illa
om
D v
( c) Theme
Style

7. Let's Review
ca
● Plot is the sequence of events in ra n
a story
afin the story
●
im m
Characters are the personalities
C co
ld t.
Point-of-view is the manner of narration
ra an
●
●
e place of the story
Setting is the time and av
G s
●
ue iot reader derives from
Theme is the niq id the
meaning
the story m i ge
o illa
D characteristics of language of the
Style is) the v
(c
●
story

8. The most obvious candidates
ca
Plot an
fr
Characters a
im m
C co
ld t.
e ra an
Point-of-Viewav G s
ue iot
iq id
Setting in ge
om illa
D v
( c)
Theme
Style

9. Example of a SpecFic character
ca
fr an from
Assembled
a
im of
partsom corpses
C c
Frankenstein's ld t.
Monster ra an
e v
G sa
ue iot Brought to life
iq id
in ge with electricity
om illa
D v
( c)
Image from http://writersforensicsblog.files.wordpress.com

10. Example of a SpecFic setting
ca
fr an
a
im m
Underground
C co
Alice in Wonderlandald kingdomt.
er van
G sa
ue iot Populated with
iq id
in ge strange creatures
om illa
D v
( c)
Image from http://wallpaper-s.org/18__Alice_in_Wonderland,_2000.htm

11. At least one character of
the story must be n ca
ra
emotionally af
im m
C co
accessible tora an ld t.
the
e v
reader. G sa
ue iot
iq id
in ge
om illa
D This character is
( c) v the
reader's guide and proxy
through the Unreal.

12. But let's not forget...
ca
Plot fr
Characters an
a
im m
C co
ld t.
Point-of-View ra an
e v
G sa
ue iot
Setting iq id
in ge
om illa
D v Theme
( c)
Style

13. Call to adventure
Refusal of the call
Plot
Supernatural aid
(
c)
Crossing the first threshold
Departure
Belly of the whale
D v
Road of trials
om illa
in ge
Meeting with the Goddess
iq id
Woman as temptress
ue iot
Atonement with the father
Campbell's monomyth
G sa
e v
Initiation Apotheosis
ra an
ld t.
For Western SpecFic, usually
Ultimate Boon
a
C co
fr
Refusal of the Return
im m
an
The Magic Flight
ca
Rescue from Without
Crossing of the Return threshold
Return
Master of Two Worlds
Freedom to Live

14. Characters
ca
Plot an
fr
Point-of-view
a
im m
C co
ld t.
Discussion: raAvatar
e van
G sa
ue iot
iq id
in ge
Setting D om illa Style
) v
(c
Theme

15. Don't let the
Monomyth shackle an ca
fr
you! a
im m C co
ld t.
ra an
e v
G sa
ue iot
Break free!
iq id
in ge
om illa
D v
c)
( Tell new
stories!

16. Themes
Humanity a
nc
Courage /aFear
afr
In the face of the im m
Acceptance / Prejudice
C co
strange and the ld /
Hope t. Despair
unknown ra an
e v
G Love / Lust
sa
eu iot
iq id
in ge :
om illa
D v
:
( c)
The Unreal highlights aspects of Character more
strongly than the Real.

17. Characters
ca
Plot an
fr
Point-of-view
a
im m
C co
ld t.
Discussion: Ge v ra an Potter
Harry
ue iot sa
iq id
in ge
Setting D om illa Style
) v
(c
Theme

18. Style serves to reinforce the
elements of Unreality. ca
an
fr blinded by the
a
The Burning Man winced. 'Stop!' he called,
im m
noise. Again came the dazzling pattern of the echo:
C co
ld t.
ra an
e v
StOpStOpStOp
G sa
OpStOpStOpStOp
ue iot
iq id
StOpStOpStOpStOp
in ge
OpStOpStOpStOpStOp
om illa
OpStOpStOpStOpSt
D v OpStOpStOpStOp
( c) OpStOpStOpSt
From “The Stars My Destination” by Alfred Bester.

19. Why read or write
ca
Speculative fr an
a
Fiction? im m
C co
d . al nt
er va
G sa
ue iot
iq id
in ge
om illa
D v
)
(c

20. Why read or write
ca
Speculative fr an
a
Fiction? im m
C co
d . al nt
er va
G sa
ue iot
iq id
in ge
om illa
D v
)
(c In fact, why bother
with fiction at all?

21. ca
an
fr
a
“Story is the im m
C co
ld t.
ra an
basic unit of e v
G sa
ue iot
iq id
human thought.”
in ge
om illa
D v
( c)

22. “Fiction is not the opposite ca
fr an
of Truth; the opposite of a
im m
C co
Fiction is Fact.ld nt.
ra a
e v
G sa
ue iot
iq id
“Good Fiction must contain
in ge
om illa
D v
anc)element of Truth.”
(

23. ca
an
fr
a
“Truth is a matter of im m
C co
ld t.
ra an
the Imagination.” e v
G sa
ue iot
iq id
in ge
om illa
D v
( c)

24. Seriously now:
why read or write ca
an fr
a
Speculative Cim om
ld t.c
Fiction? Gera van
ue iot sa
iq id
in ge
om illa
D v Why bother about the
( c)
Unreal? Why bother
about the Fantastic?

25. ca
Speculative Fiction reconnects us
fr an
with wonder and spirituality.
a
im m
C there is an instinct
co
ld because they touch
Just as we all like love tales because .
r talesant
of sex, we all like astonishing a
e of astonishment.... This
the nerve of the ancient instinctav
G s
ue amazement. These tales say
ot
proves that even nursery tales only echo an almost pre-
natal leap of interest and di
iq i
in ge
om ifound
that apples were golden only to refresh the forgotten
moment when we lla that they were green. They
D with wine only to make us remember,
make rivers run v
( c) moment, that they run with water.
for one wild
--“Orthodoxy”, G.K. Chesterton

26. So what about
Science Fiction, ca
fr an
Fantasy, and a
im m
C co
Horror? a ld t.
er van
G sa
ue iot
iq id
in ge
om illa
D v
( c)

27. So what about
Science Fiction, ca
fr an
Fantasy, and a
im m
C co
Horror? a ld t.
er van
G sa
ue iot
iq id
in ge
om illa
D v
( c)
Again, it's a matter of distinction
and categorization.

28. In rough terms:
ca
Science fiction attempts fr an to
a
use science as a way om im to
C c
plausibly explain its ld tsituation...
.
ra an
e v
G sa
...but you ue
ot
know, it could be just mumbo-jumbo.
iq idi
in ge
Fantasy Dom illa on magic by way of
relies
c)
explanation... v
(
...shhh, don't ask too many questions.
Just accept it.

29. ca
Star Trek an
fr
a
im m
C co
ld t.
vs.a van
er
G sa
ue iot
iq id
in ge
om illa
D v
( The Lord of the
c) Rings

30. Discussion
ca
an
fr
a
im m
Star Wars: t.co ld
C
ScienceGe av ra an
Fiction
e ots
qu idi
or Fantasy?
ni e
i g
om illa
D v
( c)
“No blasters! No blasters!”

31. (Arthur C.) Clarke's Laws
ca
●
fr an
When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that
a
something is possible, he is almost certainly right.
When he states that somethingCim mis impossible, he is
very probably wrong. ld t. co
ra the n
The only way of discovering va limits of the possible
e
G past them into the
way tsa
●
is to venture a little e
impossible. qu idio
ni e
i g
om illa
● Any sufficiently advanced technology
D v
c)
is indistinguishable from magic.
(

32. ca
an fr
a
im m
C co willing
In the end, it's about ld t.
ra an
e v
suspension of disbelief.
G sa
ue iot
iq id
in ge
om illa
D v
( c)

33. Or better yet, let's call it
a Sense of Wonder ca
fr an
a
The man of science says, "Cut the stalk, and the apple will fall"; but he says it
im m
calmly, as if the one idea really led up to the other. The witch in the fairy tale
C co
says, "Blow the horn, and the ogre's castle will fall"; but she does not say it as if
ld t.
it were something in which the effect obviously arose out of the cause.
ra an
Doubtless she has given the advice to many champions, and has seen many
e v
castles fall, but she does not lose either her wonder or her reason. She does
G sa
ue iot
not muddle her head until it imagines a necessary mental connection between
a horn and a falling tower. But the scientific men do muddle their heads, until
iq id
in ge
they imagine a necessary mental connection between an apple leaving the tree
and an apple reaching the ground. They do really talk as if they had found not
om illa
only a set of marvellous facts, but a truth connecting those facts. They do talk
D v
c)
as if the connection of two strange things physically connected them
(
philosophically. They feel that because one incomprehensible thing constantly
follows another incomprehensible thing the two together somehow make up a
comprehensible thing.
--“Orthodoxy”, G.K. Chesterton

34. Horror is about
ca
emotion. an fr
a
im m
C co
It's about takingan ld (negative)
t.
ra
e v
G sa
emotionsque iot to extremes.
ni eid
i g
om illa
D v
( c)
Fear? Yes. But also sadness,
despair, anger, lust, etc.

35. Discussion
ca
an fr
“The Cask of Amontillado” a
im m
C co
by Edgar Allan Poed t.al n
er va
G sa
ue iot
iq id
in ge Bram Stoker
“Dracula”a by
om ill
D v
( c)

36. Genre
ca
anfr
a
im m
C co category
ld t
is a loose set of criteria for. a
a
of composition; the vae rtermnis often used
G sa
ue iot
to categorize literature and speech, but
iq any other form of art.
is also used in eid
for
m lag
o il
D v
( c)

37. Discussion
ca
an fr
a
im m
C co
See Speculative Fictionld t. from
Genres
ra an
e v
http://www.squidoo.com/speculativefiction
G sa
ue iot
iq id
in ge
om illa
D v
( c)

38. Exercise
ca
an
fr
a
im m
C co
ld t
Read and discuss.
“All Summer ra in a Day”
e van
G sa
ue iot
by Ray Bradbury.
iq id
in ge
om illa
D v
( c)

39. ca
fr an
a
im m
Speculative Fiction C co
ld t.
ra aand other genre fiction
e v n
Science-fiction, fantasy, horror,
G sa
ue Gerald M. Cimafranca
By Dominiquedi
ot
n eiq i
ivillageidiotsavant.com
m lag
o il
D v
( c)
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Philippines
License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ph/ or send
a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.