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Speculative fiction is an umbrella phrase encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres , specifically science fiction , fantasy , horror , 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.
It has been around since humans began to speak. The earliest forms of speculative fiction were likely mythological tales told around the campfire. Speculative fiction deals with the "What if?" scenarios imagined by dreamers and thinkers worldwide. Journeys to other worlds through the vast reaches of distant space; magical quests to free worlds enslaved by terrible beings; malevolent supernatural powers seeking to increase their spheres of influence across multiple dimensions and times; all of these fall into the realm of speculative fiction.
Speculative fiction as a category ranges from ancient works to cutting edge , paradigm -changing, and neotraditional works of the 21st century. It can be recognized in works whose authors' intentions or the social contexts of the versions of stories they portrayed is now known. For example, Ancient Greek dramatists such as Euripides , whose play Medea (play) seemed 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. The play Hippolytus , narratively introduced by Aphrodite , is suspected to have displeased contemporary audiences of the day because it portrayed Phaedra as too lusty.
In historiography , what is now called speculative fiction has previously been termed "historical invention", "historical fiction ," and other similar names. It is extensively noted in the literary criticism of the works of William Shakespeare when he co-locates Athenian Duke Theseus and Amazonian Queen Hippolyta , English fairy Puck , and Roman god Cupid all together 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.
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Sir Arthur Charles Clarke CBE FRAS (16 December 1917 – 19 March 2008) was a British science fiction writer , science writer, futurist , inventor, undersea explorer, and television series host.
He co-wrote the screenplay for the 1968 film
2001: A Space Odyssey , widely regarded as one of the most influential films of all time. Clarke was a science fiction writer, an avid populariser of space travel, and a futurist of a distinguished ability. He wrote many books and many essays for popular magazines. In 1961, he received the
Kalinga Prize , a
UNESCO award for popularising science. Clarke's science and science fiction writings earned him the
moniker "Prophet of the Space Age". His science fiction writings in particular earned him a number of
Hugo and
Nebula awards, which along with a large readership, made him one of the towering figures of the genre. For many years Clarke,
Robert Heinlein , and
Isaac Asimov were known as the "Big Three" of science fiction. (
Full article... )
“
The hardest theme in science fiction is that of the alien. The simplest solution of all is in fact quite profound—that the real difficulty lies not in understanding what is alien, but in understanding what is self . We are all aliens to each other, all different and divided. We are even aliens to ourselves at different stages of our lives. Do any of us remember precisely what it was like to be a baby?
”
—
Greg Bear (b.1951), "Introduction to 'Plague of Conscience'",
The Collected Stories of Greg Bear (2002).
Possible events in the future as suggested by science fiction:
A race of moon dwarves searches for a route back to Earth through spiritual enlightenment during the 27th Century.
The Star Kingdom of Manticore is established on August 1, 3573.
In 5000, the Filipino Army defeats the Alliance at the Battle of Reykjavik during the closing stages of World War V.
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Science fiction (task force ): The 4400 , Babylon 5 , Battlestar Galactica , Doctor Who , Firefly , Futurama , G.I. Joe , Heroes , Hitchhiker's Guide , Life on Mars , Lost , Pokémon , Red Dwarf , Star Trek , Star Wars , Stargate , Superman , Transformers , Twilight Zone .
Fantasy : Artemis Fowl , Discworld , Fabelhaven , Harry Potter , Highlander , His Dark Materials , Inheritance Cycle , Lemony Snicket , Middle-Earth , Narnia , Oz , Percy Jackson , Redwall , Roald Dahl , Shannara , A Song of Ice and Fire , Warriors .
Horror : Buffy , Twilight .
Other and related: Animation , Anime and manga , Balzac , Children's literature , Comics , Disney , Machinima , Games (Board and tabletop games , Warhammer 40K , RPGs (D&D ), Video games (Square Enix )).
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Behindd (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Monhiroe (talk · contribs · new pages (9) ) started on 2024-05-19, score: 40
Jason Kwan (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Prince of Erebor (talk · contribs · new pages (5) ) started on 2024-05-19, score: 20
Agent Recon (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by KingArti (talk · contribs · new pages (18) ) started on 2024-05-19, score: 80
Night Shift (2024 film) (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Twinkle1990 (talk · contribs · new pages (6) ) started on 2024-05-19, score: 40
The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by TipsyElephant (talk · contribs · new pages (3) ) started on 2024-05-19, score: 20
Alyla Browne (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Isi96 (talk · contribs · new pages (3) ) started on 2024-05-19, score: 40
Being a Green Mother (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by CaptainAngus (talk · contribs · new pages (3) ) started on 2024-05-19, score: 40
Kindred Spirits (1984 film) (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by The Film Creator (talk · contribs · new pages (18) ) started on 2024-05-18, score: 80
Kindred Spirits (2019 film) (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by The Film Creator (talk · contribs · new pages (18) ) started on 2024-05-18, score: 80
Lianne Valentin (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Zanbarg (talk · contribs · new pages (7) ) started on 2024-05-18, score: 20
María, manos blancas (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by KHR FolkMyth (talk · contribs · new pages (1) ) started on 2024-05-17, score: 20
Shojinmeat Project (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Kaasterly (talk · contribs · new pages (8) ) started on 2024-05-12, score: 20
Deathstalker (upcoming film) (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by KingArti (talk · contribs · new pages (18) ) started on 2024-05-18, score: 40
Berant Zhu (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Prince of Erebor (talk · contribs · new pages (5) ) started on 2024-05-18, score: 20
Irene Strychalski (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Rightooth (talk · contribs · new pages (1) ) started on 2024-05-18, score: 20
Kamen Rider (Skyrider) (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by BRoboKabutack (talk · contribs · new pages (5) ) started on 2024-05-18, score: 45
Kamen Rider Series (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by BRoboKabutack (talk · contribs · new pages (5) ) started on 2024-05-18, score: 35
María, manos blancas (Spanish fairy tale) (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by KHR FolkMyth (talk · contribs · new pages (1) ) started on 2024-05-17, score: 20
The Devil's Chord (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Alex 21 (talk · contribs · new pages (9) ) started on 2024-05-17, score: 40
Space Babies (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Alex 21 (talk · contribs · new pages (9) ) started on 2024-05-17, score: 80
George Kunkel (actor) (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by 4meter4 (talk · contribs · new pages (28) ) started on 2024-05-17, score: 20
Dark Integers (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Samuel Adrian Antz (talk · contribs · new pages (14) ) started on 2024-05-16, score: 45
Luminous (short story) (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Samuel Adrian Antz (talk · contribs · new pages (14) ) started on 2024-05-16, score: 45
Oceanic (book) (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Samuel Adrian Antz (talk · contribs · new pages (14) ) started on 2024-05-16, score: 40
Crystal Nights and Other Stories (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Samuel Adrian Antz (talk · contribs · new pages (14) ) started on 2024-05-16, score: 40
Pearl (X) (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by FishLoveHam (talk · contribs · new pages (16) ) started on 2024-05-16, score: 60
Anti-Nigerian sentiment (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Alfedda (talk · contribs · new pages (1) ) started on 2024-05-16, score: 40
X (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by 223.178.86.229 (talk · contribs · new pages (53) ) started on 2024-05-16, score: 20
Terminator Zero (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Jman98 (talk · contribs · new pages (1) ) started on 2024-05-16, score: 20
The Barbarian's Bride (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Xexerss (talk · contribs · new pages (5) ) started on 2024-05-16, score: 20
The Rooks (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Анатолий Росдашин (talk · contribs · new pages (15) ) started on 2024-05-16, score: 20
The City of Unspeakable Fear (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Uriahheep228 (talk · contribs · new pages (22) ) started on 2024-05-15, score: 20
Assassin's Creed Shadows (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by MonsieurX2019 (talk · contribs · new pages (2) ) started on 2024-05-15, score: 20
Didicosm (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Samuel Adrian Antz (talk · contribs · new pages (14) ) started on 2024-05-15, score: 40
Wang's Carpets (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Samuel Adrian Antz (talk · contribs · new pages (14) ) started on 2024-05-15, score: 45
Castle Sinister (1948 film) (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by LEvalyn (talk · contribs · new pages (7) ) started on 2024-05-15, score: 40
Companion (film) (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Obi-WanKenobi-2005 (talk · contribs · new pages (3) ) started on 2024-05-15, score: 80
Untitled Vince Gilligan TV series (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Rusted AutoParts (talk · contribs · new pages (7) ) started on 2024-05-15, score: 40
Cait Sith (Final Fantasy) (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Kung Fu Man (talk · contribs · new pages (9) ) started on 2024-05-15, score: 40
Marvel Studios Animation (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by CollegeFootball25 (talk · contribs · new pages (5) ) started on 2024-05-14, score: 20
Characters of Final Fantasy V (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Kung Fu Man (talk · contribs · new pages (9) ) started on 2024-05-14, score: 60
Sloane Leong (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Owlkemist (talk · contribs · new pages (2) ) started on 2024-05-14, score: 20
Editorial framing of The Lord of the Rings (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Chiswick Chap (talk · contribs · new pages (8) ) started on 2024-05-14, score: 20
Sokpoly Voeun (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by JammyKH (talk · contribs · new pages (1) ) started on 2024-05-04, score: 40
Stephen Tung (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Prince of Erebor (talk · contribs · new pages (5) ) started on 2024-05-14, score: 60
Shahad Ameen (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Laurenschneider210 (talk · contribs · new pages (19) ) started on 2024-05-14, score: 45
A Quiet Place (soundtrack) (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by 223.178.86.229 (talk · contribs · new pages (53) ) started on 2024-05-14, score: 20
Demon and Song (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by M.A.LasTroniN910 (talk · contribs · new pages (2) ) started on 2024-05-14, score: 20
Contraction (short story) (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Samuel Adrian Antz (talk · contribs · new pages (14) ) started on 2024-05-14, score: 80
2018-04-01 (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Samuel Adrian Antz (talk · contribs · new pages (14) ) started on 2024-05-14, score: 80
The Beast Within (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Bkonrad (talk · contribs · new pages (8) ) started on 2024-05-14, score: 45
The Village Teacher (short story) (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Samuel Adrian Antz (talk · contribs · new pages (14) ) started on 2024-05-14, score: 85
Hold Up the Sky (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Samuel Adrian Antz (talk · contribs · new pages (14) ) started on 2024-05-14, score: 40
Enigma 2 (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Masaya1111 (talk · contribs · new pages (2) ) started on 2024-05-14, score: 20
Whiskey Tales (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Uriahheep228 (talk · contribs · new pages (22) ) started on 2024-05-14, score: 60
Anthony Osarfo (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Heatrave (talk · contribs · new pages (5) ) started on 2024-05-13, score: 40
The Sunlit Man (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Michelangelo1992 (talk · contribs · new pages (2) ) started on 2024-05-13, score: 40
Kenji Tanigaki (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools ) by Prince of Erebor (talk · contribs · new pages (5) ) started on 2024-05-13, score: 20
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