Indeterminate Speculative Fiction?

[Guttersnipe]

Are there any works of speculative fiction that are difficult to classify further into sub-genres? I don't mean works that fall between them, like science fantasy--only ones that are speculative in general. I was thinking of something like "Those Who Walk Away From Omelas," even though that's been classified as philosophical fiction.

 

[hitmouse]

Can you clarify your question a bit further please? I have not read the work you mention.

 

[Bick]

I think The City and The City falls into this brief. It's not really fantasy, it's set in the 'real world' but an alternate one perhaps, and it's not SF (to my mind). Its speculative... the book speculates what would life be like in such a strange world/city construction and set of rules.

 

[Vince W]

I would postulate that G.K. Chesterton's The Napoleon of Notting Hill and The Man Who Was Thursday could fit this mould.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

The Blazing World - Margaret Cavendish. Arguably the first work of science fiction.

 

[Guttersnipe]

Can you clarify your question a bit further please? I have not read the work you mention.

I mean speculative fiction that is difficult to classify as belonging to a certain sub-genre, as fantasy, sci-fi, horror, etc.

 

[Venusian Broon]

I'd put a lot of Christopher's Priest work in 'Speculative fiction' (But I'd put all of Sci-fi in there too, but that's just the way I see the world). For example The Prestige. Also Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow which I've seen some people argue is Science fiction, but I'm way more comfortable putting it under the Speculative fiction tag.

EDIT: Oh, Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum as well of course!

 

[Elckerlyc]

Haruki Murakami is a writer that often wanders into speculative realms.

 

[tinkerdan]

Thomas Pynchon' Gravitys Rainbow might easily fall in this area

Gravity's Rainbow (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition): Pynchon, Thomas, Miller, Frank: 9780143039945: Amazon.com: Books

Gravity's Rainbow (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) [Pynchon, Thomas, Miller, Frank] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Gravity's Rainbow (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

www.amazon.com

Along with Samuel R Delany's Dhalgren

Amazon.com: Dhalgren eBook : Delany, Samuel R., Gibson, William: Books

Buy Dhalgren: Read Books Reviews - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

 

[Bick]

Haruki Murakami is a writer that often wanders into speculative realms.

Not to disagree for the sake of it, but in the spirit of interesting discussion - I view Murakami more as a writer of magical realism than of speculative fiction. I think the two are different perhaps.

 

[Elckerlyc]

Now that I have given it some thought, I think you have a point.
The difference being that magical realism is a literary device to make a point about an existing situation, whereas speculative fiction aims to explore a certain situation or idea that is not (yet) real.

 

[hitmouse]

Some of JG Ballard’s later works, thinking especially of Super Cannes and Cocaine Nights, are clearly in a line from his famous 60s disaster novels, and yet are set in a realistically modern Mediterranean scenario.

 

[Guttersnipe]

@Bick @Elckerlyc Looks like the only speculative novel he wrote is IQ84, which is alternate history/parallel worlds.

 

[Elckerlyc]

@Bick @Elckerlyc Looks like the only speculative novel he wrote is IQ84, which is alternate history/parallel worlds.

That's the novel I was thinking about when I mentioned his name. But on the whole I think it's has more magical than speculative elements. Perhaps, ultimately, it's what the author intended to convey with his story that defines the genre? (For what it's worth really; view and read it as you like.)

 

[Randy M.]

The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon. Chabon is a "mainstream" writer who has expressed interest in and admiration for some genre works/writers. This is an alternative history novel, what if Israel had not been formed? It's a bit of a hard-boiled detective novel as well, and includes some amusing moments as well.

Randy M.

 

[tinkerdan]

There really are already too many genre in Speculative Fiction...

Are there any works of speculative fiction that are difficult to classify further into sub-genres? I don't mean works that fall between them, like science fantasy--only ones that are speculative in general. I was thinking of something like "Those Who Walk Away From Omelas," even though that's been classified as philosophical fiction.

This story is very similar to
Shirley Jackson's

The Lottery - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

and even
Stephen King's

The Long Walk - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

And I think all three could easily fit the Dystopic category.