Dear readers, I'm getting increasingly interested in current debates about the reemergence -- nothing new, yet more noticeable in/by the mainstream now -- of the so-called Slipstream literature. These are literary fiction works that combine speculative fiction modes and themes often associated with sci-fi.
Any fans out there? And what is your take on the YT Speculative Reader's video essay about this mode of recent literature? Video essay -- check video from minute 11 onwards.
I am generally more of a hard scifi fan, but I can’t but rejoice seeing the expansion of the field.
I remember a time when talking about scifi would be met with glazed eyes, the only scifi was StarWars, the only fantasy was The Lord of the Rings and what’s the difference anyways. Now both scifi and fantasy are more popular, with more authors, more diversity and more audience. I’m glad to see that.
I think, particularly now that the technological world is deeply impacting our ways of life, asking the “what if” questions that are the foundation of scifi is fundamental and I am glad there is an avenue to do that for people that don’t care much about the more traditional scifi genre.
I'm a big fan, personally. I've always enjoyed scifi that's on the more literary side, so well-written litfic with scifi and/or speculative themes appeals to me too. I'm thinking of novels like The Employees by Olga Ravn, or Orbital by Samantha Harvey, Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich, etc. I think M John Harrison's The End of Everything winning this year's Booker (two years after Orbital) signifies a real shift in critical and audience tastes.
all 5 comments