speculative fiction

American  

[spek-yuh-luh-tiv fik-shuhn, -leytiv] / ˈspɛk yə lə tɪv ˈfɪk ʃən, -ˌleɪtɪv /

noun

1. a broad category of fiction encompassing any story that contains imaginative, futuristic, or supernatural elements.

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speculative fiction British  

noun

1. a broad literary genre encompassing any fiction with supernatural, fantastical, or futuristic elements

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Etymology

Origin of speculative fiction

Coined in 1947 by Robert A. Heinlein ( def. ) in his essay On the Writing of Speculative Fiction, in which he differentiates between science fiction stories that focus on fictional technologies and stories that focus on the societal impact of such technologies

Example Sentences

Kathryn Budig, head of the speculative fiction imprint the Inky Phoenix, started her online book club of the same name in 2020.

From Los Angeles Times

For years, the simulation hypothesis was regarded as untestable, confined to the realms of philosophy and speculative fiction.

From Science Daily

Vince Gilligan, of “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” has gone back to his roots, when he wrote for “The X-Files,” with a new sci-fi series, “Pluribus,” premiering Friday on Apple TV, continuing in its quest to be your home for fancy speculative fiction.

From Los Angeles Times

Speculative fiction has wondered what robots can do for us, or to us, since the dawn of the industrial age.

From Salon

Celebrated writers Ivy Pochoda, Steph Cha and Jonathan Lethem imagine the future lives of Angelenos in these works of speculative fiction.

From Los Angeles Times