the term speculative fiction aka spec fiction covers many genres
including fantasy science fiction alternate history and horror in a world that already feels
so surreal while we can't distinguish truths from lies we must ask why reads back fiction
fantasy and science fiction are two of my favorite genres from ancient mythology that i grew up on as
a kid like the chinese epic journey to the west to modern day high fantasy the hung of ice and fire
to space operas such as this hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy when seeking out a story i usually
gravitate towards something that takes me to a place far away from the realms of reality yes
i love it for the escapism but i also pick up spec fiction for the same reason i'd read a sad drama
i want to have a cathartic experience there's nothing like a post-apocalyptic or dystopian
story to put things in perspective these stories make me feel the numbing dread of existence
and remind me that this little life i have is fragile and therefore should be handled as such
speculative fiction is fake but only in the way that looking in a convex mirror is fake
it distorts the image back at us that's not what we actually look like but in the wide
angle reflection we see more than our naked eyes could we see the consequences of our actions
and it broadens our view in a way that realism or biography cannot before we get deeper into this my
name is elliot i make videos about writing and the creative process if that interests
you please subscribe now let's get back to the four reasons why you should read spec fiction
an intro to history one way to learn about history is by reading textbooks you can learn all about
ancient rome or the great wars this way you can learn about the dates and times and other trivial
details odds are if you were introduced to a topic via a textbook the likelihood of you getting super
interested in it is low after all how many people claimed that it was in school that they lost their
passion for reading alternate history and fantasy can be a gateway to diving deeper into real world
events the leviathan trilogy by scott westerfeld made me want to learn more about world war one
through the lens of steampunk and biopunk by creating a fictional depiction of the
allied forces versus the central power where war machines battled genetically
modified beasts on the european battlefield i grew more curious about the actual events
watchmen got me interested in the politics of richard nixon and slaughterhouse5 taught me
about the bombing of dresden spec fiction sparks your curiosity as a well-marketed history lesson
that hooks you and asks if you're interested in this guess what craziness really happened
prepare us for the future genres such as science fiction and dystopian give writers license to
share their world view in the most empathetic way they can through the perspective of a protagonist
this allows us to see their version of the future whether it be startling hopeful or pessimistic in
doing so we're forced to question our own values how will we defend them and how will we react when
our familiar world is put to the test the road by cormac mccarthy asked how will we survive at
the end of it all the stand by stephen king asks which side i would choose when i'm forced to pick
1984 by george orwell reminds me that we can be controlled by fear
brave new world by eldest huxley reminds me that we can be controlled by pleasure
every modern day question we have about our values can be put to the test when we read
spec fiction no these books don't contain the answers we need to fix our current
realities but they are apt warnings a little fire drill within ourselves that prepare answers for
what will we do when the time comes what will we do when we need to act confront our fears from
censorship to monsters to the afterlife spec fiction creates an arena in our imagination
where we can confront our fears like a gladiator against a spaceship of aliens like the bogart
from harry potter in our brain we conjure up what terrifies us so that we and the protagonists can
face them in a world where we won't get hurt win or lose when we read spec fiction we do it bravely
and with that bravery we can bring it to the real world where we have to face overcomeable
fears such as taxes stubborn bosses and missile launches from north korea whether you're reading
about the end of the world or a battle against a giant spider spec fiction brings you to the
shadow realms so you can gain the confidence to stand strong in the face of real challenges
exercise for the mind while a mystery novel can be a puzzle spec fiction can also test
the mind by forcing us to paint an image in our head that we reference from reality
this is especially true for spec fiction that has yet to be adapted to film or television
reading a spec fiction book where you haven't seen any concept art and the
only visual you have is the cover you as the reader become as much the creator as the author
as you read your mind expands to a scale that cannot fit within any confines of the real world
you dive into the heads of characters and out into a fantastical land with mountains
rivers and oceans and then further out to galaxies far far away you gain the empathetic skills to
communicate better and you increase your curiosity to explore deeper and further in any direction the
more you read the stronger your mind gets and like going to the gym you get what you put in
by reading speculative fiction we learn about the environment human nature politics technology
and the supernatural all through the protective filter of fiction sure on the surface it might
just seem like wizards aliens and battleships but when you turn the pages you realize that there's
so much more there are a lot of entertainment out there and there are a lot of books
if you're on the fence about picking up a spec fiction i hope this video convinced you to
my name is elliot if you enjoyed this video please give it a like
and if you have any spec fiction recommendations please leave it in the comments below