speculative fiction
TRANSCRIPT
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Science-fiction, fantasy, horror, and other genre fiction
Speculative Fiction
By Dominique Gerald M. Cimafranca villageidiotsavant.com
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Philippines License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ph/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.
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Why Speculative Fiction?
Isn't all fiction speculative?
Doesn't all fiction begin with What If?
Let's get something out of the way first:
Let's just chalk it up to a matter of distinction...
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What's Real What Isn't
...or the degree of unreality...
...or our perceptions, at any rate.
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Realism SpeculativeFiction
Therefore....
Real Unreal
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Where does the unreality come in?
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PlotCharacters
Point-of-View
SettingTheme
Style
Elements of Fiction
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Let's Review
● Plot is the sequence of events in a story● Characters are the personalities in the story● Point-of-view is the manner of narration● Setting is the time and place of the story● Theme is the meaning the reader derives from
the story● Style is the characteristics of language of the
story
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PlotCharacters
Point-of-View
SettingTheme
Style
The most obvious candidates
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Example of a SpecFic character
Assembled from parts of corpses
Brought to life with electricity
Image from http://writersforensicsblog.files.wordpress.com
Frankenstein's Monster
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Example of a SpecFic setting
Image from http://wallpaper-s.org/18__Alice_in_Wonderland,_2000.htm
Underground kingdom
Populated with strange creatures
Alice in Wonderland
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At least one character of the story must be emotionally accessible to the reader.
This character is the reader's guide and proxy through the Unreal.
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Plot Characters
Point-of-ViewSetting
ThemeStyle
But let's not forget...
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PlotCal
l to
adv
entu
re
Refu
sal of
the
cal
l
Supe
rnat
ural
aid
Cro
ssin
g th
e fi
rst
thre
shol
d
Belly
of t
he w
hale
Road
of
tria
ls
Wom
an a
s te
mpt
ress
Mee
ting
wit
h th
e G
odde
ss
Ato
nem
ent
wit
h th
e fa
ther
Apo
theo
sis
Ult
imat
e Bo
on
Refu
sal of
the
Ret
urn
The
Mag
ic F
light
Resc
ue f
rom
Wit
hout
Cro
ssin
g of
the
Ret
urn
thre
shol
d
Mas
ter
of T
wo
Wor
lds
Free
dom
to
Live
Departure Initiation Return
For Western SpecFic, usually Campbell's monomyth
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Discussion: Avatar
PlotPlot
Characters
Setting
Point-of-view
Theme
Style
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Don't let the Monomyth shackle you!
Break free!
Tell new stories!
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Themes
In the face of the strange and the unknown
HumanityCourage / Fear
Acceptance / Prejudice
Hope / Despair
The Unreal highlights aspects of Character more
strongly than the Real.
Love / Lust::
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Discussion: Harry Potter
PlotPlot
Characters
Setting
Point-of-view
Theme
Style
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Style serves to reinforce the elements of Unreality.
From “The Stars My Destination” by Alfred Bester.
The Burning Man winced. 'Stop!' he called, blinded by the noise. Again came the dazzling pattern of the echo:
StOpStOpStOpOpStOpStOpStOp
StOpStOpStOpStOpOpStOpStOpStOpStOp
OpStOpStOpStOpStOpStOpStOpStOp
OpStOpStOpSt
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Why read or write Speculative Fiction?
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Why read or write Speculative Fiction?
In fact, why bother with fiction at all?
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“Story is the basic unit of human thought.”
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“Fiction is not the oppositeof Truth; the opposite ofFiction is Fact.
“Good Fiction must containan element of Truth.”
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“Truth is a matter ofthe Imagination.”
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Seriously now: why read or write Speculative Fiction?
Why bother about the Unreal? Why bother about the Fantastic?
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Just as we all like love tales because there is an instinct of sex, we all like astonishing tales because they touch the nerve of the ancient instinct of astonishment.... This proves that even nursery tales only echo an almost pre-natal leap of interest and amazement. These tales say that apples were golden only to refresh the forgotten moment when we found that they were green. They make rivers run with wine only to make us remember, for one wild moment, that they run with water.
--“Orthodoxy”, G.K. Chesterton
Speculative Fiction reconnects us with wonder and spirituality.
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So what about Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror?
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So what about Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror?
Again, it's a matter of distinction
and categorization.
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In rough terms:
Science fiction attempts to use science as a way to plausibly explain its situation...
...but you know, it could be just mumbo-jumbo.
Fantasy relies on magic by way of explanation...
...shhh, don't ask too many questions. Just accept it.
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Star Trek
The Lord of the Rings
vs.
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Star Wars: Science Fiction or Fantasy?
Discussion
“No blasters! No blasters!”
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(Arthur C.) Clarke's Laws
● When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
● The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
● Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
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In the end, it's about willing suspension of disbelief.
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The man of science says, "Cut the stalk, and the apple will fall"; but he says it calmly, as if the one idea really led up to the other. The witch in the fairy tale says, "Blow the horn, and the ogre's castle will fall"; but she does not say it as if it were something in which the effect obviously arose out of the cause. Doubtless she has given the advice to many champions, and has seen many castles fall, but she does not lose either her wonder or her reason. She does not muddle her head until it imagines a necessary mental connection between a horn and a falling tower. But the scientific men do muddle their heads, until they imagine a necessary mental connection between an apple leaving the tree and an apple reaching the ground. They do really talk as if they had found not only a set of marvellous facts, but a truth connecting those facts. They do talk as if the connection of two strange things physically connected them philosophically. They feel that because one incomprehensible thing constantly follows another incomprehensible thing the two together somehow make up a comprehensible thing.
Or better yet, let's call it a Sense of Wonder
--“Orthodoxy”, G.K. Chesterton
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Horror is about emotion.
It's about taking (negative) emotions to extremes.
Fear? Yes. But also sadness, despair, anger, lust, etc.
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Discussion
“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe
“Dracula” by Bram Stoker
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Genre
is a loose set of criteria for a category of composition; the term is often used to categorize literature and speech, but is also used for any other form of art.
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Discussion
See Speculative Fiction Genres from http://www.squidoo.com/speculativefiction
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Read and discuss “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury.
Exercise
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Science-fiction, fantasy, horror, and other genre fiction
Speculative Fiction
By Dominique Gerald M. Cimafranca villageidiotsavant.com
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Philippines License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ph/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.