speculative fiction

plural speculative fictions

1. uncountableA class of fiction involving fantastic, supernatural, or futuristic elements, including fantasy, horror, and science fiction, dealing with worlds, themes, and characters not part of everyday life.First known use 20th c.

   There are at least two principal ways to write speculative fiction—write about people, or write about gadgets.

   1947, Robert A. Heinlein, On the Writing of Speculative Fiction

   2 more examples

   And the speculation shows signs of turning into very sophisticated science fiction – science fiction in the purest sense; speculative fiction about science.

   1987, Angela Carter, “Bruce Chatwin: The Songlines”, in Shaking a Leg, Vintage, published 2013, page 588

   Stephenson is one of speculative fiction’s most meticulous architects, and here he’s got sheets and sheets of blueprint.

   2021 November 16, Omar El Akkad, “Neal Stephenson’s Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   Synonyms: imaginative fiction, non-mimetic fiction, SF, SF/F/H

2. countableA particular work belonging to this class.