If you’re not familiar with certain literary terms, you may not know whether you should try out a new author. After all, authors typically define themselves by the genre in which they write.
Caveat: Genre is not the only way authors define themselves. However, it is a way authors and readers can determine whether there is a connection.
Readers often ask me, “What do you write?”
I usually tell them “speculative fiction,” and leave it at that. But what is speculative fiction?
What Is Speculative Fiction?
Most readers are familiar with terms like science fiction, fantasy, dystopian, urban fantasy, and apocalyptic literature. Speculative fiction, however, is a bit more elusive. It can mean different things to different people. Michael Woodson calls it a “++storytelling vehicle++”. A technique, if you will. He’s not wrong.
The way I use the term is also the way ++Wikipedia describes it++. It’s an umbrella term for multiple genres of literature that most readers may already be familiar with. These include but are not limited to:
- Fantasy
- Science fiction
- Supernatural literature
- Horror
- Dystopian
- Alternative history
- Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic
- Weird fiction
- Meta fiction
- And more
Some of the best speculative fiction authors blend these genres and may incorporate speculative elements into other genres such as romance, western, crime, and genres of realistic fiction.
What Is Flash Fiction?
Flash fiction is a style of fiction writing, not a genre. It’s defined by the size of the story rather than the story elements. For instance, a novel is a work of fiction of at least 50,000 words. Novellas are stories within the 15,000- to 50,000-word range. The novelette is even shorter, clocking in between 7,500 and 15,000 words. A short story is usually 1,500 to 10,000 words.
If you see where I’m going, a flash fiction story is anything under 1,500 words. Some people include another category called microfiction, which is less than 100 words.
These word lengths vary depending on who you ask. If that seems fluid, that’s because it is. What’s in a definition anyway?
Why Read Speculative Flash Fiction?
Avid readers usually know what kind of stories they like. If you’ve never delved into the richness of speculative fiction, it’s a broad genre that, I believe, almost anyone can find something to croon over. Even if you have a narrow interest, such as vampire stories, paranormal romance, or weird western, you might venture from your usual reading in some cases to try something new (and I hope you do!).
Speculative fiction explores possibilities that aren’t natural to the real world. Its obvious counterpart is reality fiction, which includes mysteries, romances, crime dramas, and other genres. As noted before, even those genres may contain speculative elements.
Speculative flash fiction is a particular style of short fiction writing that is easy to digest. There are several reasons why you might explore speculative flash fiction. Here are four reasons to consider right now:
- Try something different - If you’re accustomed to reading novels, flash fiction stories can give you a different taste. Like the difference between a cup of coffee and a shot of espresso, it’s a different experience. You’ll find yourself amazed, or amused, at how some authors can pull off telling a complete story in just a few words.
- Save time - Many people have given up reading entire novels because they are too busy to read. Flash fiction allows you to consume a few stories in a short time. It’s perfect for busy people.
- Try new authors - If you’re not sure you want to spend several hours exploring a new author, you can read that author’s flash fiction stories and see if their writing style matches your reading preferences.
- Explore a new genre - Just as you can test new authors with flash fiction, you can read flash fiction in a new genre (speculative fiction, for instance) before committing yourself to an entire novel in that genre.
Want to dive into a few speculative flash fiction stories of your own? Here are some flash fiction stories I’ve had published:
Stay tuned into Spec-Fic Files for more speculative flash fiction. Meanwhile, try reading some flash fiction in one of the ++Biblical Legends Anthology Series++, edited and published by yours truly.
Image from Pexels. This post was first published at Substack.
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