[KevinMcLaughlin]

Speculative fiction is generically used to contain science fiction and fantasy, or stories from other genres which contain elements of those things (for example, supernatural horror, religious books with angels, and romance novels occurring on spaceships all arguably fall under this heading).

Basically, they're stories about things which have not been (future), were not (time travel altering the past), or could not be (magic, paranormal, etc.).

One of the most fun things about writing SF/fantasy - the spec fic category is *incredibly* broad.

 

[KevinMcLaughlin]

And some authors like Bradbury and Ellison prefer the label "SpecFic" as opposed to "Scifi." I think it was Ellison who said that if you called him a science fiction writer he would tear out your liver.

Well, to be fair - pretty much no fan of the genre born before 1980 uses the term "scifi". It's "SF", darn it.

(grumblegrumble SciFi channel get off my lawn grumblegrumble)

 

[KevinMcLaughlin]

Don't you mean "SyFy channel?

What? People still watch TV? *blinks up from current writing project*