ABSTRACT
Science fiction, the fantastic, the yarn and the fable are all interrelated. ‘Tlön Uqbar, Orbis Tertius’ could be classed as science fiction (SF), and so could several of the other stories I mention in both the previous chapter and Chapter 1. Some prefer the term speculative fiction , downplaying the emphasis on scientific hardware and the geek image that used to be so off-putting – especially for women, who are now much more visible amongst the SF community. Whatever the initials stand for, SF covers a very broad tradition. Historically, the classification has covered everything: from the ‘hard’ technological fantasies of Isaac Asimov’s robot stories to the mythological fantasies of Ursula K. Le Guin; H. P. Lovecraft’s weird tales and David Brin’s update on genetic engineering; from the thought experiments of Philip K. Dick to the heroic adventures of Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian. Like the fantastic, science fiction is a great opportunity for you to extend your imaginative range through a variety of styles and techniques.
