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A Guide to Speculative Fiction at Gustavus Library: Start

A guide to speculative fiction created by Visiting Librarian Abe Nemon in 2021/2022.

Welcome to A Guide to Speculative Fiction at Gustavus Library

St. Basil's Cathedral

Photo credits:

Weird Tales, January 1924 cover - http://www.luminist.org/archives/SF/WT.htm
Amazing Stories, September 1928 cover, featuring the winning entry in a contest to design an emblem for "scientifiction" - http://www.luminist.org/archives/SF/AS.htm

Cover of Amazing Stories, September 1928, featuring a logo with script text reading scientifiction.

Introduction

"Speculative fiction" is a catch-all term for science fiction, fantasyhorror, the gothic, the weird tale, magical realism, and related genres whose common feature is that they engage in speculation, calling on readers to use their imaginations and ask, "What if?"

This guide compiles resources for learning about Gustavus Library's rich collection of speculative fiction materials to make it easier for any one who wants to to enter into these genres, whether for in-depth study or casual enjoyment.

Fall 2022 reference (research) help:

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0