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Tuesday, October 29, 2013

The BEST Speculative Fiction?

Note: "Speculative" does not necessarily mean LSD induced surrealism.
Now accepting nominations for November's poll--what is the BEST speculative fiction that is not fantasy, science fiction, or horror?

For our next poll, I want to make sure the umbrella covers quite a bit--mostly because this is a place where fewer people do a lot of extensive reading. It's not that some of you don't read a lot of alternate history or distopian fiction, or whatever, but horror, sci-fi, and fantasy tend to get the most readers, and I think the polls would have low turn out if I did ALL of speculative fiction's sub-genres.

So this poll will be everything else.  All the speculative fiction that isn't easily tossed into one of those three can go here.This is "loosely" what counts as speculative fiction. "weird fiction, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history." Just go nuts!

So I'm going to maintain my philosophy of being pretty liberal about nominations. If you've got a good idea that intersects with science fiction or fantasy that's okay, or if maybe you held back your urban fantasy suggestion from the fantasy poll because you felt like it had no place there, you can put it here. If you want to stretch the bounds of "speculative fiction" to include magical realism or surrealism, that's okay. If you feel like Spencer's The Fairy Queen isn't true fantasy, and want to put it here, that's fine. I trust your judgement.

Also, since we're dealing with sub-genres that are a little less well read, this needn't be stand alone or series. You can nominate either.

Rules: You may nominate two titles (stand alone books or series). You may "second" the nominations of as many other nominated titles as you like.  I will take the titles with the MOST "seconds" to the poll.  So don't forget to second the nominations of others that you like!

Also, be sure to check back periodically and see what new titles have been suggested.  The horror poll had a 12-way tie and only the titles that had been "seconded" multiple times made it to the actual poll.  I got this up late, so we'll probably start the poll about a week into November.

If there are ties, I will break them in the following way

  • Nominations made here (rather than as a reply on other social media will be favored.
  • If an author has more than two titles already on the poll, I will take the top two.
  • If a title is really stretching it as far as how well it fits on this poll.  
  • Voices that tend to be underrepresented in such polls (like women writers or people of color)
  • Any remaining ties (very unlikely) I will simply go mad with power and break by virtue of my personal opinion.


My two nominations will be Never Let Me Go by Ishiguro and Sputnik Sweetheart by Murakami.

Oh and don't forget to go vote on the BEST Stand Alone Horror novel poll if you haven't already.

39 comments:

  1. Would you count Spook Country or Pattern Recognition as too "science fiction" based? Gibson not being on a best speculative fiction list saddens me.

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    Replies
    1. Like I said, I'll go with your judgement. If you think they work, as "other" but have sci-fi elements, then they are totally cool.

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  2. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood

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  3. The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin and Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde

    And I'll second The Handmaid's Tale.

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  4. Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter By Seth Grahame-Smith
    -Alisha who's links still aren't working

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  5. Sandman by Neil Gaiman
    Tarzan Of The Apes by ER Burroughs

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  6. Second Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

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  7. I'll stick my Women on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy on here.

    Second Handmaiden's Tale.

    Antigone10

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  8. The Promethean Age by Elizabeth Bear

    Second Handmaid's Tale and Shades of Gray.

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  9. The Eyre Affair (& the rest of the Thursday Next books) by Jasper Fforde

    The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

    I second Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter

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  10. The Callahans' series by Spider Robinson

    Glasgow Fairytale by Alastair D McIver

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  11. I'll fourth (?) The Handmaid's Tale,

    I'll also second The Rook.

    Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury.

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    Replies
    1. I second Something Wicked This Way Comes.

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    2. I'll also second Something Wicked This Way Comes.

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  12. Watership Down by Richard Adams

    The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson (http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1597)

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  13. Seconding Glasgow Fairy tale

    Nominating Good Omens by neil gaiman and terry pratchett

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    Replies
    1. Well if no one else will second Good Omens, I will. It's a fun read.

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    2. second good omens

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  14. Second Watership Down
    Second Good Omens

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    Replies
    1. I will totes second both of these rocking nominations.

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  15. "House of the Spirits" by Allende

    I'm putting this here on behalf of someone who wrote me through FB and told me they were having trouble even leaving an anonymous comment.

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  16. I was asked to put a couple more here by someone having trouble commenting. I convinced the person that Neverwhere belonged on a fantasy poll (and was actually ON our fantasy poll a few months back), but I was convinced to put American God's here.

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  17. Nominating "Alas Babylon" by Pat Frank (Harry Hart Frank)!

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  18. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

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  19. As She Climbed Across the Table by Jonathan Lethem

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  20. Idk... I love Watership Down, and Good Omens is definitely a fun read, but, tbh they seem fantasy to me. Also, if I'm being honest, a lot of times if I can't win I won't play, and it is a bit late for nominations. I'd like to make an exception to that negativity though and throw in "Clan of the Cave Bear" by Jean M Auel and "Watchmen" the graphic novel written by Alan Moore (illustrated by Dave Gibbons). I'd also like to second "Something Wicked This Way Comes"

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    Replies
    1. Scratch "Clan of the Cave Bear", that's Historical Fiction rather than Alternative Fiction, not really Speculative Fiction at all... ~feeling foolish~

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    2. I wouldn't feel foolish at all! I was thinking Clan had its place in speculative fiction. I nearly nominated it myself.

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  21. Hrm, I keep trying to comment today, but nothing happens. I wanted to second your nomination in your original post, Never Let Me Go, which is one of my favorite books.

    Amy

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  22. I will second "Alas, Babylon" by Pat Frank.

    I will also second "Clan of the Cave Bear". Yes, it is historical but it is speculative. We really don't know how Neanderthals lived or communicated and only recently have we discovered there is Neanderthal DNA in modern humans.

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