TEXT Journal review: Writing in a genre where ‘nothing is out of bounds’: Speculative Fiction as a transformative force
Writing Speculative Fiction is permeated by an upbeat and playful tone that is entertaining and motivating. While outlining the generic ‘rules’ typically touted for writing in the realm of speculative fiction, Bacon rouses writers to challenge and contravene such prescriptive and predictable conventions. She convincingly argues that ‘genre labelling is no more than a device of commercialization’ (58) and encourages writers of speculative fiction to be inventive and disruptive – to blend and cross genres; to dissolve boundaries between different styles; to subvert tropes; to rewrite, revise and remix classic tales; and to eccentrically experiment with dissonant themes in order to ‘break from traditional thought and resultant binaries’ (113). Bacon incites us to commit writing as a radical act.
