Slipstream, Magical realism, visionary and speculative fiction are the genres of fiction that are depicted in books, movies, or series. They are extremely popular among fiction lovers and allow them to immerse in a different world filled with imagination and illusion. However, if you’re a beginner, in this article, we will discuss the difference between them, with examples.
Slipstream fiction
This genre of literature is not entirely categorized under the umbrella of science fiction, horror, or fantasy. Slipstream literature or novels are on the weird side of the coin. It is popularly known as the genre of strangeness and is considered one of the various forms of speculative fiction. It is known to follow the concept of skepticism in real-world situations. Franz Kafka and Jore Luis Bordes are the best authors known for writing slipstream novels that follow a post-modern narrative. Some examples of Slipstream novels are:
- Peaches by Helen Oyeyemi gives character to non-living objects.
- The dangers of smoking in bed talking about the uncanny concepts of a classic horror story. Beware of the vivid dreams you have after reading the book.
- The Buttery Lampshade by Aimee Bender is considered a bible for weird and strange stories.
Magical Realism
Most of us might have read books or watched videos on magical realism without realizing its concept. It magically depicts real-world concepts. The literature genre also aims to depict real-world items in a magical sense, adding elements of fiction and fantasy to them. One of the most vital examples of this genre is Harry potter. The amalgam of the wizarding world underneath the real-world concepts and stories is one of the classics in the genre. Other books on this genre include:
- Hundred years of solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, which is also a read recommended by Barak Obama
- The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
- Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
Visionary fiction
This genre mainly discusses the mind and different perspectives of the mind, spirit, and body. It focuses on the quality of prophecy, depicts the core of moral truth, or provides predictive insights on certain things and concepts in the real world. It mainly helps people imagine the effect of intensive wordplay. Some of the books in this genre include:
- Octavia E Butler’s Parable of the Sower
- Fire on the Mountain by Terry Bisson
- Dark Matter by Sheree Renee Thomas
Speculative fiction
This fiction genre has different sub-genres under its umbrella. The stories created in this genre mainly answer the question – what if! It involves a parallel universe and stories on other planets, mainly involving reality distortion. There are many famous books in their mind-bending and intriguing genre which include:
- The Chronicles of Narnia
- The First to Die at the End
- Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas