It’s the first Monday of June, and for many of us in the Northern Hemisphere, things are starting to feel like summer. Hopefully, that also means vacation is on the horizon. And what’s a vacation without a good book (or twelve)?
Since I happen to be a fan of speculative fiction (Science Fiction, Fantasy, and everything in between), that’s where I tend to default when making reading recommendations. But, say you don’t care for “spec fic,” or you haven’t found the right place to dip your toe into the pool with the rest of us quirky folks. If that’s you, you’ve come to the right place, friend!
I’d like to present to you A Tourist’s Guide to Speculative Fiction.
There are about a thousand different genres and subgenres under the speculative umbrella, but four of the most popular (and in my opinion, accessible to general audiences) are fantasy, fairy tales, science fiction, and dystopian. I’ll highlight some recommendations for each.
If you’re anything like me, then you’ll know that the closer you get to a story the harder it is to objectively question it. You’ve spent so much time there and it works so well in your brain that it’s hard to take that mental step back and look for problems.
The Spinning Pen 