What does Margaret Atwood call her writing style?
Over her six-decade career, Margaret Atwood’s literary works have transcended conventional genres, blending elements of sci-fi, mystery, realism, dystopia, and more. When critics and readers have aimed to define or label her elusive style, Atwood herself has suggested “speculative fiction” best describes her creative vision that integrates imagined futures reflecting societal truths. Examining Atwood’s own terminology illuminates her pioneering voice.
Defining Speculative Fiction: Atwood's Alternative to "Science Fiction"
Atwood coined the term “speculative fiction” in opposition to the label “science fiction,” which she finds limiting. Speculative fiction allows realistic social critique while examining imagined scenarios derived from the current world state. Atwood thus classifies all her works, even dystopian tales like The Handmaid’s Tale, under this broad, elastic, provocative category.
Freedom from Genre Constraints: Atwood's Creative Vision Unleashed
Speculative fiction also frees Atwood from genre constraints she feels restrict creativity. She argues that rather than conforming to rigid conventions, fiction should explore ideas driven by resonant social commentary. Atwood’s fiction engages sci-fi elements if they serve her conceptual goals, not for genre identification itself.
Prioritizing Social Commentary: Atwood's Emphasis on Thematic Foundation
For Atwood, the label speculative fiction resists reductive categorization and focuses attention on her works’ overriding purpose - illuminating societal dilemmas and human nature through vividly imagined storytelling. Her chosen designation prioritizes this thematic foundation over stylistic demarcations.
Conclusion
By claiming the term speculative fiction, Margaret Atwood makes clear that her writing seeks not to fulfill genre expectations but to fearlessly extrapolate reality into daring hypotheticals revealing timeless truths. Atwood transcends conventions to prioritize immersive social commentary.
