Speculative fiction is a term used to describe works of literature that are highly imaginative and based in an alternate reality. Speculative fiction encompasses mainly science fiction, fantasy and horror.
The Man in High Castle is a work of speculative fiction as it could be said to encompass all these sub genres. When reading the book we are made to feel that there is always some evil lurking in the background and that all the decisions made will still lead to the same path and there is therefore no way of escaping from fate. As described by Gioia, T (n.d) “...this is a novel that seems as much a dream
or a vision, and when we finally encounter the “Man in the High Castle” in the closing pages, it is hard to suppress the suspicion that we have met the dreamer in person, and that it is Philip K. Dick himself.” This book attracts the reader by making us feel like we are watching all these events take place in some sort of warped parallel universe that the author himself has lived in, and therefore we may have a chance of seeing one day.
Brown identifies central themes and concerns of the novel as being ideas such as the belief in other worlds, action and reaction and the perceptions of reality. As Brown (2001) states; ‘Dick suggests that the world presented in The Man in the High Castle is but an illusion, that other, better worlds might exist’. This suggestion is central to the science fiction genre, as is the link to alternate realities. Science fiction allows us to look into a different world or maybe even the future of our own and link this to the reality of how we are living now.
Some interesting initial responses Rizwana. Re your first comment, in what way is speculative fiction different from science fiction, and how might you describe 'The man in the High Castle' as containing aspects of science fiction? Interestingly, many commentators suggest that Dick's novels only border on SF. (For example, to what degree is 'Scanner Darkly' SF?) Your second response probably needs a bit more development - perhaps referring to specific scenes from 'The Man in the High Castle" Also don't forget to include the questions before each of your responses.
ReplyDelete