In the U.S., speculative fiction—from science fiction and cyberpunk to post-apocalyptic narratives—often appears bound by a predictable framework. These genres reflect Western ideals, particularly those steeped in pro-capitalistic and individualistic narratives. As writers and readers, we find ourselves in a self-reinforcing cycle, a creative feedback loop where ideas bounce within a confined space of familiar tropes and outcomes. This is not a critique of the quality or imagination inherent in Western speculative fiction but rather an observation that it frequently revisits the same themes, often to the detriment of speculative fiction’s core question: What if?
This article explores the limitations imposed by this feedback loop and the need to look beyond the constraints of Western thinking. Drawing from alternative global perspectives could vastly enrich speculative fiction. By embracing diverse viewpoints, not only can writers create more compelling work, but readers, too, can encounter narratives that challenge their assumptions and broaden their imaginations.
The Western-Centric Creative Feedback Loop
Western speculative fiction often operates within a framework that aligns with pro-capitalistic ideas, an individualistic ethos, and linear conceptions of progress. This framework influences the genre in both subtle and overt ways. Characters, for example, are often portrayed as rugged individualists, carving out their own destinies in worlds dominated by technology or oppressive governments. Even cyberpunk, a genre often critical of corporate power, tends to center on protagonists who fight against the system but rarely question the fundamental structures that support it. The trope of the lone hero rebelling against society is emblematic of the American mythos, echoing the “self-made” archetype that dominates much of Western storytelling.
This cycle—where readers expect and receive a certain kind of story—reinforces itself. Writers produce work that aligns with these tropes because it’s what readers recognize, enjoy, and purchase. Publishers and media companies, in turn, amplify these narratives because they’ve proven financially successful. Thus, the creative feedback loop strengthens, pushing speculative fiction further toward a narrow set of ideas that prioritize familiar Western themes, while leaving little room for challenging perspectives or alternative structures. When writers engage with speculative fiction only through this Western-centric lens, they risk limiting the genre’s potential, falling back on tropes rather than exploring the unknown.
This loop isn’t just a limitation for speculative fiction as a genre; it restricts the potential of imaginative work itself. The what-if questions that speculative fiction seeks to answer become confined within the walls of Western ideals, leading to a homogenization of creativity that shortchanges both writers and readers.
Recognizing the Need for New Perspectives in Speculative Fiction
To break this cycle, speculative fiction must open itself to global perspectives and move beyond the constraints of Western frameworks. While it’s easy to say that international voices should be included, this needs to happen on a deeper level and also requires investigation. Writers can’t simply transplant Western tropes into non-Western settings; they need to explore the underlying philosophies, values, and social structures that shape different worldviews. Doing so requires a willingness to move beyond one’s own comfort zone and engage with stories and perspectives that challenge ingrained assumptions.
For instance, while Western science fiction often portrays technological advancement as inevitable, even necessary, other cultures might interpret it differently. In some Indigenous narratives, technology and nature are not at odds but interwoven in a balance that prioritizes community well-being over individual gain. Eastern philosophies, like Buddhism or Taoism, offer views on interconnectedness and cyclical time that starkly contrast with the linear, often achievement-oriented focus of Western speculative narratives. Drawing from such worldviews offers a wellspring of possibilities that can deepen speculative fiction and make it more resonant with global audiences.
Breaking out of the Western paradigm also means letting go of the need for speculative fiction to “solve” problems. Western speculative fiction often frames challenges—technological, environmental, or social—as issues to be overcome by human ingenuity. However, this solution-oriented approach is not universal. Some cultures prioritize coexistence or acceptance of limitations rather than overcoming them, offering alternative ways to frame conflict and resolution within speculative stories. By embracing these diverse frameworks, writers can breathe fresh life into speculative fiction, creating narratives that offer genuine novelty rather than iterations of familiar patterns.
Moving Beyond Market Trends and Shock Value
While exploring non-Western perspectives is important, it’s equally critical not to fall into the trap of treating global voices as market trends. Simply adding international settings or characters for diversity’s sake without understanding their underlying cultures can backfire, resulting in superficial representation rather than authentic engagement. Writing about other cultures or alternative frameworks should not be approached as a “rebellion” against Western norms, nor as a gimmick to capture a niche audience. Rather, it should come from a genuine interest in broadening the speculative fiction landscape.
The push for diverse representation often leads to narratives that merely depict exoticized versions of non-Western settings while retaining a fundamentally Western worldview. This practice undermines the depth and richness that diverse perspectives can bring. Instead of surface-level changes, the true shift lies in understanding and internalizing the philosophies, social structures, and historical contexts that shape different cultures’ approaches to speculative ideas. This approach requires effort, research, and respect but can yield stories that are both enriching and enlightening.
In addition to exploring international perspectives, speculative fiction writers can also look to history for inspiration. Many narratives focus solely on futuristic or otherworldly settings, overlooking the past as a rich source of speculative material. Throughout history, cultures across the world have grappled with questions that are still relevant today. Ancient myths, philosophical inquiries, and traditional narratives offer frameworks that speculative fiction can adapt, allowing the genre to evolve beyond the cyclical nature of its Western roots.
Learning from Pioneering International Writers
Writers from around the world have long been exploring speculative themes through different cultural lenses, often with stunning results. Latin American magical realism, for example, intertwines the fantastical and the mundane in a way that defies Western conventions. Authors like Gabriel García Márquez and Isabel Allende explore questions of existence, love, and identity through narratives that challenge binary thinking. Rather than dividing reality from fantasy, they blend the two, creating stories that feel both expansive and intimate.
Africanfuturism, pioneered by authors like Nnedi Okorafor, offers another exciting alternative. By centering African experiences, values, and historical contexts, Africanfuturism addresses speculative themes in ways that diverge from the standard Western narrative. The genre places community, sustainability, and a reverence for ancestry at its core, presenting speculative worlds that feel refreshingly different yet universally relevant.
In post-World War II Japan, the devastation and existential uncertainty of the era gave rise to a new kind of speculative literature, often surreal and deeply introspective. Kobo Abe and Kenzaburo Oe emerged as pioneering voices, using their work to probe questions of identity, alienation, and the search for meaning in a rapidly modernizing, often disorienting world.
From Japanese cyberpunk that infuses technology with Shinto beliefs to Indigenous science fiction that foregrounds land stewardship, pioneering international writers are already pushing the boundaries of speculative fiction. These writers prove that speculative fiction need not be constrained by Western ideals, demonstrating the genre’s potential to embrace broader perspectives and tackle a wider range of existential questions.
Embracing the Path Away from Genre Continuity
Finally, to break free from the creative feedback loop, speculative fiction must challenge its own genre conventions. Writers and readers alike should be willing to embrace stories that deviate from the established norms, even if it means stepping outside the boundaries of what has traditionally been defined as science fiction, fantasy, or horror. By blending genres, adopting unconventional narrative structures, and moving away from formulaic endings, speculative fiction can become a playground for experimentation, where imagination reigns supreme. And history has proven these writers, with some dogged perseverance can, and often do, break through to large audiences.
Breaking away from genre continuity also means accepting that speculative fiction doesn’t need to provide neat resolutions. Stories that leave questions unanswered or allow multiple interpretations can be just as satisfying as those with clear-cut endings. Embracing ambiguity and complexity can open up new avenues for creativity and thought, inviting readers to engage with speculative fiction on a deeper, more personal level.
Conclusion: The Future of Speculative Fiction Beyond the Feedback Loop
As writers and readers, we have the opportunity—and the responsibility—to push speculative fiction beyond its Western-centric feedback loop. By incorporating diverse perspectives, engaging with historical and philosophical ideas, and breaking away from established genre norms, we can keep the genre fresh, relevant, and thought-provoking. Speculative fiction has always been about imagining the possibilities; let’s make sure those possibilities are as boundless as they can be. In expanding our horizons, we enrich not only the genre but our own understanding of the world and our place within it.
If you’re looking for some help getting started: Kobo Abe (Japan) – The Woman in the Dunes (1962) Kenzaburo Oe (Japan) – A Personal Matter (1964) Clarice Lispector (Brazil) – The Hour of the Star (1977) Ben Okri (Nigeria) – The Famished Road (1991) Can Xue (China) – Frontier (2008) Nuruddin Farah (Somalia) – Maps (1986) Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o (Kenya) – Devil on the Cross (1980) Ayi Kwei Armah (Ghana) – The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born (1968) Elena Ferrante (Italy) – My Brilliant Friend (2011) Carlos Fuentes (Mexico) – Aura (1962) Alejo Carpentier (Cuba) – The Kingdom of This World (1949) Mohsin Hamid (Pakistan) – Exit West (2017) Han Kang (South Korea) – The Vegetarian (2007) Leila Aboulela (Sudan) – The Translator (1999) Marjane Satrapi (Iran/France) – Persepolis (2000) Natsuo Kirino (Japan) – Out (1997) Indra Sinha (India) – Animal’s People (2007) Tahar Ben Jelloun (Morocco) – This Blinding Absence of Light (2001) Bessie Head (Botswana) – When Rain Clouds Gather (1969) Hwang Sok-yong (South Korea) – The Guest (2001) Tsitsi Dangarembga (Zimbabwe) – Nervous Conditions (1988) Manjula Padmanabhan (India) – Harvest (1997) Juan Rulfo (Mexico) – Pedro Páramo (1955) Assia Djebar (Algeria) – Children of the New World (1962) Yoko Ogawa (Japan) – The Memory Police (1994) Amos Tutuola (Nigeria) – The Palm-Wine Drinkard (1952) Dino Buzzati (Italy) – The Tartar Steppe (1940) Jorge Amado (Brazil) – Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon (1958) Banana Yoshimoto (Japan) – Kitchen (1988) Naguib Mahfouz (Egypt) – Children of the Alley (1959)
*** This list includes seven Nobel laureates. All are major award winners and nominees.
