The Fantastical Elements

Speculative Fiction (sci-fi, fantasy, horror, paranormal)

You could be thinking “In a galaxy far, far away” or “Space, the final frontier” or maybe even “I ‘van’t to suck your blood”. Speculative fiction is so much more than that because it is a worldly-size umbrella, a blend of genres that can stand on their own or overlap and include any narrative storytelling with supernatural or futuristic elements. And it doesn’t stop there, it is the genres of science fiction, fantasy, horror, the supernatural, paranormal, science fantasy, and tales of superheros.

These stories can typically stray from the reality we live in and therefore they can feature fictional types of beings like mythical creatures and supernatural entities. Technologies that do not exist in real life. like time machines and interstellar spaceships, (but possibly could) or magical or otherwise scientifically inexplicable elements, are as real in these worlds as trains, planes and automobiles are to us.

Basically, these stories can make our minds pop and go “Wow!!!!”

At this year’s Bookshelf event, this category is honoured with the presence of:

  • MJ Moores, Science Fiction/Fantasy
  • Jason Shannon, Science Fiction
  • Jen Frankel, Speculative Fiction
  • Dylan Madeley, YA/Fantasy
  • Val Tobin, Speculative Fiction
  • Justin Wright, Fantasy
  • Elyse Kishimoto, YA/Speculative Fiction
  • A.A. Jankiewicz, YA/Fantasy
  • Cathy Hird, YA/Historical

We would also like to thank one of our generous sponsors: