No fancy image for this post yet. I’m trying something new.
First Published: September 2, 2025 by Paul W. Romero
Preface: This was originally written on August 14, 2023 for MFA Creative Writing Program.
I see myself fitting into and influencing the speculative fiction genre, more specifically the science fiction/horror subgenre, based on past and current trends and evolutions as a wild card. I understand throughout my current studies as a literary writer and my past studies in film that there are certain tropes and ideas that sell. However, I think as I’ve mentioned in previous posts and discussions, that there are trends we follow and trends we set. There is something I’ve learned from Hollywood is that if we go chasing after a “current trend,” chances are that trend has already passed. We need to look ahead and speculate on what the next trend may be.
If we go chasing after a current trend chances are that trend has already passed.
Although there is a bit of hype over climate change fiction, I think this will eventually turn into something else along the way as time passes. As an example from Hollywood, we saw the rise of mass marketing in the sixties, to a boom in western film, to a surge in independent filmmakers up and into the eighties, to an obsession with science fiction, space, and the future in the same decade, to dinosaurs and blockbuster films in the nineties, to zombies and apocalyptic films in the 2000’s, to superhero films in the 2010’s, and now to the new and emerging trends of the 2020’s.
I also think that trends get recycled. For example, in the vampire realm of fiction, we had Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu that set the foundation in 1872 for Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1897 which paved the way for Nosferatu and other renditions of Dracula in the early 1900s. This trend was later revamped in the sixties by Sir Christopher Lee’s portrayal of the immortal being and revamped again in various forms such as in Stephen King’s ‘Salem’s Lot and Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire to later films such as The Lost Boys and Blade There was also a video game series that emerged called Castlevania. Later, in the new century, we had the vampire genre revamped again by Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight and HBO’s True Blood. I can go on, but the main point is trends can be redone.
Trends get recycled. Trends can be redone.
I see myself as someone searching for the next trend to set, whether it be researching the social and political events that give rise to it, or by revamping an old genre that is ripe for rebirth. Scheier states, “Speculative fiction has always dealt in humanity’s hopes and fears. It holds up a mirror to the present, visualizes a theoretical future world – or imagines an alternative one – and tells the story of how society might get from one to the other” (Scheier, “PRESENT TENSE: The Future’s Uncertain, and the End Is Always near. Here’s What New SFF Has to Say about It”). Scheier adds to this by quoting Lizzie Davis, associate editor at Coffee House Press as stating, “The most disturbing projects aren’t the ones that make great leaps into unrecognizable end times, but those that simply draw our current circumstances to their logical conclusions” (Scheier, “PRESENT TENSE: The Future’s Uncertain, and the End Is Always near. Here’s What New SFF Has to Say about It”).
Speculative fiction holds a mirror up to our hopes and our fears.
Wagner quotes Anne Sowards, Ace executive editor as stating, “We’re still seeing interest in fantasy inspired by fairy tales” (Wagner, “SEIZE THE FUTURE: As Ever, Sf and Fantasy Reflect the Present through the Lens of Alternate Pasts and Possible Tomorrows”). Wagner adds, “On the sf side, artificial intelligence (AI) is trending, perhaps owing to scientific advances in the news, commercial adoption of AI-driven applications such as Siri and Alexa, and the popularity of TV’s Westworld” (Wagner “SEIZE THE FUTURE: As Ever, Sf and Fantasy Reflect the Present through the Lens of Alternate Pasts and Possible Tomorrows”). My caveat to this is that this article was written five years ago [from the time of this original post], so trends have possibly altered since then, but the concept remains the same; retelling of old tales or creating new trends as with the rise of artificial intelligence.
As far as a market, I’m still working on that because it’s the two far sides of the spectrum. I want to create stories that are true to themselves and unapologetic. The issue with this, is that for my stories to flow into the best versions of themselves, there cannot be any censorship or punches held back which would make my ideas riper for the science fiction and horror adult readers such as Stephen King and Anne Rice fans.
Create stories that are true to themselves and unapologetic.
I still enjoy adding playful elements to my stories in that I don’t need them giving any sort of political ideology or philosophical enlightenment to the reader; I just want them to be fun and entertaining. Therefore, that playfulness draws me more to the R.L. Stine crowd, which are readers of all generations who enjoy great stories that are fun and adventurous with exciting characters, worlds, and ideas. I think the latter is the better approach to take, so perhaps I’ll write my manuscripts as naked nobodies and then conceal and reword whatever unnecessary elements are included to make it safe and enjoyable for all audiences. Or…last approach, I can Howard Stern it and just go all out and let any and everyone discover my vision and interpret it however they see fit.
This ties into the conventions of my genre which include speculation, hints of dystopia, ruin, struggle, inner and outer horrors, and things that appeal to all audiences in different forms. At the end of the day, younger audiences are no less smarter or aware than older audiences; we just attempt to keep their innocence for as long as possible, but how many of us saw films such as Robocop, The Terminator, Beavis and Butthead, Stephen King flicks, South Park and so forth as kids and to this day still remember this as fond childhood memories that served nothing other than a good time and great memory for us? Perhaps I’m a bad influence although I try not to be.
Works Cited
Scheier, Liz. “PRESENT TENSE: The Future’s Uncertain, and the End Is Always near. Here’s What New SFF Has to Say about It.” Publishers Weekly, vol. 266, no. 39, Sept. 2019, p. 19. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsglr&AN=edsglr.A602005071&site=eds-live&scope=site. Accessed 14 Aug. 2023.
Wagner, Emily. “SEIZE THE FUTURE: As Ever, Sf and Fantasy Reflect the Present through the Lens of Alternate Pasts and Possible Tomorrows.” Library Journal, vol. 143, no. 18, Nov. 2018, p. 18. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsglr&AN=edsglr.A561398697&site=eds-live&scope=site.
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