Speculative biology is a genre of literature that explores alternative or possible ways to explain life. It can be fiction, non-fiction, or a combination of the two.
It is a literary genre that combines science and fiction to imagine a world in which some biological process has gone haywire, but does not break the laws of nature. Some speculative biology works also incorporate elements of fantasy or mythology.
It is a literary genre
Speculative biology is a literary genre that has become quite popular in modern culture. It can be found in novels, short stories, films and web pages. Often it involves a fantasy world that is based on the scientific idea of evolution and includes many fictional creatures. It may also be a work that deals with the future of mankind or a planet where humans have become extinct.
Unlike many other fiction genres, speculative biology does not have a particular set of rules. It can be about any kind of scenario that can be derived from scientific concepts, but it is typically more realistic than other types of science fiction.
For example, the most common subgenres of speculative biology involve imagining what could have happened in the past or in the present. These works often focus on how a world might have evolved if certain events had not occurred, such as if an alien race had not invaded Earth and created a new species of dinosaurs, or if a major event such as a mass extinction had not happened.
These works often involve a fusion of science and mythology, incorporating both known scientific concepts such as genetics and evolution, as well as more exotic ideas such as super-organisms or magic. They are sometimes classified as hard science fiction, although they also have a strong connection to and basis in real-world science, particularly biology.
One of the most famous subgenres is the “future evolution” subgenre. These works usually involve a future scenario where humanity is extinct or has migrated off-world, which allows the writer to explore different possibilities for the future of life on Earth.
Another popular subgenre is the “bottle worlds” setting, which focuses on creatures that live on isolated islands or plateaus that are far from established ecosystems. This enables writers to create unique environments for their creations, and it can include both plants and invertebrates.
These works often use the same techniques as speculative biology, including the idea that they can represent the invented world in a way that is functional and natural from the perspective of biology. However, this can be challenging to do if the creators are not trained in this area.
It is a field of science
Speculative biology is a field of science that studies the origins and evolution of life. It is a popular topic among amateur biologists and animal fans. Several books and documentaries have been created on the topic, as well as online.
The field of speculative biology can be divided into different sub-genres, which focus on different topics. Some of them include alternative evolutionary scenarios, while others are focused on what would have happened if one key event in the past had gone differently.
Another direction of speculative biology is “cryptopaleontology”. It is a field that considers creatures which have left no traces in the fossil record and have been thought to be extinct for a long time. These creatures may be invertebrates, plants or fungi that have been hidden from the geological record by their presence in tropical forests and other areas.
Other types of speculative biology involve the search for extraterrestrial life and alien planets. This direction is based on the idea that the laws of physics and evolutionary principles will still work, but that there are different conditions on an alien planet than those on Earth.
For example, in some works the terraforming of an alien planet is considered, and if it does happen, it could change the natural habitats of organisms on the new planet. It is also possible that a race of intelligent creatures from space could act as terraformers, creating new worlds with new ecosystems.
This is a genre that focuses on the evolution of animals in new environments, and it can be found in a variety of books and movies. It is popular among animal and nature lovers and is often found online, especially on sites like Deviantart and Reddit.
Speculative biology is a popular topic in fandoms that feature fantastical animals, and many artists use realism in their artworks. Speculative biology can also be found in fiction, where authors make up stories about animals that don’t fit with what we know about them.
It is a genre of fiction
Speculative biology is a literary genre that emerged at the intersection of science fiction and principles of biology. It is a form of fiction in which writers use fictional animals or plants to explore real-world problems such as climate change and evolution. The genre has also been popularized online, in forums and fandoms that feature fantasy creatures.
A subgenre of speculative biology is alternate history; works of this genre focus on what would have happened had some event in Earth’s past occurred differently, such as the dinosaurs becoming extinct or a planet being created. They often attempt to entirely restructure the Earth’s biosphere to account for these changes, and may even add or remove features or species as needed.
Another common subgenre is astrobiology, which investigates the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe. This can involve a variety of scientific disciplines, including astronomy and physics. The topic is commonly explored in the science-fiction film Avatar, which depicts a futuristic planet with living beings, or in books like The Time Machine (1895), where H. G. Wells imagines a planet where non-avian dinosaurs have populated the surface.
Other subgenres of speculative biology include alternative evolution, which focuses on the idea that different events in Earth’s deep past could have resulted in different forms of life. This kind of speculative biology is most common in works of alternative history, but can also include a range of other scenarios.
One of the earliest concrete examples of speculative biology was Gerolf Steiner’s 1957 book “The Snouters: Form and Life of Rhinogradentia” (under the pseudonym Harald Stumpke). This work is considered to be the first example of a speculative biology book, and it has kept its popularity among fans of the genre throughout the years.
The book’s success spurred a series of similar works from Dixon, exploring various possible scenarios for a future Earth. This movement eventually spawned the modern speculative evolution movement, which uses fictional creatures as a way to explore and explain real-world problems.
In the most popular works of speculative biology, authors try to dress their ideas in a story format. This allows them to appeal to a wider audience than those in the spec-biological ghetto and tries to get their ideas across in a more engaging manner. In some cases, these stories have a plot and heroes; other times, the spec-biological world is just described, with no defined villains or antagonistic forces.
It is a genre of non-fiction
Speculative biology is a genre of non-fiction that explores the concept of evolution through an imaginative approach. It can be found in a wide range of forms, from books and films to graphic arts and fandoms.
Often, works of this genre will include fictional versions of real-world organisms; this allows authors to explore alternative biological concepts without necessarily having to rely on a scientific foundation. Speculative biology can also be used to teach students about evolution and other aspects of the natural world.
The earliest examples of this genre are works that imagine how life on Earth would have developed if certain events in the past had gone differently. This is sometimes referred to as “alternative evolution.”
One of the more common subgenres is Xenobiology, which focuses on creatures that exist on alien planets or in entirely new environments. These creatures may not be fully compatible with the Earth’s ecosystems and, in some cases, will need to evolve on their own.
Another theme is the search for extraterrestrial life. These creatures may be of any variety, including intelligent ones. They may also be of any color or size, and some have a completely different appearance than the Earth’s native species.
These creatures are often very powerful, and they can even be sentient. They can have many special abilities, such as telepathy or clairvoyance.
This is a great way to engage students in science, but it can be a tricky genre to work with. In some cases, the science of the underlying universe will be too vague to allow the writer or film-maker to create an effective story.
Aside from being a literary genre, speculative biology is also an important area of science fiction. Many sci-fi films and television shows have a speculative background, such as James Cameron’s “Avatar” or the “Phantom Menace” of the Star Wars saga.
In the XXI century a lot of interesting ideas about speculative biology have been proposed by scientists and authors. These have been published in a number of publications and become very popular among fans of this genre.