Just how do you define certain genres?

[tinkerdan]

Heinlein was saying that some stuff called science fiction would not qualify as speculative fiction. Fantasy was definitely out of his spec-fic box.

https://canvas.eee.uci.edu/courses/35146/files/14592832/download?download_frd=1

Here's an interesting pdf paper that explains some of this and then goes a bit further.

I've just reread this:

https://staging.paulrosejr.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/on_the_writing_of_speculative_ficiton.pdf

And I think that others should,
Clearly Heinlein was not limiting Speculative fiction to Science fiction.
A fact made clear by the quote from Kipling at the very onset.

However his word make it clear that he is limiting his discussion to what he wrote and what he knew and then he somewhat defines that while making it clear that that is not all that fall under Speculative Fiction. And yes--under as in Speculative fiction is an umbrella over his Two principal ways--human interest stories and gadget stories. Any limitation here though is covered by his statement that he would stick with what he knows. He talks of what he knows-Science fiction--but never limits Speculative fiction to just that.

 

[sinister42]

I just finished a novel that I'd describe as a funny sci-fi fantasy horror. I've been interested in cross-genre writing for a long time, reading a lot of weird fiction and slipstream like China Mieville and short story compilations from other weird fiction authors. When people ask me what genre I write in, I say "mostly sci-fi" even though my novel contains werewolves, vampires, Lovecraftian horrors, aliens, and magic, and is generally set in a near-future "normal world" - i.e. Portland, Oregon about 10 years from now. The only sci-fi elements are the aliens and the fact that most people drive electric cars or motorcycles. The existence of magic might make the story fantasy, and the inclusion of werewolves, vampires, and Lovecraftian monsters might make it horror. And the whole thing is deeply influenced by the humor of Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, and Christopher Moore. So...what genre is my novel? *shrug*