Editors' Note

As a collective, we have lived through a time where politics, war, policies, and pandemics have torn through the cohesiveness of our world. It wasn't ever perfect, as a "perfect world" does not and cannot exist in our time, but we are filled with more hatred and division than ever before. In this Speculative Fiction class, we were given a chance to bring our voices to the table and create worlds that have or haven't been imagined before. Not only are we illuminating these sanctuaries for our minds, spirits, cultures, and bodies, but we're also sharing them with others: students, faculty, civilians in surrounding areas, and most importantly, you. Take these stories and allow yourself to get lost in the wonders of both beautiful and stark worlds. Have hope that one day your own dreams, wishes, and fantasies will come to life. It might be hard to envision an idyllic future without having to confront our present, and maybe you're not ready for that. That's ok. So, for now, these are our worlds—worlds as they could be.

When reading through the submitted stories, I looked for stories that felt the most realistic in terms of the worldbuilding and setting setup. I also looked for something that made each story unique because I wanted each story to be completely different from its counterparts. Isabel’s story felt very realistic in that the world she created is a future that seems very feasible with the world as it exists today. Wesley’s story had a comedic element with its multitude of curse words and the main character’s relationship with Dathen. Scarlett’s story presented an interesting conflict between Bunny and the choice she makes that changes everything. The moral quandaries present in Abi’s story kept me reading. Kennedy’s story was written from a perspective completely different from my own, and it was unlike anything I had ever read.

These stories appealed to me because of the impressively complex and captivating worlds they have managed to build. From hyper-intelligent computers that can easily communicate with humans to the ability of time travel, there is no part of these authors’ content that isn’t exciting. But what attracted me most about these stories were the characters. Each one of these narratives was able to generate a strong connection between the reader and the protagonist, despite how foreign the setting may have been. I thoroughly enjoyed getting the opportunity to dive into the fantastical imagination of my peers and to get to know the characters they created through writing.

For my selections, I chose Ariana and Katherine. They both displayed excellent knowledge of speculative fiction. Ariana uses her elegant and creative writing to create an essay that breakdown Daniel José Older’s “What Maya Found There”. Katherine does an excellent job of illustrating how in State Change by Ken Liu, Liu puts an interesting spin on characterization. Katherine is able to take Liu’s story and apply it to life in the real world.

Your editors,

Gloria Choi ‘22, Layout Editor

Meghan Doran ‘22, Fiction Editor

Ivan Betancourt ’22, Fiction Editor

Jordan Rayford ’22, Nonfiction Editor