Disability in black speculative fiction

Abstract

Black speculative fiction is a robust genre that encompasses a wide range of texts in terms of topics and aesthetics. Speculative fiction is an umbrella term for a collection of non-realist genres including science fiction, fantasy, horror, magical realism, utopian and dystopian literature, alternative history, futuristic fiction, and more. The social and political value of black speculative fiction is evident in some of the key terms of the genre. The role of disability in speculative fiction generally is an important, though sometimes vexed, issue. An intersectional perspective is attuned to how multiple systems of privilege and oppression operate in an individual’s life. In the case of interpreting fiction, therefore, one must understand, for example, a gay black disabled man character experiences ableism, racism, and homophobia alongside male privilege. The perception of Kamla as disabled and people’s uncomfortable reactions to her cannot, however, be separated from her status as a black woman or girl.