SPECULATIVE FICTION'S BIG, BOLD STATEMENT

ON a crisp January evening, the free community library at Masoodpur in South Extension transformed into a portal of another dimension. Writers, students, artists, and curious young minds gathered to witness the launch of The Blaft Book of Anti-Caste Speculative Fiction.

- PRACHI SATRAWAL

Blaft Publications, known for unearthing literary gems that straddle the bizarre and the brilliant, has yet again delivered an anthology that transcends genres.

Their latest offering, an anthology of 32 speculative fiction stories edited by RT Samuel, Rakesh K and Rashmi RD, is no exception. But before you imagine a legion of aliens and shiny spaceships, let's clarify: this isn't your run-of-the-mill sci-fi collection. Co-editor RT Samuel, alongside five of the contributors—Yukti Narang, Snehashish Das, Esther Larisa David, Aswathy K Raj, and Rahee Punyashloka—introduced the eager audience to the collection that challenges not just the imagination but entrenched social hierarchies. The anthology features genres like magical realism, science fiction, horror, and translations from six languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, and Bengali.

Through the anti-caste lens

Speculative fiction thrives on imagination, with its settings, tropes, and themes offering infinite possibilities for challenging norms. Samuel, reflecting on the anthology's genesis, emphasized its radical premise: "Speculative fiction, predicated on imagination, is inherently political. This book was conceived to fill a glaring gap in South Asian speculative fiction publishing. It is a labour of love, crowd-funded by hundreds of people globally." His words set the stage for the evening's discourse—a deep dive into the potential of speculative fiction to unsettle the status quo. "This is not a manifesto," he clarified. "It's a collection of really well-made fiction. But anti-casteism was imbued in every step of its creation—from fairly compensating writers and translators to ensuring a balance between seasoned writers and promising new voices. After all, holding space for fresh perspectives is integral to Ambedkarite thought."