Speculative Insight: a journal of space, magic, and footnotes

21/03/2025

Some of my authors have made trailers for their essays! You can see them here:

www.speculativeinsight.com/trailers

(They're very cute.)

E.D.E Bell discusses what “quiet fiction” is (and isn’t) and suggests some useful spectra for discussing fiction (eg quiet loud).

19/03/2025

One year ago, Octavia Cade wrote a magnificent essay about what might happen to predators in a post capitalist world... and it's not hitting any softer today.

You can still read it by subscribing, and get all the other subs-only essays too! (AUD30, GBP15, USD19)
www.speculativeinsight.com

19/03/2025

VJ Knipe talks about her essay, "Forensics for Fairytales," in this short video...

Read the essay now by subscribing: AUD30/ GBP15/ USD19 for the year - www.speculativeinsight.com

18/03/2025

New essay! in which VJ Knipe discusses the use of forensic terms in work by P. Djeli Clark Liz Williams, Ben Aaronovitch, and JD Robb.

Subscribe to read this and 11 other, subs-only, essays over the year: AUD30 (GBP15, USD19)/year. www.speculativeinsight.com

17/03/2025

An example of the sort of analysis that VJ Knipe uses in her essay - Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series being one of her key texts for the use of forensics.

Read now by subscribing for AUD30 (GBP15, USD19) for an extra essay a month. www.speculativeinsight.com

15/03/2025

New subscriber essay: how do SFF novels talk about forensic science? Vanessa Knipe uses word counts and stats to examine works by Ben Aaronovitch, P. Djeli Clark, JD Robb and Liz Williams...

Subscribe to read this and other essays: AUD30 (~GBP15, USD19)/year. www.speculativeinsight.com

14/03/2025

New essay for subscribers: Forensics for Fairytales, in which Vanessa Knipe discusses exactly that. With STATISTICS. And GRAPHS.
Discussing books by Liz Williams, Ben Aaronovitch (obvs), P. Djeli Clark (also obvs), and JD Robb (... obvs).

Read now: subscribe for AUD30 (about GBP15 or USD19) for the year! www.speculativeinsight.com

03/03/2025

Tansy Rayner Roberts on s*x, s*xuality, and old age in Terry Pratchett's wizards (wizzards) of Discworld...

Read now at www.speculativeinsight.com

02/03/2025

Fear of super wizards, or the comfort of male-bastion-academia?
Tansy Rayner Roberts asking the tough questions about Pratchett's wizards and their no-s*x rules.

Read now: www.speculativeinsight.com

01/03/2025

Did have a definite reason for imposing celibacy on the wizards? According to Tansy Rayner Roberts, not so much.

Read the essay now:
www.speculatveinsight.com

01/03/2025

within a running wolf, four-pawed, howling

28/02/2025

New essay in Tansy Rayner Roberts' Pratchett's Men series: just why are wizards meant to be celibate? Several reasons are given, not all of which make sense...

Read now! Share widely!
https://www.speculativeinsight.com/essays/celibate-wizzard

24/02/2025

Three days left. And if you've only just seen this and you're fretting because you've got an idea but it's not fully formed, SEND IT anyway! Happy to workshop your idea with you.

About one more week to send me your essay pitch!

Under-represented/marginalised authors, we are VERY interested in your work (whether or not it focuses on identity!)

Payment is AUD 5c/word...
www.speculativeinsight.com/pitches-open

23/02/2025

Just under a week now to get your pitch to us!

About one more week to send me your essay pitch!

Under-represented/marginalised authors, we are VERY interested in your work (whether or not it focuses on identity!)

Payment is AUD 5c/word...
www.speculativeinsight.com/pitches-open

19/02/2025

About one more week to send me your essay pitch!

Under-represented/marginalised authors, we are VERY interested in your work (whether or not it focuses on identity!)

Payment is AUD 5c/word...
www.speculativeinsight.com/pitches-open

19/02/2025

SUBMISSIONS - University of Glasgow’s first fantasy fiction publication Elsewhere, is calling for submissions! 

‘We are interested in all forms of fantasy, but especially those with voices and stories historically under-represented in the genre. Contributors will work with a passionate team of student editors and have their work published in the journal at the end of the year. Some details are below, but please check the submission link provided for all the specifics. Any questions? Please direct them to our IG () or our email ([email protected]). ‘

✨DEADLINE 1st March.✨

Visit for more info and the link to submit is here and in our IG stories: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScpOdvFbGo8iyFNqiw6JIJ9eF0s9Pa4O8fOPabziYqcwhWOfg/viewform?usp=sf_link 

More info below👇

Who can submit? 

‘Anyone! Contributors need not be students, in Glasgow or anywhere else. Younger students, uni students, staff, alumni, and the general public are all welcome to send in their work. If you know someone outside UG who might be interested in submitting work, please let them know about us.’

What do they accept? 

‘All forms of fantasy media including short stories, physical and digital art, music, novel excerpts, and more. Whatever you have to show us, we want to see it!’

When is the deadline?

All submissions to Elsewhere are due on March 1, 2025.

18/02/2025

Emily Bell suggests four continuums for thinking about and categorising fiction in this new subscriber essay...

Read it now by subscribing for AUD30/year (which gets you a subscriber essay per month, and two ebook collections each year!)

www.speculativeinsight.com

16/02/2025

EDE Bell makes important claims for the power of introspective fiction in eir essay about "Quiet Fiction" and what that means.

Subscribe now (AUD30! GBP15 / USD19! annually) and read it, along with every other subscriber essay...

www.speculativeinsight.com