The debate between Atwood and Lequin reveals biases and new changes in the understanding of the essence of science fiction literature. The article summarizes the arguments of the two individuals and combines genre criticism and conceptual metaphor research to propose that genre is a boundary conceptual metaphor system, and science fiction novels are prone to paradigm revolutions due to their strong boundary fluidity and permeability. Taking the recent changes in genre of speculative novels as an example for verification. Atwood is a famous Canadian novelist, and his work "The Handmaid's Tale" is considered a classic of the 20th century. Lequin is an American science fiction and fantasy female writer, whose works "The Legend of the Mediterranean" and "The Left Hand of Darkness" have had a profound impact. The debate between the two reflects a fundamental disagreement on the boundaries of science fiction, fantasy, fantasy, and utopian genres, and clarifying these concepts is the starting point for studying science fiction.

The "Science Fiction/Speculation" Literary Debate between Atwood and Lequin

A detailed discussion was held on the controversy between Margaret Atwood and Ursula Lequin regarding the definition of the genre of "science fiction/speculation". Atwood proposed the concept of "speculative novels" in her collection "Moving Targets" to distinguish her works from science fiction, arguing that speculative novels focus more on the possibilities of reality, while science fiction involves the impossible. She emphasized on multiple occasions that she is not an expert in science fiction and attempted to classify science fiction and fantasy novels into one category, while speculative novels are a broader concept. Lequin criticized this, stating that Atwood's works actually embody the characteristics of science fiction, exploring the future world from the perspective of current trends, and Atwood's denigration of science fiction is to protect the work from being classified as a low-level genre. This debate not only reflects the mainstream literary bias towards science fiction, but also reveals the gap between science fiction and literary canon. The debate between Atwood and Lequin lasted for many years, involving the genre characteristics, origins, and relationship with mythology and theology of science fiction. Atwood believes that the terminology of science fiction novels is full of contradictions and genres are constantly changing, while Lequin insists that science fiction literature is a part of classic literature. After Lequin's death, Atwood acknowledged the sci-fi elements in his work in his eulogy, demonstrating his respect for science fiction.

Re examination of science fiction genres from the perspective of conceptual metaphor

The debate between Atwood and Lequin reveals the divergence and new changes in the essential understanding of science fiction genres, emphasizing that the existence of genres is absolute, and texts always belong to one or more genres. Literary genres were once seen as fixed forms without historical significance, but since the 1970s, the academic community has begun to recognize that literary genres are a constantly evolving system that is constantly changing. The study of literary genres has undergone a new paradigm shift, from identifying and categorizing fixed de historical entities to viewing the formation of literary genres as a historical process. At the beginning of the 21st century, literary studies entered fields such as rhetoric, media research, and linguistics, and literary studies were seen as a dynamic process rather than a set of fixed and unchanging rules.

Science fiction or speculation, that's a question

In depth exploration of the debate between science fiction and speculative novels, tracing the origin and development of the term "speculative novels", and revealing its changing meanings in different periods. Heinlein first proposed the concept of speculative fiction, emphasizing its inferential writing characteristics based on known facts. In the 1960s and 1970s, the term was widely used in Western science fiction during the "New Wave" era, but it was abandoned in the 1970s and rediscovered in the new century. Monk and Winter respectively studied speculative novels from the perspectives of intra group connections and postmodernism, believing that their collaboration with science fiction writers and the cultural power of technological myths are related, and encouraging the examination of irrational and emotional experiences. The speculative novel is seen as a symbol of the return of science and technology to the central position of literary imagination, breaking away from the function of popularizing science and turning towards criticism of technology. As a boundary marker of the genre, speculative novels can help observe the changes in science fiction genres, reflect on their relationships with other genres, and explore the operational methods of genre systems. In 2018, "World Literature Today" published an international reading list of speculative novels, showing that speculative novels have a wide range of connotations and extensions, and can be included in a variety of literary works. The speculative novel provides a unique mode of reflecting on the current world by exploring the "literary possible world", similar to the thought experiment in natural science, which means imagining a future or alternative space far from the oppression of the present. The boundary of speculative novels has not stopped changing, and in recent years, new changes have emerged, such as spin off novels and new monster stories, breaking the boundaries of science fiction, speculative, fantasy and other genres, and moving from niche to mainstream. The function of literature is not only to classify, but also to form and shape the way we understand the world, with functional and epistemological functions. The debate between Atwood and Lequin reflects the debate over the changing understanding and interpretation of the world in science fiction literature. With the rapid development of technology, science fiction literature has undergone earth shaking changes, possessing strong vitality and energy. Change has become the only constant, opening a new chapter for literature with mobility characteristics.