Parable of the Sower is a perfect example of a speculative narrative. The book was originally published in 1993 and the story is set in 2024-2026. The story of Lauren and many of the social issues including scarcity of resources, wildfires, homelessness, and police force in the story are very real and very prevalent in today's world. I think the speculative narrative used here is very powerful coming from almost 20 years ago and as we approach the years (2024-2026) the story discussed is almost an attention grabber as the culture today is rapidly changing in a negative direction.
Genres that we consume and use to create our own speculative narratives are in science fiction books and stories. Our society is constantly changing and advancing with technology and we are always predicting what will happen in the future and figuring out new possibilities. Many people tend to gravitate towards knowing what the future holds which makes science fiction more appealing. These types of stories can create multiple worlds; they can go in a direction of positivity and greatness but usually, these stories share a fearful and negative outcome.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley; written in 1932. A futuristic society where our normal is untraditional. This new society is technology-filled, state powered, and a world where no individually exists. The story follows a character struggling to find their place in society as they explored what the past society was like. This offers a speculative narrative because it describes a society that is not true but deals with the possibilities of society.
The Giver by Lois Lowry; written in 1993. A dystopian story where everyone in society has their assigned role in life and lives their perfect happy contolled lives. But they don't know what lies beyond their society that potentially changes their way of life and exposes those in power. This story is a speculative narrative that deals with our current society and the potential of a hidden society that has yet to be explored.