In the 1940's Robert Heinlein, respected author of hard-core science fiction, began using the term Speculative Fiction to describe his work. For a time Spec Fic was just another term for science fiction. However, language is a fickle mistress. Words have a life of their own. New meanings have a way of developing. Before long, writers, readers, editors and academics were using speculative fiction as an umbrella term covering everything from hard science fiction to epic fantasy to ghost stories to horror to folk and fairy tales to slipstream to magical realism to modern myth-making -- and more. Under this new definition, every novel or story that is not highly realistic could be considered speculative. This new over-arching terminology is practical for a many reasons. First, it takes the broken shards of ever-increasing subgenres and glues them back together into one cohesive unit. Speculative Fiction eliminates the need for a separation between the various "what if" genres because, in essence, they are different forms of one thing. Genres and subgenres have been primarily the invention of publishing houses and bookstores needing a label to market a book to a given audience. Under the new heading of Speculative Fiction, diversity becomes unity. Second, it answers the dilemma many writers have whose work does not fall neatly into one of the pre-fabricated categories. More and more, writers are producing what I would call cross-genre work. They are mixing the paint and coloring outside the lines. Romance suddenly has a paranormal, fantasy or science fiction slant. Science can be sprinkled with fantasy elements. Fairy tales are told in modern settings. History gets turned on its ear, becoming alternate history. A well-known writer who is stuck in a particular genre, who has been defined by it, can suddenly find great freedom under the umbrella of Speculative Fiction. New writers can find that freedom from the get-go, confident that they can write whatever strikes their fictional fancy and call it Speculative. Finally, I think the term Speculative Fiction is good news for readers. Science fiction and fantasy fans have long been cross-over readers. They thrive on variety because by their very natures they are looking for something new and strange and surprising. They want to be taken out of the mundane on a trip to the fantastic. They haven't complained that Anne McCaffrey put dragons and telepathy in her Science Fiction; they've loved it. I am thrilled to see that many magazines, in print and on-line, have begun to refer to themselves as Speculative Fiction publications. Writers have begun to take on the term to describe themselves and their work. It is apparent to me the Speculative Fiction is the language of choice for the current generation of genre writers. I think Romeo Esparrago of Planet magazine said it well. "Speculative fiction is fuel for the future and whets the appetite of the eaters of words."