Speculative Whiteness: Science Fiction and the Alt-Right

Jordan S. Carroll
Completed 6/21/2025 Reviewed 6/21/2025
5 Stars

Powerful and terrifying essay on the alt- and far- right’s obsession with fascist and authoritarian utopias in science fiction.  This was nominated for a 2025 Related Work Hugo.  I normally don’t read much non-fiction these days, but I decided to read these nominees, and I’m glad I did.  This study was very eye-opening.  The basic premise is that the fascists and white supremists had found a place in science fiction that supports their idea that only white people have the forethought for space travel and scientific innovation.  Grounded in early science fiction, which was exclusively a white boy’s club, they revel in the ideas that many authors were parodying, criticizing, and ironically depicting.  They ignore the endings where the hero topples or subverts the ruling governments or corporations.  This a la carte reading, which in my opinion is so like the a la carte reading of the Bible by evangelical Christians, is what authenticates their belief that the world belongs to them and only by ethnic cleansing can humanity move to the next level of evolution.

The book follows the timeline of far right and supremist leaders who have appropriated science fiction to support their agenda.  They were bolstered by authors in the golden age of science fiction who did write about authoritarian governments, like Heinlein, but of course ignoring things like in Starship Troopers, the main character Rico is not white.  Even modern day movies are appropriated, like Terminator, where Arnold Schwarzenegger is the Übermensch come back to kill the Jews.  Needless to say, they abhor the modern movement of inclusive science fiction and the diversity of the authors.  In recent times, this was exemplified by the Sad Puppies and Rabid Puppies creating voting blocs in the Hugo nominees to include “old fashioned” stories and exclude “liberal agenda” stories.  

Two noted authors who waged a war of words with the Rabid Puppies were N. K. Jemisin and Chuck Tingle.  They lost the war with Jemisin as the books from her “Broken Earth” trilogy won the Hugo for Best Novel for three consecutive years.  And needless to say, it did not stop the Afro-futurist writing movement.  Chuck Tingle, originally know for queer absurdist science fiction erotica, fought back by creating a fake Breitbart.com after Trump was elected by trying to reverse the “timeline mistake.”  The Rabid Puppies retaliated by getting one of his erotic short stories nominated.  While his fight continued, Tingle began writing mainstream speculative books that are being well received.  

While this book is an academic piece with hundreds of references, I would recommend it to anyone who is horrified by current events.  With people like Trump and Musk pushing a white supremist agenda, they are hand-in-hand with this radical rightist agenda.  The study is frightening and enlightening.  I’m amazed and saddened that a genre I hold dear to my heart can be appropriated and used for racist and fascist propaganda.  I laud all the authors who are writing inclusive stories and the people who read them.  I give this book five stars out of five.