Quantum Fiction
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Quantum fiction is a
genre Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other fo ...
of
speculative fiction Speculative fiction is an umbrella term, umbrella genre of fiction that encompasses all the subgenres that depart from Realism (arts), realism, or strictly imitating everyday reality, instead presenting fantastical, supernatural, futuristic, or ...
that reflects modern experience of the material world and
reality Reality is the sum or aggregate of everything in existence; everything that is not imagination, imaginary. Different Culture, cultures and Academic discipline, academic disciplines conceptualize it in various ways. Philosophical questions abo ...
as influenced by quantum theory and new principles in
quantum physics Quantum mechanics is the fundamental physical Scientific theory, theory that describes the behavior of matter and of light; its unusual characteristics typically occur at and below the scale of atoms. Reprinted, Addison-Wesley, 1989, It is ...
. It is characterized by the use of an element in quantum mechanics as a storytelling device. The genre is not necessarily science-themed, and blurs the line separating
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
and
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...
into a broad scope of mainstream literature that transcends the mechanical model of science and involves the fantasy of
human perception Perception () is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the presented information or environment. All perception involves signals that go through the nervous syste ...
or
imagination Imagination is the production of sensations, feelings and thoughts informing oneself. These experiences can be re-creations of past experiences, such as vivid memories with imagined changes, or completely invented and possibly fantastic scenes ...
as realistic components affecting the everyday physical world. Novels that have been described as quantum fiction include Vanna Bonta's '' Flight: A Quantum Fiction Novel'' (1995), M. John Harrison's ''Empty Space'' trilogy (2002, 2006, 2012), David Mitchell's ''
Cloud Atlas A cloud atlas is a pictorial key (or an atlas) to the nomenclature of clouds. Early cloud atlases were an important element in the training of meteorologists and in weather forecasting, and the author of a 1923 atlas stated that "increasing use ...
'' (2004),Sonia Front. ''Shapes of Time in British Twenty-First Century Quantum Fiction.'' Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2015. Scarlett Thomas's '' The End of Mr. Y'' (2006) Samantha Harvey's '' The Wilderness'' (2008), and Andrew Crumey's '' Sputnik Caledonia'' (2008). Charles Platt introduced the term in his essay "Quantum Fiction: A Blueprint for Avoiding Literary Obsolescence", first published in
The New York Review of Science Fiction ''The New York Review of Science Fiction'' is a monthly literary magazine of science fiction that was established in 1988. It includes works of science fiction criticism, essays, and in-depth critical reviews of new works of fiction and scholarsh ...
in April 1990.


Origin of the genre

The term had been suggested in 1990 by Charles Platt. Though, novelist
Vanna Bonta Vanna Marie Bonta (April 3, 1953 – July 8, 2014) was an American writer, actress, and inventor. She was of partial Italian descent. She wrote ''Flight: A Quantum Fiction Novel''. As an actress, Bonta played "Zed's Queen" in ''The Beastmaster''. ...
claimed to have coined the term ''quantum fiction'' in 1996, when she published her novel '' Flight: A Quantum Fiction Novel''. In Bonta's novel, the protagonist struggles to tell real life from elements in a novel he is writing, as people and events from his novel begin to appear in reality. Bonta defined quantum fiction as stories in which consciousness affects physics and determines reality; in her words, "the genre is broad and includes life." Bonta further explained her development of this new genre: "I don't write science fiction. Science fiction is a niche genre, defined by
Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury ( ; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, Horror fiction, horr ...
as depiction of the real. 'Quantum fiction' is the realm of all possibilities. The genre is broad, and includes life because fiction is an inextricable part of reality in its various stages, and vice versa.""Vanna Bonta Talks About Quantum fiction", author Interview by Laurel van der Linde, 2007
transcript at gather.com

audio at IMDB.com
According to Christina Scholz, on Platt's inclusion of the term:


New forms of storytelling

Usage of the term quantum fiction began to appear in 21st-century books and academic papers that identified and discussed a new and emerging literary genre that is affected by the new view of the world given by quantum physics. Various
artists An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating the work of art. The most common usage (in both everyday speech and academic discourse) refers to a practitioner in the visual arts o ...
,
academia An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...
, and critics explored it independently of one another and in various contexts with the common denominator of a new literary genre. By 2010, hindsight reveals a movement and usage by multiple authors and critics. In his book ''Loose Canon'' (Cosmos Press, 2001), author Charles Platt describes quantum fiction as "a blueprint for avoiding literary obsolescence." Platt writes: "I do believe that "Quantum Fiction" would circumvent some problems associated with traditional science fiction." Platt argues, "If a nineteenth-century writer such as
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...
sampled a few modern science-fiction novels, he might be surprised by the writing style and the speculative content, but he'd find nothing new in the methods of storytelling. Popular novel-length narratives are built basically the same way today as a century ago, and science-fiction writers are in the ironic position of depicting the future using techniques derived entirely from the past." Platt writes, "My own modest proposal for revitalizing the novel is a form that I will call, for want of a better term, "quantum fiction." Like the quantum theory, it acknowledges the observer (in this case, the reader) as an active participant." In 2001, Platt states, "I believe it should be possible to develop from these prototypes a new genre of "quantum fiction" with genuinely broad appeal." In Sonia Front's ''Shapes of Time in British Twenty-First Century Quantum Fiction'' (2015), novels chosen as representative of the genre in Britain were Andrew Crumey's '' Sputnik Caledonia'', David Mitchell's ''
Cloud Atlas A cloud atlas is a pictorial key (or an atlas) to the nomenclature of clouds. Early cloud atlases were an important element in the training of meteorologists and in weather forecasting, and the author of a 1923 atlas stated that "increasing use ...
'', Samantha Harvey's ''The Wilderness'' and Scarlett Thomas's '' The End of Mr. Y''.


Literary technique

A
literary genre A literary genre is a category of literature. Genres may be determined by List of narrative techniques, literary technique, Tone (literature), tone, Media (communication), content, or length (especially for fiction). They generally move from mor ...
, as a category of literary composition, is determined by literary technique, tone, or subject matter (content). Quantum fiction as a genre is primarily defined by technique of writing, and tone and subject matter is not limited.


Differences from science fiction

Unlike science fiction which is largely defined by content, the subject matter of a quantum fiction can be anything. Quantum fiction stories are about any subject matter and do not necessarily involve science. The storytelling itself, e.g., treatment of plot (time), characters (observers), location (multiple worlds, parallel selves), is unconventional. Quantum fiction can also hinge on
theoretical physics Theoretical physics is a branch of physics that employs mathematical models and abstractions of physical objects and systems to rationalize, explain, and predict List of natural phenomena, natural phenomena. This is in contrast to experimental p ...
as a subject element of a story. Quantum fiction deals in possibility and probability. In ''The Amazing Story of Quantum Mechanics'', physicist James Kakalios explains how it was the development of quantum mechanics that enabled the wonders enjoyed in the 21st century, not the classical model science-based predictions. As a young science fiction fan in the 1950s and 1960s, Kakalios marveled at the future predicted in science fiction pulp magazines, comics, and films of that era, and he was certain that by 2010 humanity would have flying cars and jet packs. Instead, there are far more fantastic marvels, such as laptop computers,
MRI Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to generate pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes inside the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and rad ...
machines,
Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
players, and other real-life wonders made manifest via quantum mechanics. Using the interpretation of quantum theory that physical reality exists only when it is observed, therefore in the mind, the genre of quantum fiction is more closely related to idealism than the genre of
empirical Empirical evidence is evidence obtained through sense experience or experimental procedure. It is of central importance to the sciences and plays a role in various other fields, like epistemology and law. There is no general agreement on how t ...
classic science fiction. In this regard, other creative works can be seen as subcategories of quantum fiction and even science, or reality itself, is a work of
fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying character (arts), individuals, events, or setting (narrative), places that are imagination, imaginary or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent ...
.


Quantum theory as literary device

In the fiction of Guyanese novelist and poet
Wilson Harris Sir Theodore Wilson Harris (24 March 1921 – 8 March 2018) was a Guyana, Guyanese writer. He initially wrote poetry, but subsequently became a novelist and essayist. His writing style is often said to be abstract and densely metaphorical, and ...
, the author's style, which he defines as quantum fiction, is by way of technique, of narrative structure. In a thesis exploring Harris's literary genre of ''The Carnival Trilogy'' as quantum fiction, Rebekka Eklund describes "In his ambitiously experimental writing, Harris creates a narrative structure which is multiple and flexible." It is Harris's treatment of ordinary characters and events, unrelated to science per se, that defines the genre. In interviews, Harris often describes the effects of quantum perception on the literary process, techniques and devices. Wilson Harris described he has been writing since his first novel what he was to eventually realize as quantum fiction, to give witness to "realities hidden from the world you see." Hena Maes-Jelinek, Bénédicte Ledent (eds)
''Theatre of the Arts – Wilson Harris and the Caribbean''
Editions Rodopi B.V. Amsterdam, New York (2002); Andrew Jefferson–Miles, Quantum Value in Wilson Harris's "architecture of the tides"; "In quantum fiction, the whole cosmos is involved, and that cosmos will leave its trace, its spontaneous quantum of knowing and recognizing, on even the smallest, shortest-lived thing (p. 181).
In the dissertation ''Quantum Value in Wilson Harris's "Architecture of the Tides'', Andrew Jefferson–Miles states: "In quantum fiction, the whole cosmos is involved, and that cosmos will leave its trace, its spontaneous quantum of knowing and recognizing, on even the smallest, shortest-lived thing." In the volume ''Redefining the Critical Enterprise in Twenty-First Century Hispanic Literature'' (Hybrid 2012), Spanish author Jorge Carrión writes: "My books attempt to problematize these supposed units of meaning, because perhaps we are in a time of quantum fiction. I repeat: "quantum fiction." This is a concept I have been working on for a very short time. It is a new concept, like "counter-space" or "theoryphobia" were in their time." In 2009, in a
doctoral thesis A thesis (: theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: D ...
on the Science of Art, Alexis Blanchet defines the necessity of the quantum fiction genre distinction. "Fictional worlds now appear as shifting and undefined as ever to audiences. The notion of quantum fiction aims to provide a framework of production and reception to the contemporary processes of industrialization and diversification of fiction." In quantum fiction, the author perceives and creates characters who experience reality with a surreal or nonlinear view of things that does not correspond with the way the physical senses generally experience life and the world, and that behaves in ways posited by quantum theory.


Characteristics of the genre

The genre has also been characterized as having any or all of the following characteristics: * The author's invocation of quantum mechanics to make possible
supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...
,
paranormal Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Not ...
, or fantastic elements of a story in which reality appears to defy the
laws of physics Scientific laws or laws of science are statements, based on repeated experiments or observations, that describe or predict a range of natural phenomena. The term ''law'' has diverse usage in many cases (approximate, accurate, broad, or narrow) ...
; * A character as a consciously influencing observer of reality; * The scientific recognition of an unquantified animating force of matter measured by an observer, posited as
consciousness Consciousness, at its simplest, is awareness of a state or object, either internal to oneself or in one's external environment. However, its nature has led to millennia of analyses, explanations, and debate among philosophers, scientists, an ...
or spirit; * A
theme Theme or themes may refer to: * Theme (Byzantine district), an administrative district in the Byzantine Empire governed by a Strategos * Theme (computing), a custom graphical appearance for certain software. * Theme (linguistics), topic * Theme ( ...
, character, or events of a story existing per an element explainable as reality according to quantum theory; * Adventures involving
synchronicity Synchronicity () is a concept introduced by Carl Jung, founder of analytical psychology, to describe events that coincide in time and appear meaningfully related, yet lack a discoverable causal connection. Jung held that this was a healthy fu ...
, multiple-dimension reality, interactive
metaverse The metaverse is a loosely defined term referring to virtual worlds in which users represented by avatars interact, usually in 3D and focused on social and economic connection. The term ''metaverse'' originated in the 1992 science fiction ...
s, parallel worlds, or the
multiverse The multiverse is the hypothetical set of all universes. Together, these universes are presumed to comprise everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, matter, energy, information, and the physical laws and constants that describ ...
; * Consciousness (a character or a reader) as an interactive influence in the creation and perception of reality and plot line; * Reality behaving unpredictably as per
subatomic particles In physics, a subatomic particle is a particle smaller than an atom. According to the Standard Model of particle physics, a subatomic particle can be either a composite particle, which is composed of other particles (for example, a baryon, like ...
.


Quantum theory

Quantum fiction brings quantum theory forward as the explanation behind the concept of
life imitating art The idea of life imitating art is a philosophical position or observation about how real behaviors or real events sometimes (or even commonly) resemble, or feel inspired by, works of fiction and art. This can include how people act in such a way as ...
and art imitating life via substantiation of literary plot developments, time sequence, character experiences and other literary elements based on quantum mechanics. The term Quantum fiction is etymologically based on the discovery of
Max Planck Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck (; ; 23 April 1858 – 4 October 1947) was a German Theoretical physics, theoretical physicist whose discovery of energy quantum, quanta won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918. Planck made many substantial con ...
, who first used the word
quantum In physics, a quantum (: quanta) is the minimum amount of any physical entity (physical property) involved in an interaction. The fundamental notion that a property can be "quantized" is referred to as "the hypothesis of quantization". This me ...
to describe the minute forces at play in the realm of physics. The field was pioneered by quantum physicists
Erwin Schrödinger Erwin Rudolf Josef Alexander Schrödinger ( ; ; 12 August 1887 – 4 January 1961), sometimes written as or , was an Austrian-Irish theoretical physicist who developed fundamental results in quantum field theory, quantum theory. In particul ...
,
Werner Heisenberg Werner Karl Heisenberg (; ; 5 December 1901 – 1 February 1976) was a German theoretical physicist, one of the main pioneers of the theory of quantum mechanics and a principal scientist in the German nuclear program during World War II. He pub ...
,
Wolfgang Pauli Wolfgang Ernst Pauli ( ; ; 25 April 1900 – 15 December 1958) was an Austrian theoretical physicist and a pioneer of quantum mechanics. In 1945, after having been nominated by Albert Einstein, Pauli received the Nobel Prize in Physics "for the ...
,
Niels Bohr Niels Henrik David Bohr (, ; ; 7 October 1885 – 18 November 1962) was a Danish theoretical physicist who made foundational contributions to understanding atomic structure and old quantum theory, quantum theory, for which he received the No ...
, and
Eugene Wigner Eugene Paul Wigner (, ; November 17, 1902 – January 1, 1995) was a Hungarian-American theoretical physicist who also contributed to mathematical physics. He received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1963 "for his contributions to the theory of th ...
, as well as contentions of Louis DeBroglie,
Max von Laue Max Theodor Felix von Laue (; 9 October 1879 – 24 April 1960) was a German physicist who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1914 "for his discovery of the X-ray diffraction, diffraction of X-rays by crystals". In addition to his scientifi ...
and
Albert Einstein Albert Einstein (14 March 187918 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who is best known for developing the theory of relativity. Einstein also made important contributions to quantum mechanics. His mass–energy equivalence f ...
. One contention, among others, is that quantum mechanics is a statistical approximation to a deeper reality which behaves predictably via the observer being an inextricable part of reality ( observer effect (physics)). As quantum theories such as
wave–particle duality Wave–particle duality is the concept in quantum mechanics that fundamental entities of the universe, like photons and electrons, exhibit particle or wave (physics), wave properties according to the experimental circumstances. It expresses the in ...
and the behavior of matter on a subatomic behavior evolves, theories have emerged that life is central to being, reality, and the cosmos. Biocentrism, a theory proposed in 2007 by American scientist Robert Lanza, posits that life creates the universe rather than the other way around. Biocentric theory claims to build on
quantum physics Quantum mechanics is the fundamental physical Scientific theory, theory that describes the behavior of matter and of light; its unusual characteristics typically occur at and below the scale of atoms. Reprinted, Addison-Wesley, 1989, It is ...
(although the author isn't a physicist himself), and this view asserts that current theories of the physical world do not work, and can never be made to work, until they fully account for life and
consciousness Consciousness, at its simplest, is awareness of a state or object, either internal to oneself or in one's external environment. However, its nature has led to millennia of analyses, explanations, and debate among philosophers, scientists, an ...
. New findings in particle physics and quantum mechanics are revising previously held views of reality, raising questions about the influence of ideas, human thought and other uncharted causalities in its creation.


Examples of quantum reality in fiction

In quantum fiction, an author can create characters (the observers) within the work of literature to experience or affect
reality Reality is the sum or aggregate of everything in existence; everything that is not imagination, imaginary. Different Culture, cultures and Academic discipline, academic disciplines conceptualize it in various ways. Philosophical questions abo ...
(time, place, the material world) via any number of aspects of
quantum mechanics Quantum mechanics is the fundamental physical Scientific theory, theory that describes the behavior of matter and of light; its unusual characteristics typically occur at and below the scale of atoms. Reprinted, Addison-Wesley, 1989, It is ...
, as distinct from
classical mechanics Classical mechanics is a Theoretical physics, physical theory describing the motion of objects such as projectiles, parts of Machine (mechanical), machinery, spacecraft, planets, stars, and galaxies. The development of classical mechanics inv ...
. Works of quantum fiction can also introduce reality affected as spooky action at a distance, proved by
Alain Aspect Alain Aspect (; born 15 June 1947) is a French physicist noted for his experimental work on quantum entanglement. Aspect was awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics, jointly with John Clauser and Anton Zeilinger, "for experiments with Quantum e ...
, as the course of everyday reality. In quantum fiction, seemingly mundane events can be written as a many-branched tree, wherein every possible quantum outcome is realized in some time line, as posited by the
Hugh Everett Hugh Everett III (; November 11, 1930 – July 19, 1982) was an American physicist who proposed the relative state interpretation of quantum mechanics. This influential approach later became the basis of the many-worlds interpretation (MWI). Ev ...
many-worlds interpretation The many-worlds interpretation (MWI) is an interpretation of quantum mechanics that asserts that the universal wavefunction is Philosophical realism, objectively real, and that there is no wave function collapse. This implies that all Possible ...
. In Bonta's definitive 1995 ''Flight: a quantum fiction novel'', the
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
is a writer writing a novel within the novel. The character is a
metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide, or obscure, clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are usually meant to cr ...
for the observer (any human being living, observing and interacting with reality). The writer begins to notice coincidences between what he is writing (about a girl in a parallel world) and his real life. Further, the protagonist in the novel mentions Bonta, the ''Flight'' author, thereby adding yet another parallel reality to the novel's two plot lines. Another quantum element that recurs in the book is via coincidences the characters experience, not by way of the mystical, but as a technique by which Bonta structures synchronicity as a device of
quantum entanglement Quantum entanglement is the phenomenon where the quantum state of each Subatomic particle, particle in a group cannot be described independently of the state of the others, even when the particles are separated by a large distance. The topic o ...
, the behavior of all matter connected on a
subatomic In physics, a subatomic particle is a particle smaller than an atom. According to the Standard Model of particle physics, a subatomic particle can be either a composite particle, which is composed of other particles (for example, a baryon, like ...
level and intersecting by participation of the observers. Bonta's quantum fiction novel posits a quantum
animism Animism (from meaning 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, human handiwork, and in ...
and the mind as permeating the world at every level. Bonta first depicts some of the novel's characters as otherwise invisible and non-material "observers" of reality, then quantifies them via their impact on reality through a process of elimination, hence making human consciousness central to the novel as both witness as well as co-creator of reality, a view posited by quantum theory.


New art of fiction: quantum vs. linear

Novelist Wilson Harris stated he realized what he was writing was ''quantum fiction,'' and further described it as giving witness to "realities hidden from the world you see." He describes, "The quantum concept is that if one fires out an object, it breaks into particles and waves. Conventional novelists go along a linear road, but the quantum split can bring the past into the present in a new art of fiction." Wilson is describing how
Many-worlds interpretation The many-worlds interpretation (MWI) is an interpretation of quantum mechanics that asserts that the universal wavefunction is Philosophical realism, objectively real, and that there is no wave function collapse. This implies that all Possible ...
and wave-particle duality appear in and define the genre of his novels, and how it affects every day characters, not otherwise related to science per se in theme. In 2003, when interviewed by British-Guyanese poet, novelist and playwright Fred D'Aguiar, Harris describes: "'Quantum' brings a hand in fiction that challenges all conventional fixtures of control within the psyche of art." Harris explains that an awareness of the "mystery of consciousness" as actuated by quantum theory brings different patterns of control in a work of fiction, and he correlates his construction of plot and narrative to a technique he later came to realize as a new technique in literature. "The language of conventional, linear fiction, which seems so strong, becomes an illusion and is broken by quantum holes," Harris describes.Fred D'Aguiar
"An interview with Wilson Harris"
, BOMB 82 magazine, Winter 2003, Literature.
In a dissertation that reviews a Harris trilogy, Rebekka Edlund analyzes his structure as "linearity replaced by simultaneous possibilities, or "polyhistory," and argues the consequences on literature of a reality as "quantum stuff" is that linear storytelling becomes obsolete.


Emerging genre

In ''Fiction in the Quantum Universe'' (June 2002), Susan Strehle argues that new fiction has developed from the influence of modern physics. This book explores and advances a pluralistic view of the meaning of contemporary fiction as it relates to the quantum-defined view of "reality." While quantum fiction novels diverge markedly from a previously held view of
reality Reality is the sum or aggregate of everything in existence; everything that is not imagination, imaginary. Different Culture, cultures and Academic discipline, academic disciplines conceptualize it in various ways. Philosophical questions abo ...
, Strehle argues that they do so in order to reflect more acutely that aspect of reality which, only the advent of
quantum mechanics Quantum mechanics is the fundamental physical Scientific theory, theory that describes the behavior of matter and of light; its unusual characteristics typically occur at and below the scale of atoms. Reprinted, Addison-Wesley, 1989, It is ...
evidenced as real, or actual; i.e., Reality is no longer "realistic." In the new physical or quantum universe, reality is discontinuous, energetic, relative, statistical, subjectively seen, and uncertainly known—all terms taken from new physics. Storytelling technique of quantum fiction, regardless of content, time period or setting, is executed via various literary techniques that pattern a literary work according to quantum behavior as opposed to mechanical physical reality. Devices of the technique include nonlinear plots and timelines unfolding in lives of characters or the narrator, or a characters experience of quantum reality, such as the infinite possibilities of being able to die and live multiple times, and with the creator's awareness, whether intended or not, of the interconnectedness of everything and a fluid behavior of reality that can appear surreal. Life, whether fictional or real, is no longer a world that behaves as old Newtonian physics that perceives atoms as the smallest unit of being. Quantum theory is a radically new view of the universe as fluid and interconnected, influencing the fundamental technique, by which stories are told in a literary genre identified as quantum fiction. It is more the way stories are told and fictional realities behave, not what they are about. Since the inception and coining work of quantum fiction recognized by ''Publishers Weekly'' in 1995,"Book Review Flight: A Quantum Fiction Novel – Vanna Bonta, Author"
''Publishers Weekly'', June 1995.
the influence and definition of literature by this as a genre is evidenced in the creation of novels, short fiction, calls for submissions, television and film. In 1999, Debra Di Blasi categorizes one of her stories as quantum fiction in the collection ''Prayers of an Accidental Nature: Stories''. In 1996, ''Aesthetics and Ethics'', Literary Criticism, Vol. 41, talks about a literary genre "quantum fiction": "Charles Platt has evidenced a form he has decided to call, 'for want of a better term, quantum fiction'." Editorial reviews of new fiction recognize and analyze the defining and qualifying elements of the distinct genre of quantum fiction, which vary from work to work. The term quantum fiction began to appear as usage by authors to define a genre work that was not necessarily science-based, and perceived the mundane through understanding of quantum reality. Authors also employ quantum behavior and structure of written works as literary devices, such as non-linear storytelling. In 2001, when Charles Platt wrote that he believed quantum fiction would circumvent some of the problems with science fiction, he stated "...and the only person who tried to use this form was me (in my novel ''Protektor'', Avon Books)." A 2002 university dissertation on humanities and social sciences, in the chapter "Quantum Scripts", examines the question of what knowledge quantum fiction requires its readers to have. The technique of constructing a quantum plot and narrative first person in the story-telling of Wilson Harris grew from his approach to perception of life and language. Harris states that "across the years" he then recognized it as native to the fiction he wrote. Harris credits ''Quantum Reality,'' the nonfiction book by physicist
Nick Herbert Nicholas Le Quesne Herbert, Baron Herbert of South Downs, (born 7 April 1963) is a British Conservative Party politician and was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Arundel and South Downs from 2005 to 2019. He was Minister of State for Polic ...
, as initially sparking his interest of how quantum theory conceives a world view of "simultaneous possibilities." After reading quantum theory, it defined for him how he had instinctively been writing. He stated he realized his method of storytelling, the technique, not content, was quantum fiction. Quantum theory postulates a surreal view of things that does not correspond with the way we generally experience the world, and which is not explained by mechanical laws of the physical world. Unlike science fiction, which the California Department of Education defines as a "story based on impact of actual, imagined, or potential science, usually set in the future or on other planets," quantum fiction is a
literary technique A narrative technique (also, in fiction, a fictional device) is any of several storytelling methods the creator of a narrative, story uses, thus effectively relaying information to the audience or making the story more complete, complex, or engag ...
that relies more on
literary fiction Literary fiction, serious fiction, high literature, or artistic literature, and sometimes just literature, encompasses fiction books and writings that are more character-driven rather than plot-driven, that examine the human condition, or that are ...
than genre writing. It is unlimited to content or subject, and authors craft ordinary characters through sensibilities and perception affected by the quantum view of the world. The term is used by Susan H. Young in her book ''Quantum Fiction: Relativity and Postmodernism in Lawrence Durrell's The Alexandria Quartet'' (2000) to retrospectively best categorize the genre of novels by
Lawrence Durrell Lawrence George Durrell (; 27 February 1912 – 7 November 1990) was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer. He was the eldest brother of naturalist and writer Gerald Durrell. Born in India to British colonial pa ...
published in 1957–1960. Durrell's
tetralogy A tetralogy (from Greek τετρα- ''tetra-'', "four" and -λογία ''-logia'', "discourse") is a compound work that is made up of four distinct works. The name comes from the Attic theater, in which a tetralogy was a group of three tragedies ...
presents three perspectives on a single set of events and characters in Alexandria, Egypt World War II. Durrell explains the four novels are an exploration of relativity and the notions of continuum and subject–object relation. In a 1959 Paris Review interview, Durrell described the ideas behind the Quartet in terms of a convergence of Eastern and Western metaphysics, based on Einstein's overturning of the old view of the material universe, yielding a new concept of reality. Other retrospective categorization includes the vanguard work of Australian author
Greg Egan Greg Egan (born 20 August 1961) is an Australian science fiction writer and mathematician, best known for his works of hard science fiction. Egan has won multiple awards including the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, the Hugo Award, and the Lo ...
who focused on a model of consciousness and reality in his 1994 novel '' Permutation City''. A science fiction novel, '' Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand'', by
Samuel R. Delany Samuel R. "Chip" Delany (, ; born April 1, 1942) is an American writer and literary critic. His work includes fiction (especially science fiction), memoir, criticism, and essays on science fiction, literature, sexual orientation, sexuality, and ...
is described as quantum fiction in a literary reference volume, not by way of subject matter or futurism, but defined by Delany's technique of "reflecting the radical uncertainty of quantum fiction in his world view and fictive discourse." Discussion about the emerging genre of quantum fiction is the subject of 21st century academic papers and some university courses. In 2006, in a dissertation about quantum mechanics and modern fiction, Samuel Sean Kinch discusses the work of
Nicholas Mosley Nicholas Mosley, 3rd Baron Ravensdale (25 June 1923 – 28 February 2017), was a British peer, novelist and biographer. Two of his volumes of biography covered the life of his father, Sir Oswald Mosley, the founder of the British Union of Fasc ...
as quantum fiction and cites Susan Strehle's ''Fiction in the Quantum Universe'' as an organized analysis of the emerging genre. He writes, "To date, Strehle offers the most systematic poetics of quantum fiction." In 2007, Samuel Coale began teaching a college course on quantum theory's influences and effects upon contemporary American fiction. Coale presents his theories in several papers. In ''Quantum Flux and Narrative Flow: Don DeLillo's Entanglements with Quantum Theory'', Coale presents novels by Don DeLillo and discusses DeLillo's use of quantum theory and how it is revealed in the structure and style of his novels. Other topics include similarities between quantum theory and
postmodernism Postmodernism encompasses a variety of artistic, Culture, cultural, and philosophical movements that claim to mark a break from modernism. They have in common the conviction that it is no longer possible to rely upon previous ways of depicting ...
, the themes of perception and time and space in DeLillo's work, and religious interpretation. In the essay "Psychic Visions and Quantum Physics: Oates' Big Bang and The Limits of Language," Coale analyzes the literary style of novelist
Joyce Carol Oates Joyce Carol Oates (born June 16, 1938) is an American writer. Oates published her first book in 1963, and has since published 58 novels, a number of plays and novellas, and many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction. Her novels ''Black ...
. According to the Coale, the characters of Oates are indicating that the individual self recognizes the strange and unfathomable otherness at the mysterious center of self-hood. Alexis Blanchet's 2009 dissertation and doctoral thesis mentions quantum fiction, and argues the new genre quantum fiction is a necessary framework genre for relationships between fiction, cinema, and video game involving life and interactive participation as overlapping of realities.Alexis Blanchet
Les synergies entre cinéma et jeu vidéo: histoire, économie et théorie de l'adaptation vidéoludique
Thèse soutenue – Thèse de doctorat en Sciences de l'art (Doctoral thesis on Science of Art), October 30, 2009.
In a 2007 interview about quantum fiction, Vanna Bonta states: "As people become more aware of this universe as a quantum universe, it will embrace things like holographic entertainment experiences. Already, virtual reality and virtual interaction are an element of quantum fiction." In 2013, ''
Scientific American ''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it, with more than 150 Nobel Pri ...
'' launched a quantum fiction short fiction competition headed up by Mariette DiChristina in cooperation with the Centre for Quantum Technologies at the National University of Singapore. Elements of quantum reality were broken down into simplified concepts that could be woven into fiction. Science fiction publishers and editors joined the specialized literary event.


As "actualism"

Susan Strehle explores how the changed physical world appears in both content and form in recent fiction, calling it "actualism" after the observations of Werner Heisenberg. It is characterized by incompletions, indeterminacy, or "open" endings that involve the reader or some undetermined element to continue or resolve the work. Within that framework, ''
Gravity's Rainbow ''Gravity's Rainbow'' is a 1973 novel by the American writer Thomas Pynchon. The narrative is set primarily in Europe at the end of World War II and centers on the design, production and dispatch of V-2 rockets by the German military. In partic ...
'' is cited as an example as it ends not with a period but with a dash. Strehle sets forth that although important recent narratives diverge markedly from realistic practice, they do so in order to reflect more acutely on what we now understand as real. Within this framework, Strehle's book also presents a critical analysis of major novels by
Thomas Pynchon Thomas Ruggles Pynchon Jr. ( , ; born May 8, 1937) is an American novelist noted for his dense and complex novels. His fiction and non-fiction writings encompass a vast array of subject matter, Literary genre, genres and Theme (narrative), th ...
,
Robert Coover Robert Lowell Coover (February 4, 1932 – October 5, 2024) was an American novelist, Short story, short story writer, and T. B. Stowell Professor Emeritus in Literary Arts at Brown University. He is generally considered a writer of fabulation ...
, William Gaddis,
John Barth John Simmons Barth (; May 27, 1930 – April 2, 2024) was an American writer best known for his postmodern and metafictional fiction. His most highly regarded and influential works were published in the 1960s, and include '' The Sot-Weed Facto ...
,
Margaret Atwood Margaret Eleanor Atwood (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian novelist, poet, literary critic, and an inventor. Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of nonfiction, nine collections of short fiction, eight chi ...
, and
Donald Barthelme Donald Barthelme Jr. (pronounced ''BAR-thəl-mee''; April 7, 1931 – July 23, 1989) was an American short story writer and novelist known for his playful, postmodernist style of short fiction. Barthelme also worked as a newspaper reporter for t ...
. Strehle argues that such innovations in narrative reflect on 20th-century history, politics, science, and discourse. The perception of a changed reality reaches into
philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
,
psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...
,
literary theory Literary theory is the systematic study of the nature of literature and of the methods for literary analysis. Culler 1997, p.1 Since the 19th century, literary scholarship includes literary theory and considerations of intellectual history, m ...
, and other areas. The final chapter extends the discussion beyond North American borders to African, South American, and European texts, suggesting a global community of writers whose fiction belongs in the quantum universe.


Titles


Novels

Books described, reviewed or retrospectively categorized as quantum fiction: (incomplete list) * ''Anathem'', by
Neal Stephenson Neal Town Stephenson (born October 31, 1959) is an American writer known for his works of speculative fiction. His novels have been categorized as science fiction, historical fiction, cyberpunk, and baroque. Stephenson's work explores mathemati ...
(2008) * '' Beautiful Shining People'' by Michael Grothaus (2023) *DELTA, The Leader Files, by Simon Polling (2019) * ''Running Away'', by Jean-Philippe Toussaint (2005) * ''
The Time Traveler's Wife ''The Time Traveler's Wife'' is the debut novel by American author Audrey Niffenegger, published in 2003. It is a love story about Henry, a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel unpredictably, and about Clare, his wife, an a ...
'', by
Audrey Niffenegger Audrey Niffenegger (born June 13, 1963) is an American writer, artist, and academic. Her debut novel, '' The Time Traveler's Wife'', published in 2003, was a bestseller. Biography Audrey Niffenegger was born in 1963 in South Haven, Michigan. At ...
(2003) * ''
Quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals, and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have bee ...
'', by
Greg Egan Greg Egan (born 20 August 1961) is an Australian science fiction writer and mathematician, best known for his works of hard science fiction. Egan has won multiple awards including the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, the Hugo Award, and the Lo ...
(1992) * '' Permutation City'', by
Greg Egan Greg Egan (born 20 August 1961) is an Australian science fiction writer and mathematician, best known for his works of hard science fiction. Egan has won multiple awards including the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, the Hugo Award, and the Lo ...
(1994) * '' Flight: A Quantum Fiction Novel'', by
Vanna Bonta Vanna Marie Bonta (April 3, 1953 – July 8, 2014) was an American writer, actress, and inventor. She was of partial Italian descent. She wrote ''Flight: A Quantum Fiction Novel''. As an actress, Bonta played "Zed's Queen" in ''The Beastmaster''. ...
(1995) * ''Protektor'', by Charles Platt (1996) * '' The Eyre Affair'', by
Jasper Fforde Jasper Fforde (born 11 January 1961) is an English novelist whose first novel, '' The Eyre Affair'', was published in 2001. He is known mainly for his '' Thursday Next'' novels, but has also published two books in the loosely connected '' Nurser ...
(2001) * 'Kefahuchi Tract trilogy', by M John Harrison (2002) * ''Mobius Dick'', by Andrew Crumey (2004) * ''Ghost of Memory'', by
Wilson Harris Sir Theodore Wilson Harris (24 March 1921 – 8 March 2018) was a Guyana, Guyanese writer. He initially wrote poetry, but subsequently became a novelist and essayist. His writing style is often said to be abstract and densely metaphorical, and ...
(2006) * ''Palace of the Peacock'', by Wilson Harris * ''Our Tragic Universe'', by Scarlett Thomas (2010) *''EDGE'', by
Koji Suzuki is a Japanese writer, who was born in Hamamatsu and lives in Tokyo. Suzuki is the author of the Ring (novel series), ''Ring'' novels, which have been adapted into other formats, including films, manga, TV series and video games. He has written ...
(2011

* ''Hopeful Monsters'', by
Nicholas Mosley Nicholas Mosley, 3rd Baron Ravensdale (25 June 1923 – 28 February 2017), was a British peer, novelist and biographer. Two of his volumes of biography covered the life of his father, Sir Oswald Mosley, the founder of the British Union of Fasc ...
(2000) * '' The Alexandria Quartet'', by
Lawrence Durrell Lawrence George Durrell (; 27 February 1912 – 7 November 1990) was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer. He was the eldest brother of naturalist and writer Gerald Durrell. Born in India to British colonial pa ...
(1957–1960) * ''The Invention of Morel'', by Adolfo Bioy Casares (1940) * '' It Happened in Boston? (20th Century Rediscoveries)'', by Russell H. Greenan (1968) * ''
Timeline A timeline is a list of events displayed in chronological order. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labelled with dates paralleling it, and usually contemporaneous events. Timelines can use any suitable scale representing t ...
'' by
Michael Crichton John Michael Crichton (; October 23, 1942 – November 4, 2008) was an American author, screenwriter and filmmaker. His books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and over a dozen have been adapted into films. His literary works heavil ...
(1999) * '' In Other Worlds'', by A. A. Attanasio (1985)


Television

On March 1, 2012, NBC premiered the quantum fiction television series ''
Awake Wakefulness is a daily recurring brain state and state of consciousness in which an individual is conscious and engages in coherent cognitive and behavioral responses to the external world. Being awake is the opposite of being asleep, in which ...
'', in which the protagonist lives in parallel realities with differing circumstances. * '' Alien Encounters'' (2012)


Plays

* ''
Constellations A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object. The first constellations were likely defin ...
'' by Nick Payne (2000)


Other

*
Tolkien's legendarium Tolkien's legendarium is the body of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic writing, unpublished in his lifetime, that forms the background to his ''The Lord of the Rings'', and which his son Christopher summarized in his compilation of '' The Silma ...
, by J.R.R. Tolkien (1914–1973) Michael Martinez
Yes, but is it canon?
o
tolkiensociety.org
/ref> * Honkai: Star Rail, a video game by
miHoYo MiHoYo Co., Ltd. is a Chinese Video game development studio, video game development and publishing company founded in 2012 and headquartered in Shanghai. The company is best known for developing the ''Honkai'' franchise, ''Tears of Themis'', '' ...
(2023)


See also

* Biocentrism (cosmology) *
Magic realism Magical realism, magic realism, or marvelous realism is a style or genre of fiction and art that presents a realistic view of the world while incorporating magical elements, often blurring the lines between speculation and reality. ''Magical re ...
*
Observer (quantum physics) Some interpretations of quantum mechanics posit a central role for an observer of a quantum phenomenon. The quantum mechanical observer is tied to the issue of Observer effect (physics)#Quantum mechanics, observer effect, where a measurement necess ...


References


Further reading


"Writing in the Age of Quantum Fiction: Science, Technology and 'Actualism' in Mutantes Fiction"
Professor Christine Henseler, Germán Sierra, Vicente Luis Mora
Welcome to the Quantum Age where Fiction and Fact Intersect
Mysterious Universe; September 2, 2010 * Rebekka Eklund
"'Carnival' and Quantum theory
Metaphors of identity in Wilson Harris's ''The Carnival Trilogy''", The Society for Caribbean Studies Annual Conference Papers; Vol. 7 (2006) * Charles Platt, ''Loose Canon'' (Cosmos Books, 2001); * ''The Composition of Reality: A Talk with Wilson Harris'', by Vera M. Kutzinski; ''Callaloo'', Vol. 18, Number 1, 1995 * Fred D'Aguiar
An interview with Wilson Harris
, BOMB 82 magazine, Winter 2003, LITERATURE * Wilson Harris, ''Selected Essays: The Unfinished Genesis of the Imagination'' * Samuel Coale, “Psychic Visions and Quantum Physics: Oates’ Big Bang and The Limits of Language,” ''Studies in the Novel''; Vol. 38 Issue 4, p. 427 (Academic Journal, December 2006)
''Fiction in the Quantum Universe''
by Susan Strehle (Scholarly Book Services, Inc. June 27, 2002); {{ISBN, 978-0807843659 * Jean-Pierre Durix, ''Weaving the Tapestry of Memory: Wilson Harris's "The Four Banks of the River of Space'', ''Callaloo'', Vol. 18, No. 1 (1995) * ''The Entanglements of Nathaniel Hawthorne'', by Samuel Chase Coale; Camden House (August 1, 2011) *''Quantum Enigma (Physics Encounters Consciousness)'', by Bruce Rosenblum and Fred Kuttner (Oxford University Press, 2006) Fiction about quantum mechanics Literary genres