Abstract
Quite widespread in the United States, the term “speculative fiction” indicates an extensive literary production in which alternative conjunctures, times and spaces have been imagined, resulting in a literary corpus rich in meanings. This article demonstrates how speculative fiction, a controversial concept, reflects the human condition from its specific mechanisms. Following the theoretical discussion, the article offers an analysis of the short story “The Visit” (2021), by the renowned writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, part of the anthology Black Stars. The investigation shows how “The Visit” can be read as an example of speculative literature, adding to it the author’s own feminist gaze. This could be implied from the fact that the artistic use of speculative elements results in a work that instigates readers to rethink the absurdities of gender inequality based on the literary creation of an oppressive matriarchy.
Keywords:
speculative fiction; alternate history; oppressive matriarchy; Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie