My bookshelf for this is named "SF" precisely b/c of the ambiguity of having SF possibly stand for "Speculative Fiction". According to WikiPedia, "The term is often attributed to Robert A. Heinlein. In his first known use of the term, in his 1948 essay "On Writing of Speculative Fiction," Heinlein used it specifically as a synonym for "science fiction"; in a later piece, he explicitly stated that his use of the term did not include fantasy. Heinlein may have come up with the term himself, but there is one earlier citation: a piece in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine in 1889, in reference to Edward Bellamy's [b:Looking Backward|296977|Looking Backward 2000-1887|Edward Bellamy|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1309284869s/296977.jpg|803]: 2000–1887." I don't remember where I 1st encountered it, but I embraced it immediately - science fiction seemed too restrictive.

Delany's the archetypal Speculative Fiction writer. Science may play a part in his SF but, more importantly, possibilities of social development are explored. Here are the titles of the stories in this collection:

The Star Pit
Dog In A Fisherman's Net
Corona
Aye, And Gomorrah
Driftglass
We, In Some Strange Power's Employ, Move On A Rigorous Line
Cage of Brass
High Weir
Time Considered As A helix of Semi-Precious Stones
Night and the Loves of Joe Dicostanzo

Look closely at the cover image of my copy of this bk & you'll see that even the rats loved it! That wd be the title of some speculative faction by myself. ( )

Only read a single story here out of curiosity, the second one actually named Driftglass.

It wasn't particularly great, just some disfigurement. Alas.

Maybe I'll come back later. ( )

[Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones](http://classes.dma.ucla.edu/Fall10/157A/wp-content/uploads/timeDelany_01.pdf) by *Samuel R. Delany* is a short story that's won both the Hugo and the Nebula Awards back in the day, and rightfully so. The story is a good example of why I seem to like every Delany book I come across: brilliant, lyrical and association heavy style. In Space. Very human and tongue-in-cheek. ( )

Very interesting stories. ( )

Trippy and florid like Bradbury at his purplest, with notes of Vonnegut's impatient shouting at the page. Delany's voice is memorable and his themes and details lovely, though the plots meander without delivering, and the humor is often too on-the-nose. ( )