AustLit

Speculative fiction (also shortened to spec-fic) is a genre that incorporates everything from science fiction to historical fantasy. Although this exhibition focuses specifically on the development of Australian speculative fiction from the 19th and 20th centuries, it is important to note that we are currently living in an age where speculative fiction is becoming increasingly popular. Although post-apocalyptic fiction was prominent throughout the 1950s and 1980s, the effect of television and blockbuster movies has led to our current time being dubbed the post-apocalyptic 'golden age'.

Although speculative fiction has always been moderately successful, Australia's lack of a large publishing industry meant that the works that began to appear in the 19th and 20th centuries had to be individually published, hence arguably hindering their success.

When researching Australian speculative fiction and analysing the themes of the full-text works, the concept of lost civilisations and explorers was particularly prominent. Australia's vast and isolated landscapes seemed to be a fascinating concept to many authors, leading to imaginative stories that theorised what could exist in these unknown places.

Novels focused on topics such as hidden riches, progressive Aboriginal tribes, dangerous yet fascinating landscapes, and even imaginative and fantastical species. Many of the novels were framed as genuine accounts of Australia's historical geography, often with the author being the main protagonist in an attempt to portray the novel as bibliographical.

Within this exhibition, a select group of novels that focus on the topic of lost civilisations have been discussed, The Last Lemurian, An Australian Bush Track, The Secret of the Australian Desert, and The Golden Lake.