Q is for Quantum Fiction #AtoZChallenge

by Donna Huber

For the A to Z Challenge, I'm discussing different book genres/categories. Each day, I will give a few details about the genre/category and an example or two. I would love to know your thoughts on the genre/category and if you have any reading suggestions. Be sure to check out all of my A to Z posts.

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Have you ever heard of Quantum Fiction? I hadn't and since I couldn't find any other genre that started with Q I thought I would explore it a little more. It is a new genre, emerging in the last decade of the 1900s. Vanna Bonita is claimed to have coined the term with her 1996 novel Flight: A Quantum Fiction Novel.

I discovered it on a list of literary genres at Wikipedia. The entry on Wikipedia for Quantum Fiction is a bit sketchy and there is a warning notice that the article needs to be updated with better references. Here's the definition that is given:

Quantum fiction is a genre of speculative fiction that reflects modern experience of the material world and reality as influenced by quantum theory and new principles in quantum physics. 

Since I don't understand quantum theory or quantum physics, I'm not exactly sure how it would look in a story. The article goes on to state that the story may not be science-themed and blurs the line between sci-fi and fantasy. 

Here are the characteristics of the genre according to the article

• The author's invocation of quantum mechanics to make possible supernatural, paranormal, or fantastic elements of a story in which reality appears to defy the laws of physics;
• 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 or spirit;
• A theme, character, or events of a story existing per an element explainable as reality according to quantum theory;
• Adventures involving synchronicity, multiple-dimension reality, interactive metaverses, parallel worlds, or the multiverse;
• 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.

If I'm understanding this correctly, I would think an example of quantum fiction would be Dr. Strange and the Multiverse Madness.

When I looked up Flight on Amazon, a couple of other titles with Quantum in the title were suggested: Quantum Memory by L.B. Joiner (involves an artificial reality) and The Quantum Magician by Derek Künsken (the main character is genetically engineered). Since it doesn't appear that Amazon recognizes quantum fiction these books are listed as science fiction. 

As I look more into this genre, it looks like time loop books fit in it. For Groundhog Day last year, I featured a list of time loop books.

MK reviewed a book with Quantum in the title and it is a time loop book, so I'm going to go with it for my recommended Quantum Fiction book. 

A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen

The only thing harder than finding someone in a time loop is losing them.

Grieving her best friend's recent death, neuroscientist Mariana Pineda’s ready to give up everything to start anew. Even her career— after one last week consulting at a top secret particle accelerator.

Except the strangest thing a man stops her…and claims they've met before. Carter Cho knows who she is, why she's mourning, why she's there. And he needs Mariana to remember everything he’s saying.

Because time is about to loop.

In a flash of energy, it’s Monday morning. Again. Together, Mariana and Carter enter an inevitable life, four days at a time, over and over, without permanence except for what they share. With everything resetting—even bank accounts—joy comes in the little a delicious (and expensive) meal, a tennis match, giving a dog his favorite treat.

In some ways, those are all that matter.

But just as they figure out this new life, everything changes. Because Carter's memories of the time loop are slowly disappearing. And their only chance at happiness is breaking out of the loop—forever.

Buy A Quantum Love Story at Amazon

Read MK's review.

Do you think Quantum Fiction will become a mainstream, recognized genre? What books do you think are quantum fiction?

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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