Absence as Resistance in Palestinian Speculative Fiction

Abstract

Palestinian identity is symbolic of the struggle against elimination, against becoming absent. The pervasive use of social media today has been pivotal in revealing this struggle, enabling the direct and unrestricted sharing of Palestinian suffering in the face of unremitting destruction and displacement. Across the globe, people bear witness to Palestinians fighting for survival amidst the mass bombings, field executions, and engineered famine in Israel’s current military operation in the Gaza Strip. This campaign, which began as a response to Hamas’ attack on October 7th 2023, has led to the extermination of Palestinian people at a level and pace that likely exceeds any conflict in modern history. Consequently, many experts consider this military operation a plausible genocide. Yet, despite its shocking and unfiltered nature, this recent incursion is only the latest example in a series of violent aggressions against Palestinians that have lasted nearly a century. This article aims to analyse works of speculative fiction that tackle these issues.

Keywords

• palestine
• speculative fiction
• nakba
• absence
• identity