What question did this study set out to answer?

This essay examines the shift in pandemic narratives from speculative to grounded storytelling post-COVID-19. It aims to amend the theory of narrative experientiality.

June 13, 2026Poetics Today

Speculative and Grounded Narratives: Theorizing the Rhetoric of Narrative Experientiality with Emily St. John Mandel's Pandemic Novels

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

EKElise KraatilaTampere University

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Comparative case study explores how pandemic narratives have shifted from speculative to grounded, indicating new storytelling dynamics.

Key Points

This essay examines the shift in pandemic narratives from speculative to grounded storytelling post-COVID-19. It aims to amend the theory of narrative experientiality.
Comparative case study of Emily St. John Mandel's novels, Station Eleven and Sea of Tranquility.
Analysis of narrative structures focusing on speculative versus grounded storytelling in the context of lived experiences during the pandemic.
Identification of a significant shift towards grounded narratives in post-COVID-19 fiction.
Introduction of a new distinction in narrative experientiality that highlights reader engagement with lived experiences.
Demonstration of how grounded narratives enhance the tellability and relevance of pandemic stories.

Cite This Study

Elise Kraatila (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a2cf701faef96ed7f058a25 https://doi.org/10.1215/03335372-12301726

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Speculative and Grounded Narratives: Theorizing the Rhetoric of Narrative Experientiality with Emily St. John Mandel's Pandemic Novels

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Speculative and Grounded Narratives: Theorizing the Rhetoric of Narrative Experientiality with Emily St. John Mandel's Pandemic Novels

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Also Consider

Also Consider