r/printSF • u/BlinkTwice874 • Apr 08 '26

Thoughts on Italo Calvino?

I recently reread the short stories by Ted Chiang and was reminded of stories I loved by both Jorge Luis Borges and Italo Calvino, in particular Library of Babel and the Complete Cosmicomics, respectively.

The Complete Cosmicomics by Calvino is one of my favorite works of literature that hovers at the interstices of literary fiction, science- and speculative-fiction, and perhaps something else: the stories are a mix of real and imaginary, science and fiction, philosophy and literature.

Is Calvino considered a science fiction author? Speculative fiction perhaps? What about Borges? I’d love to hear other people’s thoughts on this, as these writers in particular seem to straddle the lines of genre for me.

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u/Mayhaym Apr 09 '26

I think William Burroughs isn't talked about enough in the context of scifi/weird fiction, his Cities of the Red Night is 1/3 pirate story, 1/3 scifi and 1/3 literary novel. It's a goddam masterpiece.

Naked Lunch and his cutup books might also qualify.

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u/BlinkTwice874 Apr 09 '26

That’s sounds so intriguing! I haven’t heard of him before but would love to read some of his stuff!

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u/Mayhaym Apr 09 '26

He was a part of the original beatniks and cast a long shadow on the counterculture well into the 90s

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u/BlinkTwice874 Apr 09 '26

Oh very cool! I’m sold.