Ahmed Naji

The Speculative RouteFutures from South and Southwest Asia and North Africa

In a new book that just came out, I contributed a chapter on science fiction in Arabic literature. In it, I attempt to introduce a new definition of sci-fi—one that diverges from the Western model. My approach isn’t rooted in postcolonial studies or the decolonization discourse (a term that, frankly, still makes me giggle every time I hear it). Instead, I base my thinking on a deeper examination of how different cultures understand time and the future.

Since Socrates, Western philosophy has imagined time as a line—always moving forward in a single direction. This shapes not just Western metaphysics but even grammar. In English, for example, every verb must exist in the past, present, or future. In Arabic, verbs exist in the past, present, or as imperative . There is no verb form for the future.

Time in Eastern philosophy—and in many ancient civilizations—is not a straight line. It’s a cycle, a loop, a presence.

So, the Western idea that science fiction must extrapolate from the present to imagine a future doesn’t necessarily align with other philosophical or even scientific frameworks. It assumes a specific, culturally constructed timeline.

If you’re curious to explore this further, you’ll find more in my chapter in this book: The Speculative Route: Futures from South and Southwest Asia and North