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Lab lit

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Lab lit (also "lablit") is a loosely defined genre of fiction, distinct from <a href="Science_fiction" title="Science fiction">science fiction</a>, that centers on realistic portrayals of scientists and science as a profession.<a href="#cite_note-Financial_Times_2009-05-23-1">[1]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Definition">Definition</h2></div>

Unlike <a href="Science_fiction" title="Science fiction">science fiction</a>, lab lit is generally set in some semblance of the real world, rather than a speculative or future one, and it deals with established scientific knowledge or plausible hypotheses.<a href="#cite_note-nature-2">[2]</a> In other words, lab lit novels are mainstream or literary stories about the practice of science as a profession. They may or may not center exclusively on the science or the workplaces of scientists, but all tend to feature scientists as central characters. According to an article in the New York Times,

<dl><dd>"Lab lit is not science fiction, and in my opinion it’s not historical fiction about actual scientists (though some fictionalized biographies do appear on the list). Instead, in the Web site’s words, it “depicts realistic scientists as central characters and portrays fairly realistic scientific practice or concepts, typically taking place in a realistic — as opposed to speculative or future — world.'"<a href="#cite_note-NYT2006-3">[3]</a></dd></dl>

Prominent examples of lab lit include Flight Behavior by <a href="Barbara_Kingsolver" title="Barbara Kingsolver">Barbara Kingsolver</a>, Intuition by <a href="Allegra_Goodman" title="Allegra Goodman">Allegra Goodman</a>, Mendel's Dwarf by <a href="Simon_Mawer" title="Simon Mawer">Simon Mawer</a>, <a href="Real_Life_(novel)" title="Real Life (novel)">Real Life</a> by <a href="Brandon_Taylor_(writer)" title="Brandon Taylor (writer)">Brandon Taylor</a>, and <a href="Richard_Powers" title="Richard Powers">Richard Powers'</a> The Echo Maker and Generosity.<a href="#cite_note-lablit-4">[4]</a> Novels set in the past featuring fictionalized explorations of real-life scientists can also be considered lab lit; examples include Kepler by <a href="John_Banville" title="John Banville">John Banville</a>, The Signature of All Things by <a href="Elizabeth_Gilbert" title="Elizabeth Gilbert">Elizabeth Gilbert</a>, Remarkable Creatures by <a href="Tracy_Chevalier" title="Tracy Chevalier">Tracy Chevelier</a> and Enigma by <a href="Robert_Harris_(novelist)" title="Robert Harris (novelist)">Robert Harris</a>.<a href="#cite_note-lablit-4">[4]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History_and_origins">History and origins</h2></div>

Works of fiction that incorporate real science into, but are not considered science fiction have also been referred to as "science in fiction."<a href="#cite_note-5">[5]</a> Mary Shelley's <a href="Frankenstein" title="Frankenstein">Frankenstein</a> his often cited as an early precursor of this genre.,<a href="#cite_note-6">[6]</a> but realistic portrayals of science in fiction were relatively rare throughout most of the twentieth century. However, a notable example from the 1950s is <a href="Isaac_Asimov" title="Isaac Asimov">Isaac Asimov's</a> <a href="The_Death_Dealers" title="The Death Dealers">A Whiff of Death</a>, as well as examples from the beginning of the current upsurge include Cantor's Dilemma by <a href="Carl_Djerassi" title="Carl Djerassi">Carl Djerassi</a>.

The term "lab lit" was coined by <a href="Jennifer_Rohn" title="Jennifer Rohn">Jennifer Rohn</a> in an essay in 2005,<a href="#cite_note-nature-2">[2]</a> along with the launch of the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.lablit.com/">Lablit website</a>.<a href="#cite_note-7">[7]</a> The term began to appear in the cultural pages of science magazines during the first decade of the 21st century<a href="#cite_note-8">[8]</a><a href="#cite_note-9">[9]</a><a href="#cite_note-physworld-10">[10]</a> and has been championed by such scientist novelists such as <a href="Carl_Djerassi" title="Carl Djerassi">Carl Djerassi</a>, Ann Lingard<a href="#cite_note-annlingard-11">[11]</a> and Jennifer Rohn. An upturn in the publication of lab-lit novels occurred in the 1990s, with five to ten new titles appearing annually in the early 2000s.<a href="#cite_note-nature2010-12">[12]</a><a href="#cite_note-Haynes_31–44-13">[13]</a> The reasons for this increase are unclear, but may include factors such as an increased interest in and familiarity with science on the part of the general public, publishers, and established authors.<a href="#cite_note-nature2010-12">[12]</a><a href="#cite_note-Haynes_31–44-13">[13]</a>

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<li><a href="Hard_science_fiction" title="Hard science fiction">Hard science fiction</a></li>

<li><a href="Mundane_science_fiction" title="Mundane science fiction">Mundane science fiction</a></li>

<li><a href="Climate_fiction" title="Climate fiction">Climate fiction</a></li>

<li><a href="Solar_(novel)" title="Solar (novel)">Solar</a></li></ul></div>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>

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</style><cite id="CITEREFCookson2009" class="citation news cs1">Cookson, Clive (2009-05-23). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/72985c24-465d-11de-803f-00144feabdc0.html">"The real lab rats"</a>. Financial Times. Retrieved 2009-05-27.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-nature-2">^ <a href="#cite_ref-nature_2-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-nature_2-1">b</a> <cite id="CITEREFRohn,_Jennifer2006" class="citation journal cs1">Rohn, Jennifer (January 2006). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1038%2F439269a">"Experimental Fiction"</a>. Nature. 439 (19): 269. <a href="Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1038%2F439269a">10.1038/439269a</a>.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-NYT2006-3"><a href="#cite_ref-NYT2006_3-0">^</a> <cite id="CITEREFBouton,_Katherine2012" class="citation journal cs1">Bouton, Katherine (December 3, 2012). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/04/science/in-lab-lit-fiction-meets-science-of-the-real-world.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0">"In Lab Lit, Fiction Meets Science of the Real World"</a>. New York Times: D2.</cite>

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<cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.lablit.com/the_list">"The Lab Lit List - Novels, films, plays and TV programs in the Lab Lit fiction genre"</a>. Retrieved Sep 2, 2014.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-5"><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a> Djerassi, Carl. "Science in Fiction ist nicht Science Fiction: Ist sie Autobiographie?" Fiction in Science – Science in Fiction, Ed. Wendelin Schmidt-Dengler. Wien: Verlag Hölder-Pichler-Tempsky, 1998

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<li id="cite_note-6"><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a> Julie Maxwell, 'The Rise of Lab-Lit', Oxford Today 26 (2014) p. 35

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<li id="cite_note-7"><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a> Jennifer Rohn, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.lablit.com/article/1">Editorial: Welcome to LabLit.com. Our lights are now on!</a> 7 March 2005 (accessed Sept. 2, 2014)

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<li id="cite_note-8"><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a> Mawer Simon. “Science in Literature.” Nature, 434 (2005): 297-299

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<li id="cite_note-9"><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a> "The power of fiction; Why do so many scientists secretly despise the novel, when a novelist's imaginative strengths can help us understand 21st-century science?" New Scientist, August 25, 2007

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<li id="cite_note-physworld-10"><a href="#cite_ref-physworld_10-0">^</a> <cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/indepth/26533">"Physics World"</a>.</cite>

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<cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.annlingard.com/">"Ann Lingard's website"</a>.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-nature2010-12">^ <a href="#cite_ref-nature2010_12-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-nature2010_12-1">b</a> <cite id="CITEREFRohn,_Jennifer2010" class="citation journal cs1">Rohn, Jennifer (June 2010). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1038%2F465552a">"More lab in the library"</a>. Nature. 465 (7298): 552. <a href="Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1038%2F465552a">10.1038/465552a</a>.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-Haynes_31–44-13">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Haynes_31–44_13-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Haynes_31–44_13-1">b</a> <cite id="CITEREFHaynes2014" class="citation journal cs1">Haynes, Roslynn D. (2014-06-10). "Whatever happened to the 'mad, bad' scientist? Overturning the stereotype". Public Understanding of Science. 25 (1): 31–44. <a href="Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0963662514535689">10.1177/0963662514535689</a>. <a href="Hdl_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Hdl (identifier)">hdl</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://hdl.handle.net/1959.4%2Funsworks_38397">1959.4/unsworks_38397</a>. <a href="ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0963-6625">0963-6625</a>.</cite>

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2></div>

<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.lablit.com/the_list">List of Lab lit novels</a> at LabLit.com</li></ul></div><div><div class="zim-footer">

This article is issued from <a class="external text" title="Last edited on 2025-07-14" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/?title=Lab_lit&oldid=1300385155">Wikipedia</a>. The text is available under <a class="external text" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en">Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0</a> unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

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