What is the criminological value of fiction? Examining postcolonial speculative storytelling as a site for theory construction, analogy and pedagogy

In response to calls to counter-colonial legacies in criminology and to improve inclusivity, I examine the criminological value of postcolonial speculative fiction as a site for theory construction, analogy and pedagogy. This conceptual and qualitative project sought to develop students’ critical thinking skills and empathy through fiction and to generate ‘new’ and collaborative ways of thinking about harm, crime and justice. Participants were asked to read two short stories about sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls. The fiction was chosen to inspire critical dialogue in a predominantly white classroom. I begin by outlining the need for fundamental change in criminology’s approach to critical inquiry then explore how fiction can provide an avenue for pedagogical transformation. I find that fiction provides a site on which students can compare and interpret crime, harm and justice in the social world; moreover, that fiction can help students to engage with difference.