Tejaswinee Roychowdhury, a founding editor of The Hooghly Review, is currently pursuing a PhD in Law at the University of Calcutta while working on her debut novel, a psychological suspense thriller. She can be reached at tejaswineerc across social media.

She is the editor of THE BARE BONES BOOK OF SPECULATIVE FICTION. In this interview, she discusses the what-why-how of the project.

What is your book about? Share an elevator pitch.

It is an anthology of literary speculative fiction featuring twenty-one writers and a translator spanning eleven countries, ranging from award-winners and best-sellers to debutants. Together, they offer a house of mirrors where vivid dreams, alt realities, dicey barters, AI, lore, the Kafkaesque, the afterlife, and more come alive.

Why is it different? What is its USP?

While curating, I went in with a blank canvas for every submission to land and I’ve picked the ones that actively stretch the boundaries of what an anthology is usually expected to offer. Its USP is thematic unpredictability. Because true diversity begins with cultural inclusivity, but delivers structural and intellectual surprise.

Why did you curate this book?

The human race will never run out of curiosity and the imagination that drives speculative fiction. I intended to record a decimal fraction of it.

What experiences or expertise do you bring to this subject?

I’m pursuing a PhD in Law, a subject that doesn’t deal in fantasy, or even fiction. As a founding editor of The Hooghly Review, I have developed a critical literary eye, and I consume an absurd amount of fiction, most of which is fantasy. I’ve encountered the paranormal, my dreams have been premonitions, and I’m starting to predict using Vedic astrology. Thus, I occupy the space between the rational and the unexplained, and I have a deep, intuitive respect for the bizarre.

Why does this book matter?

The world is moving at a terrifying, surreal pace. These twenty-one stories can offer perspectives to make sense of our shifting reality by anchoring the reader while preparing them for the next jolt.

How does this relate to similar books?

If you imagine all the literary speculative fiction in the world as a singular collection, this book is a neat fit, filling a space no other book will.

Three words to best describe you.

Paradoxical. Observant. Intentional.