Readers, we need to talk about the fact that there’s such a thing as science fiction and fantasy poetry that’s written about Christmas and other winter holidays.
Seriously, how cool is that?
I discovered this niche by googling for something I wished might really exist: Christmas poems written for adults that have a science fiction or fantasy twist to them.
I do these searches a few times a month on various topics for the sheer fun of it. The vast majority of the time, they turn up nothing. (They probably amuse the heck out of whomever might have access to my search history, though!)
This time I was in luck, and something amusing turned up on the very first page. That lead me to try different combinations of words to see what else I could find. This list is the sum total of everything I found that I thought was well-written and didn’t fall into the sentimentality that most Christmas and winter holiday poems resort to.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying that sort of writing, but I have a strong preference for poems and stories that take other approaches to their subjects: humour, allegories, pragmaticism, and even a little bit of sarcasm at times.
1) 12-Word Christmas Sci-Fi Poem.
Published: December of 2016
Author: syd7t5.
That is all I know about this poet and their poem, but I do love the UFO reference.
Published: 2017
Author: Lee Leon.
Imagine what the nativity scene would be like if it were viewed through the eyes of sheep who neither cared about nor understood human concerns. Now double your expectations of delightful oddness and start reading.
Published: 2018
Author: Allan Terry
This is a side of santa I don’t think anyone has seen before. That’s all I can say about that without giving away spoilrers.
Published: 1960s
Author: Sylvia Plath
While this poem doesn’t directly reference any specific winter holidays, it felt like it was written at that time of year to me due to the cold weather and the narrator’s descriptions of ordinary life. I could easily see this being set during a post-nuclear Christmas when everything is terribly uncertain and yet some people still hold onto every shred of hope they can.
5) Lifelong Hermitage Denizen Enjoys Spiritual Freedom
Published: 2018
Author: matthew harris.
I don’t know that the audience was actually supposed to like the speaker of this poem, but I did. His rough exterior seemed to be mostly a facade to me. I’d bet he’d relax pretty quickly if he was told what the rest of us were doing on Christmas and then given complete freedom to participate in all, some, or none of it without any pressure in any direction.
Published: 2018
Author: Caren Krutsinger
If only this one could have kept going. Since when are Sugar Plum Elves this small? I don’t remember reading that before, but I’d love to know more.
Did you know that there was such a thing as science fiction and fantasy poems about winter holidays that are meant for adult audiences? Have you run across any other poems that could be added to this list?