Which of the following works are categorised under science-fiction?

A) Haruki Murakami’s The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
B) Wendy Mass’s Mango-Shaped Space
C) Umberto Eco’s Travels in Hyper Reality
D) Frank Schwatzing’s the Swarm
E) Kuzuo Ishiguro’s Never Let me go

Choose the correct answer from the options given below.

The correct answer is B, C, E only.

Here is a step-by-step breakdown of why these works are grouped under the category of science-fiction or speculative science-themed literature:
1. Wendy Mass’s A Mango-Shaped Space (B): This novel explores the life of a young protagonist with synesthesia, a real neurological condition where sensory pathways overlap (such as seeing colors when hearing sounds). Its focus on neurology and the scientific understanding of sensory perception places it in the realm of science-themed speculative fiction.
2. Umberto Eco’s Travels in Hyper Reality (C): This collection of essays explores semiotics, holograms, simulated environments, and technological representations of reality. These themes are deeply intertwined with the concepts of virtual reality and hyperreality, which are foundational to modern science-fiction theory.
3. Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go (E): This is a classic dystopian science-fiction novel that takes place in an alternative history where human cloning is used to harvest organs, exploring the ethical and technological consequences of genetic engineering.

In contrast:
- Haruki Murakami’s The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (A) is primarily classified as magical realism and postmodern fiction rather than science-fiction.
- Frank Schätzing’s The Swarm (D) is typically categorized as an ecological thriller.

Thus, the correct combination representing these works is B, C, E only.