Extrapolation is an American academic journal covering speculative fiction. It was founded in 1959 by Thomas D. Clareson and was initially published at the College of Wooster. In 1979 it moved to the Kent State University Press. A decade later, Clareson stepped down as editor and was succeeded by Donald M. Hassler of the KSU English Department. In 2002 the journal transferred to the University of Texas at Brownsville. At that time Donald M. Hassler became executive editor, and the position of editor was filled by Javier A. Martinez of UTB's English Department. In 2007 Hassler retired and Martinez became Managing Editor, bringing in Andrew M. Butler, Michael Levy, and Sherryl Vint as co-editors and D. Harlan Wilson as Reviews Editor.
Extrapolation was the first journal to publish academic work on science fiction and fantasy. It covers all areas of speculative culture, including print, film, television, comic books and video games, and particularly encourages papers which consider popular texts within their larger cultural context. The journal publishes papers from a wide variety of critical approaches including but not limited to literary criticism, utopian studies, genre criticism, feminist theory, critical race studies, queer theory, and postcolonial theory. It is interested in promoting dialogue among scholars working within a number of traditions and in encouraging the serious study of popular culture.
Extrapolation appears three times a year.