According to the entry in Wikipedia: Suspension of disbelief or “willing suspension of disbelief” is a formula devised by the poet and aesthetic philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge to justify the use of fantastic or non-realistic elements in literature. Coleridge suggested that if a writer could infuse a "human interest and a semblance of truth" into a fantastic tale, the reader would suspend judgment concerning the implausibility of the narrative.

Here at On Spec, we're in the business of suspending disbelief. Over the past 20 years, just what sorts of stories have managed to suspend the disbelief of the On Spec editors (along with countless readers), and why? Let's take a look. Following is a short list of some of my personal favourites. If you are new to On Spec, you might want to order the issues they are in, and have a look for yourself. We think they stand the test of time:

• Muffin Explains Teleology to the World at Large by James Allan Gardner (Spring...