Historical fiction is a type of story in which a made-up plot happens during real historical events. While the term is often used to describe books, it can also apply to other forms of storytelling, such as plays, movies, video games, and graphic novels.
A key part of historical fiction is that it takes place in the past and includes details about the customs, social life, and other aspects of the time period it describes. Authors often include important people from history in their stories, helping readers understand how these individuals might have acted in their time. Some types of historical fiction, like historical romance, focus on making the past seem more romantic or ideal. Other subgenres, such as alternate history and historical fantasy, add elements that are not based on real events or include imaginative ideas.
Some people criticize historical fiction for not being accurate because of expectations for correct details about the past. This conflict between being true to history and creating a story is often discussed by readers and critics. Scholars, however, often look deeper, examining the themes and other meaningful ideas in the genre.
As a modern Western literary type, historical fiction began in the early 1800s with writers like Sir Walter Scott and others, such as the French author Honoré de Balzac, the American James Fenimore Cooper, and the Russian Leo Tolstoy. However, mixing real history with made-up stories has been common in many cultures for a long time. Both Western traditions, like ancient Greek and Latin works, and Eastern traditions, such as oral stories and folktales (including myths and legends), have created fictional works that describe history for their audiences. These works include epics, novels, plays, and other stories.
Introduction
People may have different ideas about what makes a book a historical novel. One group, the Historical Novel Society, says a historical novel is a book written at least fifty years after the events it describes. Another person, a critic named Sarah Johnson, says historical novels are books set before the middle of the 20th century, where the author writes based on research instead of personal experience. A writer named Lynda Adamson, in her book about historical fiction, explains that many people agree a historical novel is a story about a time period at least 25 years before it was written. However, some people read older books, like those by Jane Austen, as if they were historical novels even though they were written in the past.
Historical fiction sometimes helped start movements that promoted national pride. For example, Walter Scott’s books about Scotland made people interested in Scottish history and still help explain it today. A writer named Józef Ignacy Kraszewski wrote a series of books about Poland’s history, which helped people learn about the country after it lost independence during the Partitions of Poland. Henryk Sienkiewicz wrote many popular books about conflicts in Poland, such as battles with the Teutonic Knights, rebellious Cossacks, and invading Swedes. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1905. He also wrote Quo Vadis, a famous book about ancient Rome and early Christians. This book has been made into movies in 1913, 1924, 1951, and 2001. Another writer, Sigrid Undset, wrote Kristin Lavransdatter, which helped people learn about Norwegian history. She later won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1928.
Many early historical novels helped increase European interest in the history of the Middle Ages. Victor Hugo’s book The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is often credited with helping people want to protect Gothic buildings in France. This led to the creation of the Monuments historiques, a French group that works to preserve historic buildings.
The historical novel genre has also allowed some writers to look at their own time and place from a different perspective or to avoid being censored. For example, the Polish writer Bolesław Prus wrote Pharaoh, his only historical novel, which helped him examine society and human life.
In some historical novels, major events happen mostly offstage, while fictional characters live in the world where those events take place. For example, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped focuses on personal adventures that happen during the Jacobite troubles in Scotland. Charles Dickens’ Barnaby Rudge takes place during the Gordon Riots, and A Tale of Two Cities is set during the French Revolution.
Some historical novels have been questioned for their accuracy in describing past events. For example, Alexandre Dumas’ 1845 book Queen Margot has been criticized for this. Postmodern writers like John Barth and Thomas Pynchon use even more freedom, mixing real historical people and places with made-up stories and fantasy. Examples include Barth’s The Sot-Weed Factor (1960) and Pynchon’s Mason & Dixon (1997). Some writers also create historical fiction without fictional characters. An example is the Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough.
History
Historical prose fiction has a long history in world literature. Three of the Four Great Classical Chinese novels are set in ancient times: Shi Nai'an's Water Margin, written in the 14th century, is about 12th-century outlaws; Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms, also from the 14th century, describes 3rd-century wars that ended the Han dynasty; and Wu Cheng'en's Journey to the West, written in the 16th century, is based on the 7th-century Buddhist pilgrim Xuanzang. During the Ming and Qing periods in China, many historical novels became popular. These include works by Feng Menglong, such as Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms; Luo Maodeng's Sanbao taijian xiyang ji; Sun Gaoliang's Yu Shaobao cui zhong quanzhuan; Chu Renhuo's Romance of the Sui and Tang dynasties; Xiong Damu's Records of the Two Songs, South and North; Quan Han zhi zhuan; Yang Erzeng's Romance of the Eastern and Western Jin dynasties; the anonymous Ying Lie Zhuan; and Qian Cai's The General Yue Fei.
Classical Greek writers also often wrote about the past. The Iliad, though considered epic poetry, is sometimes described as historical fiction because it deals with real events. Pierre Vidal-Naquet suggested that Plato's story of Atlantis in his dialogues Timaeus and Critias helped lay the groundwork for the historical novel. The Tale of Genji, written before 1021, is a fictional story about Japanese court life about 100 years earlier. Its author claimed her work showed a more complete and "truer" version of history.
One of the earliest examples of the historical novel in Europe is La Princesse de Clèves, a French novel published anonymously in March 1678. Many people consider it the beginning of the modern psychological novel and a great work. Its author is generally believed to be Madame de La Fayette. The story takes place between October 1558 and November 1559 at the royal court of Henry II of France. It recreates that time with great accuracy. Nearly every character, except the heroine, is a real historical figure. Events and intrigues are described with care to match historical records. In the United Kingdom, the historical novel "developed" from La Princesse de Clèves, "and then via the Gothic novel." Another early example is The Unfortunate Traveller by Thomas Nashe, published in 1594 and set during the reign of King Henry VIII.
Historical fiction became popular in Europe during the early 19th century as part of the Romantic movement's response to the Enlightenment. This was especially true through the influence of the Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott, whose works were widely read across Europe. Some of his early followers included Willibald Alexis, Theodor Fontane, Bernhard Severin Ingemann, Miklós Jósika, Mór Jókai, Jakob van Lennep, Carl Jonas Love Almqvist, Victor Rydberg, Andreas Munch, Alessandro Manzoni, Alfred de Vigny, Honoré de Balzac, and Prosper Mérimée. Jane Porter's 1803 novel Thaddeus of Warsaw is one of the earliest examples of the historical novel in English. It went through at least 84 editions and was translated into French and German. The first true historical novel in English was Maria Edgeworth's Castle Rackrent (1800).
In the 20th century, György Lukács argued that Sir Walter Scott was the first writer to treat history not just as a background for modern stories but as a distinct social and cultural setting. Scott's novels, such as Waverley (1814) and Rob Roy (1817), focused on characters who lived at the intersection of different social groups to explore societal changes. Ivanhoe (1820) helped renew interest in the Middle Ages.
Many famous British writers published historical novels in the mid-19th century. These include Thackeray's Vanity Fair, Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, George Eliot's Romola, and Charles Kingsley's Westward Ho! and Hereward the Wake. Thomas Hardy's only historical novel, The Trumpet-Major (1880), is set in Weymouth during the Napoleonic Wars, when the town worried about possible invasion by Napoleon.
In the United States, the first historical novelist was Samuel Woodworth, who wrote The Champions of American Freedom in 1816. James Fenimore Cooper, known for his historical novels and influenced by Scott, wrote The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757 (1826), the second book in the Leatherstocking Tales series. This novel is set in 1757 during the French and Indian War (part of the Seven Years' War), when France and Britain fought for control of North America. Cooper's rival, John Neal, wrote Rachel Dyer (1828), the first novel about the 17th-century Salem witch trials. Rachel Dyer influenced later works, such as The Scarlet Letter (1850) by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, Massachusetts, from 1642 to 1649, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, who has a child from an affair and struggles to build a life of repentance and dignity.
In French literature, the most famous writer to follow Sir Walter Scott's style was Balzac. In 1829, Balzac published Les Chouans, a historical novel inspired by Scott. This work was later included in La Comédie Humaine. Most of La Comédie Humaine takes place during the Bourbon Restoration and the July Monarchy, though some stories are set during the French Revolution, the Middle Ages, or the Renaissance, including About Catherine de Medici and The Elixir of Long Life.
Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) is another example of 19th-century romantic-historical fiction. Hugo wrote the novel to raise awareness about the value of Gothic architecture, which was being neglected or destroyed. The story takes place in 1482 and centers on the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Alexandre Dumas also wrote popular historical fiction, including The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers. George Saintsbury noted that The Count of Monte Cristo was once
Subgenres
A type of historical novel from the 20th century is called documentary fiction. This type of novel includes not only historical people and events but also descriptions of everyday life found in newspapers from the time. Examples of this type of novel include U.S.A. (1938) and Ragtime (1975) by E.L. Doctorow.
Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar, a writer born in Belgium but who lived in France, tells the story of Roman Emperor Hadrian’s life and death. First published in France in 1951 as Mémoires d'Hadrien, the book was very successful and received high praise from critics. Margaret George wrote fictional biographies about historical people in The Memoirs of Cleopatra (1997) and Mary, called Magdalene (2002). Earlier examples include Peter I (1929–34) by Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy and I, Claudius (1934) and King Jesus (1946) by Robert Graves. More recent examples include Conqueror and Emperor by Conn Iggulden and Cicero Trilogy by Robert Harris.
The gothic novel was popular in the late 1700s. These stories are set in the past and focus on mysterious, scary, or eerie events. Horace Walpole’s 1764 novel The Castle of Otranto is considered an important early example of this type of novel.
The historical mystery or historical whodunit is a type of story that combines two genres: historical fiction and mystery fiction. These stories take place in a time period that is considered historical by the author, and the main plot involves solving a mystery or crime, often a murder. Though stories that mix these genres existed as early as the early 1900s, many people credit Ellis Peters’s Cadfael Chronicles (1977–1994) with making this type of story more popular. Over time, this genre became widely recognized by publishers and libraries. In 2010, Publishers Weekly said, “The past decade has seen an explosion in both quantity and quality. Never before have so many historical mysteries been published, by so many gifted writers, and covering such a wide range of times and places.” Editor Keith Kahla also noted, “From a small group of writers with a very specialized audience, the historical mystery has become a critically acclaimed, award-winning genre with a toehold on the New York Times bestseller list.”
Since 1999, the British Crime Writers’ Association has given the CWA Historical Dagger award to novels in this genre. The Left Coast Crime conference has presented its Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery award (for mysteries set before 1950) since 2004.
Romantic themes have also been shown in historical novels, such as Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak and Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. One of the first popular historical romances was The Black Moth (1921) by Georgette Heyer, which is set in 1751. Heyer later wrote Regency novels, which are set during the English Regency period (1811–1820), when the Prince Regent ruled England instead of his sick father, King George III. Heyer’s Regency novels were inspired by Jane Austen’s books from the late 1700s and early 1800s. Because Heyer’s stories were set more than 100 years before her time, she included details about the past to help readers understand the setting. Heyer’s characters often had modern ideas, and more traditional characters in her books would sometimes comment on the heroine’s unusual choices, such as wanting to marry for love.
Some historical novels focus on life at sea, including The Hornblower series by C.S. Forester, The Aubrey–Maturin series by Patrick O’Brian, The Bolitho novels by Alexander Kent, and Lord Ramage’s series by Dudley Pope. These books all take place during the Napoleonic Wars. Other historical novels include pirate stories, such as Treasure Island (1883) by Robert Louis Stevenson, Sandokan (1895–1913) by Emilio Salgari, and Captain Blood (1922) by Rafael Sabatini. Recent examples of pirate-themed historical novels include The Adventures of Hector Lynch by Tim Severin, The White Devil by Hristo Kalchev, and The Pirate Devlin novels by Mark Keating.
Alternate history is a type of story that is part of speculative fiction. These stories imagine how history might have changed if certain events had happened differently. Alternate history stories often explore “what if?” questions about important events in history and show how the world might be different. These stories usually have a point where history changes, called a point of divergence (POD), and then describe the effects of that change. Some alternate history stories are considered a type of science fiction or historical fiction.
Since the 1950s, many alternate history stories have included ideas like time travel between different timelines, the ability to sense other worlds, or the splitting of history into separate time streams.
Historical fantasy is a type of story that mixes fantasy elements, such as magic, with historical settings. These stories often take place before the 20th century. Films in this genre may be set in biblical times or the ancient world. These stories are often loosely based on myths or legends from Greek-Roman history or nearby cultures.
Time travel is a common theme in fiction, especially since the late 1800s. It has appeared in books, television, and movies. This genre is sometimes called chrono fiction, temporal fiction, or chrono opera.
The idea of time travel using machines was first popularized in H.G. Wells’s 1895 story The Time Machine. Time travel stories usually focus on the effects of traveling to the past or future. These stories often involve changing history, either on purpose or by accident, and how altering the past changes the future. In some stories, the past cannot be changed, and the future is already decided, so the main character’s actions do not affect events. Other stories focus only on the problems and different timelines that come with time travel. These stories often include social messages, as time travel allows science fiction to address modern issues in a metaphorical way.
Historiographic metafiction is
The performing arts
Historical drama films are stories based on real events and famous people from the past. Some historical dramas are called docudramas, which try to show real events or people as accurately as possible, based on what history books and research say. Other historical dramas are made-up stories that are inspired by real people and their actions, such as Braveheart, which is loosely based on the life of William Wallace, a 13th-century knight who fought for Scotland’s independence.
In Asia, there are historical drama films set in East Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia. These are sometimes called jidaigeki in Japan. Wuxia films, which are a type of historical drama from China, include movies like The Hidden Power of the Dragon Sabre (1984) and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), based on novels by Jin Yong and Wang Dulu. Director Zhang Yimou has made several famous wuxia films, such as Hero (2002), House of Flying Daggers (2004), and Curse of the Golden Flower (2006). While many wuxia films are fictional, some are considered historical dramas. Samurai films, like Zatoichi and Lone Wolf and Cub, are also part of the historical drama genre.
Peplum films, also known as sword-and-sandal films, are a type of historical or biblical movie made mostly in Italy between 1958 and 1965. These films often feature strong heroes, such as Hercules or Samson, who rescue princesses or fight mythical creatures. Some peplum films are based on real historical figures like Julius Caesar or Cleopatra, though the stories are not always accurate. Other popular themes include gladiators, pirates, knights, Vikings, and slaves rebelling against kings.
Movies based on medieval stories include Robin Hood (2010) and Kingdom of Heaven (2005) by Ridley Scott. Films inspired by the Arthurian legend, such as Pendragon: Sword of His Father (2008) and King Arthur (2004), are also part of this genre.
Many historical stories have been turned into TV shows. Examples include Rome, Spartacus, Egypt, The Last Kingdom, and I Claudius. Tudor England is a popular subject in series like The Tudors, The Virgin Queen, and Elizabeth I. Shows about the Napoleonic Wars, such as Sharpe and Hornblower, and historical soaps like The Magnificent Century and Once Upon A Time In The Ottoman Empire: Rebellion are also well-known. Chinese TV series like The Legend and the Hero, King's War, and The Qin Empire have been produced. Wuxia TV shows, based on works by Jin Yong and Gu Long, are popular in China but less known in the West.
In Western theater, history is one of the main genres, along with tragedy and comedy. It became a separate genre during the Renaissance in England. Shakespeare wrote many history plays, such as Richard III, Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, and Henry V. Other plays, like Macbeth and Julius Caesar, also include historical characters.
Other playwrights, like Christopher Marlowe, wrote about historical events. His plays Edward the Second and The Massacre at Paris are based on real events. German writers like Goethe and Schiller also wrote historical plays, including Egmont and Mary Stuart. Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw wrote Caesar and Cleopatra and Saint Joan, which is based on the life of Joan of Arc.
Opera also includes historical stories. Claudio Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea (1643) is about Poppaea, the mistress of Emperor Nero. George Frederick Handel wrote operas about historical figures, such as Giulio Cesare and Tamerlano. In the 19th century, operas with historical themes became more common, featuring large casts and elaborate performances.
Theory and criticism
György Lukács, a Marxist literary critic, essayist, and social theorist, wrote many works about the importance of the historical novel in both art and politics. In his 1937 book Der historische Roman, first written in Russian, Lukács analyzed historical novels by authors such as Gottfried Keller, Charles Dickens, and Gustave Flaubert. He explained that the true historical novel began in the early 19th century because of two changes. First, the historical novel developed its own unique style and storytelling methods. Second, it became a type of artwork that could show the problems, conflicts, and challenges of the economic system of its time, such as early or developing capitalism.