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Historical fiction

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Historical fiction is a sub-genre of fiction that often portrays fictional accounts or dramatization of historical figures or events. Writers of stories in this genre, while penning fiction, nominally attempt to capture the spirit, manners, and social conditions of the persons or time(s) presented in the story, with due attention paid to period detail and fidelity.[1] Historical fiction is found in books, magazines,[2] art, television, movies, games, theater, and other media.

Definition

Historical fiction presents readers with a story that takes place during a notable period in history, and usually during a significant event in that period. Historical fiction often presents actual events from the point of view of people living in that time period.

In some historical fiction, famous events appear from points of view not recorded in history, showing historical figures dealing with actual events while depicting them in a way that is not recorded in history. Other times, the historical event complements a story's narrative, occurring in the background while characters deal with events (personal or otherwise) wholly unrelated to recorded history. Sometimes, the names of people and places have been in some way altered. As this is fiction, artistic license is permitted in regard to presentation and subject matter, so long as it does not deviate in significant ways from established history. If events should deviate significantly, the story may then fall into the genre of alternate history, which is known for speculating on what could have happened if a significant historical event had gone differently. On a similar note, events occurring in historical fiction must adhere to the laws of physics. Stories that extend into the magical or fantastic are often considered a historical fantasy.

Critical reception

Unusually for a fiction genre, much historical fiction has been enthusiastically embraced by the mainstream literary critical community. In 2009, several of the novels on the Booker Prize longlist were historical fiction.[3]

Literature

Further information: historical novel

Historical literature includes the works of authors that epitomize a specific period in history. Historical literature has been written since at least the 11th century BC.

Authors

Media and culture

Works of historical fiction are not reserved exclusively to literature. Many films have been created which attempt to use a historic event or setting as a backdrop and actors portray fictional or historic figures set in these events. Below are a few notable examples in chronological order the events took place.

Film and television

  • I, Claudius - Television series adaptation of Robert Graves's novels, observing the life of the Roman Emperor Claudius.
  • The Tudors - A dramatic television series observing the reign of Henry VIII.
  • John Adams - Miniseries, chronicling most of President John Adams's adult life and his role in the founding of the United States.
  • Titanic directed by James Cameron - Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater, two members of opposite social classes, fall in love on the doomed ocean liner's maiden voyage.
  • Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima - Films about World War II.
  • Memoirs of a Geisha - A fictional account of the life of a Geisha set in World War II Japan. Based on the 1997 novel of the same name by Arthur Golden.

See also

Look up historical fiction in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

References

  1. ^ Search Results for historical fiction - Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia
  2. ^ See, e.g., Paradox Magazine, which publishes short stories in the historical fiction sub-genre.
  3. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jul/28/booker-prize-longlist-me-cheeta
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