history of historical fiction

The history of historical fiction: exploring the realms of the past

Historical fiction is a captivating genre that combines the allure of history with the creativity of fiction. It takes readers on a journey through time, immersing them in bygone eras and allowing them to experience the lives of people who lived before us. In this article, we will delve into the history of historical fiction, explore some of the notable authors and their works, and recommend websites for further exploration of this fascinating genre.

Historical fiction has a long and rich history, dating back centuries. The earliest known examples can be found in ancient Greek and Roman literature, with works like Homer's "The Iliad" and Virgil's "Aeneid" presenting fictionalized accounts of historical events. However, it was not until the 19th century that historical fiction truly emerged as a distinct genre.

One of the pioneers of historical fiction was Sir Walter Scott, a Scottish author whose novels such as "Ivanhoe" and "Waverley" set the stage for what would become a popular genre in the following centuries. Scott's meticulous attention to historical detail and his skill in blending fact with fiction captivated readers and set a standard for future historical fiction authors.

As the genre evolved, authors began exploring various time periods and regions, bringing history to life in different ways. In the 20th century, authors like Marguerite Yourcenar, known for her novel "Memoirs of Hadrian," and Ken Follett, with his epic "The Pillars of the Earth," continued the tradition of crafting immersive historical narratives.

In recent years, historical fiction has gained even more popularity, with authors like Hilary Mantel, Philippa Gregory, and Bernard Cornwell captivating readers with their meticulously researched novels set in eras ranging from the Tudor period to the Viking age.

For readers interested in diving into the world of historical fiction, there are numerous websites and resources available to explore. Goodreads (www.goodreads.com) is a popular platform that allows users to discover new historical fiction novels, read reviews, and connect with other book lovers. The Historical Novel Society (www.historicalnovelsociety.org) is another valuable resource, providing reviews, author interviews, and a comprehensive list of historical fiction novels categorized by time period and location.

Some highly recommended historical fiction novels and their authors include:

1. "The Name of the Rose" by Umberto Eco - A murder mystery set in a medieval monastery, blending history, religion, and philosophy.
2. "Wolf Hall" by Hilary Mantel - A fictionalized account of Thomas Cromwell's rise to power in the court of Henry VIII.
3. "Outlander" by Diana Gabaldon - A time-traveling adventure that takes readers from 20th-century Scotland to 18th-century historical events.
4. "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak - Set during World War II, it tells the story of a young girl in Nazi Germany and the power of books.
5. "Gone with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell - A sweeping epic set during the American Civil War and Reconstruction era.

In conclusion, historical fiction has a rich and diverse history, captivating readers for centuries. From the works of Sir Walter Scott to contemporary authors like Hilary Mantel and Diana Gabaldon, historical fiction continues to transport readers to different time periods and provide a unique perspective on the past. With the help of platforms like Goodreads and the Historical Novel Society, readers can easily discover new novels and satisfy their appetite for historical knowledge.
Tang Brick Fiction
Tang Brick

Yunye always thought of himself as a deeply homesick person, to the point where he would even kidnap martians and make them send him back to Earth if he were placed on Mars. Now there's trouble, how can he go back from the second year of the Zhenguan era to the year 2010 AD? The entire Tang Dynasty is like a huge pit, Li Er has tricked him, Li Chengqian has tricked him, even the demon witch has tricked him, and even the Bull Demon King has tricked him. Even the wise and virtuous Empress Changsun has tricked him. There are no good people in the entire Tang Dynasty! He still has to go on with his life, with a white-haired grandmother to take care of above, and eight sisters to marry off below. As a high-ranking noble, Yunye feels overwhelmed.

446.65 Million words | 2021-03-23 14:50Update

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The Poor Scholarly Warrior Fiction
The Poor Scholarly Warrior

Suddenly traveled back to ancient times, can't even eat a full meal, what should I do? What? The man is about to be beaten up, and the government has given him a beautiful wife, demanding a child next year? What? Another foreign invasion of the Central Plains? It doesn't matter, with a solid grasp of science, mathematics, and physics, I fear no challenges! The unstoppable force of the grassland cavalry? The indestructible pirate ships? Laughable!

305.57 Million words | 2020-08-22 17:16Update

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Beautiful scenery Fiction
Beautiful scenery

He originally thought that being a bandit in troubled times was a very promising job, but he never expected to become a favorite of the court, the person Yang Guang trusts the most. When he became immensely popular and wanted to pursue his grand ambitions, he was helpless to discover that the world was in chaos, in a complete state of disorder. Xiao Buyi, who started out as a nobody, rose to power, with his iron horse galloping and no one daring to oppose him! - - - - - - The new book "Stealing Fragrance" by Mo Wu, set in the Three Kingdoms era, has already been released on Qidian. There is a link in the description below, with over a million words! Friends are welcome to go and support it!

434.02 Million words | 2022-08-06 23:06Update

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Chief Royal Physician Fiction
Chief Royal Physician

Saving your life means saving your political life. By a stroke of luck, he entered the ranks of the "Imperial Physician", serving as a part-official, part-physician. While demonstrating the powerful charm of traditional Chinese medicine, Zeng Yi also fulfilled his ideal of "healing the country as a top doctor", steadily rising in the world. This book has already been formally published under the new title "Chief Physician”. Brothers and sisters who enjoy this book can follow and buy it, available in major bookstores across the country and online platforms like Dangdang.

450.20 Million words | 2020-07-06 21:16Update

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Step by step, a lotus grows. Fiction
Step by step, a lotus grows.

Yang Decheng, a diligent community worker, accidentally travels back to ancient times and becomes the most despised illegitimate son of the Ding family, Ding Hao. With neither power nor wealth, Ding Hao, who works as a coachman for his half-brother, harbors a dream of becoming a carefree and prosperous young master in this wicked society, living a peaceful life. Although his dream seems distant, Ding Hao remains undaunted. With the social experience accumulated from his community work, he adeptly navigates through people and events, seizing every opportunity to break free from confinement and strive for everything he desires. The power struggles of the Song dynasty, the joys and sorrows of Li Yu, the ambitions of Xiao Chuo in the Northern Kingdom, the secrets of the Golden Casket Alliance, the mysterious movements behind the scenes, Chen Tun's cunning plot to take Mount Huashan, the eternal regret of the Gao Liang River... The picturesque landscape, the beauty as poetic as a verse, the samsara world, where every step yields lotus blossoms.

356.55 Million words | 2020-11-15 02:01Update

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Drunken Pillow Over the Rivers and Mountains Fiction
Drunken Pillow Over the Rivers and Mountains

Emperor Wu Riyue, the Empress of Domination, Shangguan Wan'er, weighs the world, Li Guo'er, as enchanting as a flower, The Five Xingzi compete and conspire, Princess Taiping finds it difficult to bring peace, Li Sanlang of the Li family is truly outstanding, Di Renjie, Zhang Yizhi, Feng Xiaobao... Talented scholars, beautiful women, butchers of dogs! Red Sleeve Recruitment, wandering heroes, traversing under the Tang Dynasty sky, Intoxicatedly resting on the pillow of the landscape, laughing and looking at the universe!

394.94 Million words | 2021-11-02 23:47Update

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World Overlords Fiction
World Overlords

This is an era of outstanding heroes. Li Shimin, Dou Jiande, Wang Shichong, Li Mi, Xiao Xian, Zhang Xuduo, Li Jing, Su Dingfang... Great waves sift out the remnants, leaving behind timeless characters. This is also an era full of opportunities. As the end of Sui Dynasty approaches, the whole country is in chaos, with warlords vying for power. Beauties are as precious as jade, and the landscape is picturesque. Only the strong can thrive. Bound by centuries of spiritual connection, a son of a common family rises, hardened by countless battles in the yellow sand, his aura stretching for thousands of miles like a tiger. Faced with the rise of Li Tang's dominance, will he dare to compete for the world?

348.38 Million words | 2020-08-28 19:11Update

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Possession of Lu Bu. Fiction
Possession of Lu Bu.

A corporate executive of the 21st century, on the verge of reaching the pinnacle of his life, finds himself unexpectedly thrown into a cosmic joke by fate. A car accident causes his soul to traverse through time and possess the body of Lu Bu, who is destined to meet his end soon amidst the impending collapse of the city, and ultimately be hanged on the White Gate Tower. In order to survive in this era, and perhaps even thrive beyond that, Lu Bu embarks on a journey to defy his fate and change his fortune.

136.07 Million words | 2020-08-18 11:42Update

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Tian Tang Splendor Fiction
Tian Tang Splendor

Time travel is an interesting thing, but when Fang Jun found himself in the same name predecessor in the Tang Dynasty, who was emitting a shining green light, life suddenly felt not so good...

1,215.64 Million words | 2021-07-16 07:38Update

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The wisdom of the Great Song Dynasty Fiction
The wisdom of the Great Song Dynasty

Yun Zheng opened a door and never looked back. Such is life, once the bow is drawn, there's no turning back the arrow. To turn back is to age a hundred years. This is a novel about the path of a teacher, speaking of wisdom for survival, depicting human warmth, emphasizing brotherly love, and portraying kindness and humility. It contains the most beautiful love and deepest bonds of brotherhood... Perhaps, I would very much like to unfold "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" slowly, offering you a different Song dynasty, a different depiction of the world...

334.54 Million words | 2022-10-18 20:54Update

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Ming Dynasty Good Husband Fiction
Ming Dynasty Good Husband

The new book "Scholarly Charm" has been uploaded. Thank you all for your support. Knowledgeable, cultured, adept at healing, adept at killing. Passionate, wicked, powerful, remarkable. I am a member of the Imperial Guardians, a burdensome son-in-law, the emperor's personal army, and the prince's mentor. I am who I am, a good husband, a good power figure. In the era of Zhengde, there are many wonders and brilliance because of me. ... A new work by Lao Hu.

294.25 Million words | 2021-01-23 00:21Update

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Han Que Fiction
Han Que

Looking back suddenly, a thousand years have passed, yet the magnificent palaces of the Han Dynasty still stand! It was the third year of the reign of Emperor Zhao of Han, and the court was dominated by powerful ministers. The threat of the Huns remained, and the Silk Road continued to thread its way across the land... Although Wei and Huo were gone, the pioneering spirit of the Han people never ceased. A new hero was about to emerge! In the deserts of Dunhuang, within a post station named Xuanquan Zhi, a lowly clerk named Ren Hong shouted angrily, "A true man should aspire to achievements beyond the confines of writing brushes and inkstones, just like Zhang Qian and Fu Jiezi did in foreign lands, to attain a noble title. How can one be content with merely toiling between pen and paper?" Book club discussion:

198.86 Million words | 2023-04-11 12:33Update

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I am not a savage. Fiction
I am not a savage.

This time, I won't ask about grades, I'll only ask about sincerity. This time, I just want to write a good book. This time, I'm writing about hope, about the deepest dreams in my heart. I really want to earnestly experience a journey through time, truly live a life in my dreams. I am ordinary and mediocre, but my dreams are far from mediocre. Every night before I fall asleep, I enter the space of my dreams. In that space, I live bit by bit, walk inch by inch, starting from scratch, creating a dreamland that belongs to me and everyone else. However, this space is more real, more tangible than any space in my previous novels. This wasn't supposed to be the book's introduction. The prepared introduction was much better. I just don't know which boozer, returning late at night outside my study, is singing "Horse Herding in a City." I don't know how many wives he has run away with, singing so heart-wrenchingly. Somehow, it made this carefree, nearing-fifty, chubby me shed tears. People, the older they get, the less they accomplish. And so, the introduction ended up like this. Please bear with it and read. If the book isn't good, feel free to criticize me in the comments section. I'm used to it, eagerly listening. Also, if you like youth and passion, please go read "Tang Brick," "The Wisdom of the Song Dynasty," "Silver Fox," "Han Homeland," "Tomorrow's World." All of these books have a minimum of 25,000 subscriptions, guaranteeing their quality. This time, please allow me to slowly travel through time, to travel happily and with style. Your old friend, Jie, respectfully presents.

141.56 Million words | 2021-08-24 14:35Update

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Contracting Da Ming Fiction
Contracting Da Ming

A financial analyst accidentally travels back to the Ming Dynasty during the Wanli era and becomes the son-in-law of a wealthy merchant. He initially believed that he could live a prosperous life in ancient times, like the protagonists in time-travel novels, with wealth and multiple wives. However, everything changed when he encountered Emperor Wanli... "Your Majesty, regarding the commission for the common people..." "There's no need to worry, I will have the Ministry of Revenue issue it to you." "What the heck! Your Majesty, you previously asked me to empty the treasury and replenish the imperial household, and now the treasury is as empty as a mouse's droppings!" "Well, that's true. In that case, the treasury shall be entrusted to you." "Your Majesty, may I say something?" "You may." "Damn it!"

395.92 Million words | 2021-03-01 00:48Update

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Home Fiction
Home

In the vast history of five thousand years, under numerous immense powers, there must always be one or two men who stand tall! Welcome book lovers to join the Drunkard QQ fan group, let's discuss the plot together.

225.79 Million words | 2021-02-10 21:41Update

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North Ode Fiction
North Ode

Kou Jihun, who reincarnated into the Northern Song Dynasty, became the great-grandson of the renowned statesman Kou Zhun. As a typical third-generation official, he should have enjoyed a lavish and extravagant life. However, when he received a letter from his father inviting him to the capital, Kaifeng, for a life of luxury, he discovered that his grandfather, Kou Zhun, seemed to be in danger! 【Reader Group: 195992981】

467.27 Million words | 2022-05-27 03:32Update

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Song Yi Fiction
Song Yi

A medical student crossed over to a small county town in the Northern Song Dynasty and became a doctor in a struggling pharmacy, starting his career of practicing medicine in ancient times. "Nǎ Qiè Jì" (Book Number), "Nǎ Qiè Jì Ⅱ" (Book Number), "Sān Yǎn Fǎ Yī" (Book Number), "Xíng míng Shī Yé" (Book Number), "Àn Líng Fǎ Yī" (Book Number) are the completed YY novels by Mu Yi. Book Club Groups: Hua Yao Pharmacy, Advanced Group, Heng Xiang Inn, Advanced Group, Ji Shi Tang Pharmacy, Wu Wei Tang Pharmacy, Advanced Group. (This group is regularly cleared and lurkers are advised to be cautious). Welcome book lovers to join.

280.67 Million words | 2020-08-05 15:20Update

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Wisdom of the Great Song Dynasty Fiction
Wisdom of the Great Song Dynasty

Yun Zheng opened a door, and there was no turning back. Such is life, once the bow is drawn, the arrow flies forward, with no chance for regret. To turn back now would be like shedding a hundred years of life. This novel tells the story of the path of a teacher, portraying wisdom in survival, depicting warmth in humanity, expressing brotherhood and loyalty, and demonstrating gentleness and humility. Here, you'll find the most beautiful of love stories and the deepest of brotherly bonds... Perhaps, I would love to unfold "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" slowly, giving you a different Song Dynasty, a different world of human emotions...

334.54 Million words | 2022-08-29 04:44Update

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Rebirth of the Crown Prince in the Great Tang Dynasty. Fiction
Rebirth of the Crown Prince in the Great Tang Dynasty.

The Three Generations of the Emperor's Legacy, Li Xing as the Martial Proxy! The prosperous era of the Great Tang, from the decline after Empress Wu Zetian, would it still be the renowned prosperous era if the rightful crown prince, Li Hong, had not died prematurely? In the female protagonist's court, powerful officials and cruel bureaucrats! When a different soul awakens in the Luoyang Palace, everything changes...

88.27 Million words | 2022-10-03 04:43Update

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Lü Bu's Life Simulator Fiction
Lü Bu's Life Simulator

Do you believe it? A person's life is predetermined from the moment their character is formed. Although there will be many opportunities and choices in life, when faced with these opportunities and choices, your character and perception have already determined how you will choose. As a destined failure, are you willing to reshape your life from this moment on? Life simulator, changing the future, changing lives, you deserve to have it. Outside Luoyang City, Lu Bu sat astride his horse, Red Hare, riding along the spacious postal road with the troops. The nightmarish information flooded his mind once again, accompanied by that irritating voice that kept lingering in his ears. It was not much, but it repeated relentlessly, like mosquitoes buzzing in your ears on a summer day, unable to be killed, leaving Lu Bu feeling extremely annoyed.

225.78 Million words | 2022-09-20 22:42Update

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Mister High Official Fiction
Mister High Official

In the ninth year of the Yongle reign, a prosperous era descended upon the land, and the people were filled with pride. People from all corners of the world flocked to pay tribute to the nation. In such a moment, I ask, who wouldn't dream of becoming an important official!

394.49 Million words | 2022-08-21 11:45Update

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