From Fantasy Book Cafe: Real History for Fantasy Worlds

Which can you imagine more clearly: Middle Earth or ancient Mesopotamia? Which feels more real?

I’m guessing a lot of us (including me!) answer Middle Earth. Because a lot of the time, real world history is a dry, distant land populated by a few important dates and a few powerful kings.

This is a great idea for a post — I think a basic awareness of real history is a fine, fine thing for an author, especially in fantasy. And maybe SF too. This post is actually not defending that idea. It’s about some of the books this guest author found especially helpful.

This reminds me of a Great Courses course I listened to a few years ago: The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World.

However, I do want to add, I think an author can learn a ton about history AND absorb storytelling craft by reading good historical novels. By good, I mean both well-researched, brings the era to life, AND good stories, stories that are well put together as stories. So — here are a handful of my personal favorite historical authors and novels:

Gillian Bradshaw, as for example the stellar Cleopatra’s Heir.

Hild, and no doubt the sequel, which I admit I have not read, by Nicola Griffith, who is such a tremendously gifted author.

All sorts of novels by Pearl Buck, such as Pavilion of Women.

The Benjamin January historical mysteries by Barbara Hambly, and these are frequently quite grim, by the way, so be warned.

And I’ll wind up with one I’d like to read and have recently added to my TBR pile: Dreaming the Eagle by Manda Scott.

If any of you have a favorite Historical, drop it in the comments! Personally, I prefer back a good distance; anything set in, say, the 1920s, doesn’t strike me as historical enough, even though — shockingly — that’s suddenly become a hundred years ago.

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