Historical Fictionistas discussion

We may all like History as a favorite book genre! But what is another favorite genre of all you guys?

A few of mine are Fantasy, Horror, Sci Fi and anything with a Dystopian setting.

I also like Historical fiction when it's mixed with a few other genres. [Fantasy, Mystery etc:]

Does anyone know any Historical novels like that?

I love HF with a fantasy twist: Outlander and the time-travel element, or Arthurian legend based fantasy, as well as some mythology thrown in. I love reading what I think is one thing and finding other things woven in! I'm rereading the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan in anticipation of #13 coming out in Nov. and finding all sorts of things I missed the first time through.

I love science fiction (especially psychological, anthropological, and sociological, as opposed to "space opera" and the like), fantasy, non-fiction, satire and humor, and "literary fiction" and classics.

When it comes to historical fiction itself, I love historical fantasy best, although I love non-fantasy historical, as well.

I tend to avoid romance, chick-lit, thrillers, westerns, and cozy mysteries - although I love more complex mysteries and historical mysteries.

Nerdie55 wrote: "I also like Historical fiction when it's mixed with a few other genres. [Fantasy, Mystery etc:]

Does anyone know any Historical novels like that? "

Nerdie55 - There are so many great "historical + fantasy" and "historical + mystery" books out there. I have a shelf devoted to each, so it's easier just to send you there than to suggest a ton of books.

my Historical Fantasy shelf

my Historical Mystery shelf

I don't really like chick-lit either. I've never been much of a romance person. Lols.

Hmm, what Historical fantasies would you recommend? I've been looking for some but haven't been able to find many.

Nerdie55 wrote: "I don't really like chick-lit either. I've never been much of a romance person. Lols.

Hmm, what Historical fantasies would you recommend? I've been looking for some but haven't been able to find ..."

Anything by Guy Gavriel Kay.

The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell

Thanks so much for the recommendations. :) I'll be sure to check them out.

I like crime thrillers too.
Micheal Connelly, Jeffery Deaver.
I haven't read one in over a year though, because I have been trying to address my unread pile of historical fiction.

I REALLY love Fantasy. I like getting lost in the world. 75% of my books are fantasy.

Fantasy, historical mysteries, sometimes an alternate history book can be fun. A lot of my books overlap with HF and fantasy or historical mysteries.

In the historical fiction: historical mysteries and then just general historical fiction.

Other than that: classics, literary fiction, medical mysteries, cop mysteries..... not too big on romance, fantasy, sci-fi, paranormal or chick lit.

My main staple is horror books (I like books with blood and guts).....I also like paranormal books/fantasy books (vampires, dragons, etc)....if I can find a combo of the two...even better....AND if it has a bit of history.....even better.

I do not read romance.....nor do I read much YA or chick lit.

Jenny have you read the Black Daggar Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward?

No I have not.....I will look that up!

After histroical fiction my next favortie genre would probably be dystopia, I also really like fantasy, and the classics, I love Gothic literature, and horror. I also love surrealisim and books with alterantive realities.

I'm also interested in mysteries/thrillers and suspense. I do like general fiction and some chick lit, just depends on the story.

I'm interested in both historical fiction and detective novels. Strangely, I think there's a correlation there: for instance, Arthur Conan Doyle started out as a historical novelist, but obviously only achieved fame as a mystery writer.

I think historical novels and mystery fiction are both ultimately about the same thing -- uncovering the secrets of the past.

Nerdie55 wrote: "Hmm, what Historical fantasies would you recommend? I've been looking for some but haven't been able to find ..."

I finished Latro in the Mist a couple of months ago and truly enjoyed it. Gene Wolfe is best known in the SF genre, but this is a compendium of two books he published several years ago: Soldier of the Mist and Soldier of Arete about a soldier who experiences a brain injury and can't remember anything more than one day. It also gives him the ability to see and talk to gods and dead people. Kind of like Momento meets The Sixth Sense in ancient Greece.

I am not a huge reader of historical fiction, though I write in the genre. However, I am an avid watcher of historical fiction movies and television shows. I am quite surprised, in fact, with the volume of period television shows the premium cable networks, like HBO, Showtime, and Starz, have come up with - including Rome, the Tudors, Spartacus: Blood and Sand / Gods of the Arena, and even Boardwalk Empire.

Whether books or other media, I enjoy the ancient eras, Late Roman Republic, Early Roman Empire, the Dark Ages, Middle Ages, Regency, American Civil War, the 1920's, and World War II. Most keenly, I appreciate Scottish history, as my some of my ancestry is Scots.

I dislike, whether reading or watching, historical fiction that grossly gets historical facts wrong. Of perfect example is the movie / book by Randall Wallace. When I first watched the movie, I had no knowledge of Scottish history, but the movie spoke to me, and soon afterward I bought and read the book; both movie and book encouraged me to research that era. What I found through my research, however, made me feel betrayed - so much of the movie and book was complete Hollywood dribble. For example:

(view spoiler)[In reality, Queen Isabella was about two, Scots did not wear kilts in the 13th and 14th centuries, the Battle of Stirling was fought on a bridge, shiltrons (spearmen in phalanx-like units) were not used by the Scots until the Battle of Falkirk, William Wallace was a lot taller than Mel Gibson, Robert the Bruce was not with Edward I when Edward fought the Scots at Falkirk, and the start of the Battle of Bannockburn was far more inspiring than Mel Gibson or Randall Wallace describes. (hide spoiler)]

(Spoiler protection was used in case some of you have not watched or read Braveheart.)

Anyhow... I could go on about Braveheart... but not now.

Cheers!

Christopher

I also like historical memoirs, not the celebrity stuff!

My other favorites are Fantasy, Paranormal with a heavy emphasis on Vampires, Sci-fi, Dystopian, Realistic fiction, straight up history, retellings (fairytales and myths) and certain themes of Non fiction

Also Literary, YA, dystopia, classics, etc.