Is historical fiction still of interest today?

Elenitsa

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Yes, I am asking it... just because a couple of persons are trying to discourage me. They say that people don't care anymore about things which happened in the past (more than 100 years ago), and in totally different countries. Is it true?

I believe in two concepts which I have previously seen around this forum too (but not only here): 1) write the story you want to read and 2) nobody else can write the story you have inside you, only a more-or-less similar one. I might add another one, that I am less sure about - if you like a book, then certainly there are somewhere more people to like it... (The problem is how to reach them, but this is another story).

I have no interest in writing contemporary stories happening in my country (with few YA exceptions, which I wrote - contemporary as happening some time during my lifetime, ie not necessarily right now in 2010s, because I heard different versions of interpreting the word contemporary, one of them setting as historical even things which happened during my lifetime, which I hadn't been taught so in school.) For these themes, I think there are enough writers who do their job wonderfully. I am attracted by other times and places, and I read a lot, I document well my stories, besides the adventure component.

I received some questions which can be taken as compliments, from readers who didn't know much about my life ("Have you ever lived in USA or in Italy? Have you ever been to Mexico? How do you know that the river you find on maps as Polcevera, is called by Genovese Punseivia? You describe all those Italian places as if you have been there!") Also, some literary critics say that I write cinematographically, that I have the talent to transpose the people into that setting.

I think any opportunity can be availed so as our highschool readers (or older people who need an entertaining lecture for a rainy week-end) are transported into another time and place, and enhance their general culture with various bits and pieces. Why would we want to learn about USA, about Mexico, about the Italian states before the reunification, about Vikings and their realms? Why not? I have always wanted to know about any country and time possible. I have read avidly all my life. As people are still reading "The three Mousquetaires", "Les Miserables", or Walter Scott's novels, for 200 years, it means there is an interest on history. And there are plenty of historical movies which mix adventure and history and are interesting. More are made every year/ decade. So... why some people say it isn't interesting to the readers, if I don't write contemporary stories within my country? Are they right?
 

Kylabelle

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I say absolutely yes, historical fiction is of interest today. I have no idea why people have said it is not. I would not know, but my point of view is that if it is a good story well told, I am interested, regardless of setting or era. Many of the wonderful novels I have read in my life have been historical fiction and many of those I have read more than once.
 
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Elenitsa

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P.S. Many people equate what they and their friends like with what everyone likes. I don't read it, and my friends don't, so therefore no one does.

Maybe this. And the fact that no writer in my country has been writing in the latest years historical fiction happening abroad. (Because those who said it are in the literary realm too, but definitely not the target readers group for my adventure stories). But there had been, in the past, some of our writers who had done it. Just that they happened to die 10 - 15 years ago and nobody took their place in this niche...

Historical fiction is still very popular.

Here's the current Amazon Kindle Bestseller list for historical fiction

Historical fiction is popular enough that it's a Good Reads Choice Award Category. Here's the list for Good Reads Best Historical Fiction for 2018.

Thank you very much. For me, Good Reads are more important than Amazon, because Amazon isn't much of a thing in my country.
 
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Curlz

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There are readers for all sorts of fiction but sales depend on the market. For example, around 190 million books sell in the UK in a year. So, if there is a very unpopular genre with a mere 1% of the market, that still means they can sell around 2 million books. Which is quite a lot and no publisher would reject an opportunity to be part of that market. But if in another country there are only 1 million books sold per year, then 1% of that may not be enough for publishers to rely on to make a profit, so they may switch to other, more profitable genres.


Another thing to consider is the content. In the UK there are tons of books about the World Wars because there is a huge interest. There is much less interest in books about the Wild West and you'd seldom see one. And while all sorts of books about WWII get published, one would need to produce a particularly exceptional book about the Wild West in order to get it published.

Recently there was a new "Les Miserables" TV series and, surprisingly, a lot of people don't even know what the plot is about, even people who generally love historical ficiton. So no, even if a book is considered a classic, it doesn't mean a lot of people have read it these days - unless there's a movie! ;) All that is very country specific.


These days there are so many books on offer that most readers have their own preferences and would rather buy a book on a topic they like. I'm not saying it's a good thing or bad thing to be that way, but it just is. Unless there is some sort of hype, people don't venture into new things. And teens have their own hypes, so I doubt many of them really can be expected to go for "an entertaining lecture" type of book outside of what's currently trending.


What's "general culture" is also something very country specific. It's actually known as "general knowledge" and as you notice the meaning changes a bit. In the UK the "general culture" is only important if you're doing a quiz in the pub or going on a tv show. It's more for entertainment and has no other value, so nobody feels an urge to enhance their "general culture", read about other countries, histories etc. So that cannot be used as a marketing tactic. Other countries may of course differ.
 

Chris P

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Oh goodness, Regency Romance, anyone? Seems to be a happening thing. War stories are also going to be popular forever. I don't even consider myself a historical reader, but probably half of books I read are historical in the sense that they take place well before they were written.
 

cornflake

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P.S. Many people equate what they and their friends like with what everyone likes. I don't read it, and my friends don't, so therefore no one does.

So very much this. I just read an article quoting that guy who hangs around Kim Kardashian and is apparently branding himself some kind of food critic, except he went on about how he thought traditional food critics were gone, because no one cares about texture or taste or whatever -- he said something like he doesn't care about the beauty (taste, texture, execution, whatever) of a souffle, he wants the souffle to explode, or the burrito to be covered in cotton candy.

Which, whatever he likes, I don't care, but it's the belief that no one ELSE possibly cares "anymore" about anything but the Instagram worthiness of food is ... exactly that level of stupid, ignorant myopia.

There's hfic published all the time.
 

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Others have beat me to it, but yes, there are plenty of popular writers of historical fiction. Many people find historical settings fascinating in other genres too: romance, fantasy, mystery, military-focused stories and stories about spies and intrigue. Whether they are reading for escape, or from interest in a particular historical era, or simply because they find it fascinating to get inside the headspace of people living in a different time and place, I don't see the genre (and genres that utilize historical settings) going anywhere.

Who are these people who are trying to discourage you? Agents? Editors? Fellow writers? Critics? Or are they just people you happen to know with different tastes in reading? Even if they are one of the former groups, it's possible that they are very focused on one area of publishing and don't know much about what is popular outside their area of interest. If they are from the latter group, they are almost certainly not coming from a place of great knowledge.
 

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I think there will always be an interest in interesting people doing interesting things in interesting times. And, thanks to TV and movies, most people have at least a vague idea as to what different times and places look like.
And, history covers so much: people have always fallen in love, had adventures, robbed other people, gone on journeys.
Who would have thought that building a cathedral would have been a best-seller? 'Pillars of the Earth' by Ken Follett.
Or, James Michener, whose books, while ending up in the modern day, always start out with the history of the place.
 

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Very good question, especially when it's about pre-20th Century settings, which definitely are still of interest.

I love historical fiction from earlier eras but do have my country and time period preferences. Ancient Rome is one of my things, and I would love to set a book there some day if I could think of a good premise. Same for the French Revolution era. But those are pretty typical time periods and settings. More unusual ones would have to work harder to get my attention.
 

Elenitsa

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Thank you very much, for all the replies!

Others have beat me to it, but yes, there are plenty of popular writers of historical fiction. Many people find historical settings fascinating in other genres too: romance, fantasy, mystery, military-focused stories and stories about spies and intrigue. Whether they are reading for escape, or from interest in a particular historical era, or simply because they find it fascinating to get inside the headspace of people living in a different time and place, I don't see the genre (and genres that utilize historical settings) going anywhere.

Who are these people who are trying to discourage you? Agents? Editors? Fellow writers? Critics? Or are they just people you happen to know with different tastes in reading? Even if they are one of the former groups, it's possible that they are very focused on one area of publishing and don't know much about what is popular outside their area of interest. If they are from the latter group, they are almost certainly not coming from a place of great knowledge.

Thank you. They are a handful of experienced editors and critics (ie over 60 years old), and they might not like historical fiction, as my main target are young people (14-22) and others who like adventure books. And they know that recently nobody has written it here, because the national writers who wrote historical adventures died in 1989-1995. I guess it might be the market trends too, but at the same time, if nobody writes it, nobody would buy it (while buying foreign adventure literature).

Those who like the genre and read them, liked my novels - both younger and older readers who kept their soul young and wanted a relaxing read for a week-end/ holidays week. I got some good chronicles (not in magazines endorsed by the National Writers' Union yet, except one, but I am hopeful there will be more) and warm recommendations in book blog reviews.
 

Norman Mjadwesch

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I love historical fiction from earlier eras but do have my country and time period preferences. Ancient Rome is one of my things, and I would love to set a book there some day if I could think of a good premise.

I used to read a lot of Rosemary Sutcliffe when I was younger. Something about her portrayal of Rome, especially Roman Britain, drew me in. George Shipway’s Imperial Governor was another one. But though I was always interested in history, I never saw myself writing about Rome because I felt that enough other writers were already doing enough in that department. Then recently, I had an idea for a story set during the early empire and I’m halfway through my first draft.

Like others have said, you write the kinds of books that you want to read. If you like HF, then there are bound to be other readers who do too. Anyone who says differently is assuming that they are the benchmark for rest of the world, but maybe the only truth to that assumption applies to their level of foolishness.
 

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Since others have already let you know that, yes, historical fiction is still popular and being published, I just wanted to congratulate you on the followers, fans, and positive reviews you've gained from your novels.
 

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I haven't looked up the statistics, but I would say historical fiction is reasonably hot right now. Not as hot as science fiction or fantasy, but still pretty damned warm.

Perhaps I speak from personal bias, but historical fiction remains one of my lasting favourites. I think of the happy hours (years?) spent reading about the Ancient Rome, the Wars of the Roses, the Tudors, Revolutions French, Russian, American.

I also take heart from what's popular in film and TV. You don't have to look very hard for historical programming. LAst TV series I watched was Vikings. Last movie I went to see was The Favourite. it won Oscars. Both historical fiction.

Overall I'd say ignore those trying to discourage you. Four words for the naysayers: Shakespeare. Dickens. Shut. Up.

Historical fiction endures.

I'd also suggest that if you can blend a little of the fantasy genre into your work you could be onto something that's truly in bestseller territory...(again, that's coming from a personal bias.
 

ReflectiveAcuity

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Just a guess, but probably not too much with younger generations. I venture to further speculate, however, that as they become older, many become nostalgic and begin to pick up a bit more on the genre. Meaning Historical Fiction will always be popular, as it surely is today.
 

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Can't remember where I read it, but likely somewhere on this site, and which was the advice to write what interests you and what you want to read.
 

frimble3

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And they know that recently nobody has written it here, because the national writers who wrote historical adventures died in 1989-1995. I guess it might be the market trends too, but at the same time, if nobody writes it, nobody would buy it (while buying foreign adventure literature).
This is sad for those authors who have died, and the readers who appreciated them, but this is a fine opportunity for you. '1989-1995' means that many of their readers are still around, doubtless missing those historical adventures. Write stories for them, as well as yourself.
And for the world. Write a really good Romanian historical, and if it sells well, and gets translated, your book will be a window into Romanian history for a lot of people.
And, for a lot of Westerners, Romania is Nadia Comaneci, Nicolae Ceaușescu and vampires. A wide, untapped history remains for you to explore.
 

Kjbartolotta

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And, for a lot of Westerners, Romania is Nadia Comaneci, Nicolae Ceaușescu and vampires. A wide, untapped history remains for you to explore.

I read everything about Eastern Europe I can get my hands on. Any historical novel set in Romania, Poland, Hungary, or Ottoman Europe would be something I'd be into.
 

PiaSophia

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This is sad for those authors who have died, and the readers who appreciated them, but this is a fine opportunity for you. '1989-1995' means that many of their readers are still around, doubtless missing those historical adventures. Write stories for them, as well as yourself.
And for the world. Write a really good Romanian historical, and if it sells well, and gets translated, your book will be a window into Romanian history for a lot of people.
And, for a lot of Westerners, Romania is Nadia Comaneci, Nicolae Ceaușescu and vampires. A wide, untapped history remains for you to explore.

This!

I was going to respond that YES, historical fiction is still of interest today! I absolutely feel people are (still, or maybe even more now) interested in parts of the world/of history that aren't as widely known! go for it!