In this multi-post series, we hope to answer some of your questions about different genre fiction. Throughout GENRE FICTION 101, you’ll learn about different genres and their place in the publishing world. We’ll discuss popularity, profits, typical tropes, controversies, and more. Read the first installment here.

What is historical fiction?

That’s easy! Historical fiction is just a narrative that takes place sometime in the past.

. . . Right?

Actually, it’s not all as simple as that. At the Association of Writers and Writers Programs (AWP) annual conference in March 2002, Sarah Johnson from Eastern Illinois University described historical fiction as “a genre full of controversy and contradiction.” Unfortunately, there is no end-all-be-all definition of the genre, but because of that, historical fiction has and continues to evolve, especially as it’s become more popular.

How far in the past?

This is one of the controversial topics of the genre. How long ago does a story need to be in order to be considered historical? Twenty years? One hundred? The numbers seem to vary depending upon which resources you’re looking at. The Historical Novel Society, though, classifies that historical fiction must take place at least fifty years in the past.

Other characterizations of the genre

Given that time parameter, is a narrative set fifty years in the past automatically historical fiction? While this is the most basic definition of the genre, it seems like a book needs more than simply taking place in 1970 to be “historical fiction.” After all, if that were the case, a book could state in the first sentence that the story takes place in 1970, but then just follows an agoraphobe as he sits in his home and tries to overcome his fear. Is that historical? Because of situations like this, here are some other common characteristics of historical fiction that we think make the genre a little clearer.

Must be real world

This is a no-brainer. George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire takes place well before modern times, but a fantasy book cannot be historical fiction. There must be a realistic setting for this genre, simply because if it takes place in a fantastical one, then it is no longer history—it’s just fiction.

Must involve historical events and/or personages

Since we otherwise might end up with a book set fifty years ago about the agoraphobe in his home, historical fiction must also involve historical events or involve historical figures true to the period. This anchors the book in its time period. When writing in this genre, if you have to ask yourself if your narrative could easily take place in a different time period or in modern times, then you probably need to revise. Historical fiction needs a reason to be in the chosen time period. If the agoraphobe lived in Bangladesh during the 1970 cyclone that killed 500,000 people, and he must survive while facing his fears, carrying pivotal intel that will aid the Awami League’s victory in the national elections? That would be historical fiction.

Fifty years from when?

If the book meets the above criteria, is that enough? There is some confusion on this point, particularly for other books who meet the above criteria. Take The Great Gatsby, for instance. It offers a snapshot of the Jazz Age, post-World War I. It references major historical events and is set in the real world. If we’re going off the before-mentioned characteristics, it would be historical fiction. The problem is, when Fitzgerald wrote his book, it was not fifty years in the past. Does a book’s genre change the longer it exists, if, at the time it was written, it was contemporary? It’s for this reason that most make an amendment to the fifty-year rule: the book must take place fifty years before it is written.

Some controversy

Many people in the book world, whether they’re publishers, writers, or readers, feel like historical fiction is rarely done well. Though harsh, this critique can often be justified, simply because this genre requires a lot of research and refinement. Historical fiction is fiction, of course, but because it’s rooted in reality, there are aspects of the story that must be accurate. Setting, characters, vernacular, political, or social atmosphere—all of these things have to be researched. If your book takes place in the fifteenth-century, centered around Henry VIII, but there’s modern plumbing and Henry tosses phrases around like, “My wife is totally going to lose her head”—obviously this is very poor historical fiction.

This is a double-edged sword, however, since the main reason that some critics dislike historical fiction is that it’s either under researched, or over researched. No one likes to read a textbook when they wanted fiction. Sometimes while trying to be accurate, writers go overboard with the detail (i.e. Victor Hugo describing at length the 360 miles of sewer beneath Paris in his 1,900-page novel, Les Misérables).

The continuing evolution

Because of the very nature of the genre, historical fiction is always changing. Not only because no one can fully and firmly define it, but because as time passes, it unlocks more potential in the world’s history. Despite all controversy, historical fiction has been ramping up in popularity over the last few years. The popularity of historical narratives has risen—evident not only in books but now in television and movie adaptations as well. Historical fiction is rising, and in the future, we can expect even more stories rooted in the past.