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What counts as historical fiction?

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SassHonore View Drop Down
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    Posted: 15 Sep 2018 at 5:30pm
EDIT: Never mind, I found the answer elsewhere immediately after I posted this. Ermm Wink

Toying with a story set around real events in the last 80s, early 90s, but I'm not sure that's "historical" enough. Anyone have any insight? Thank you!

Edited by SassHonore - 15 Sep 2018 at 5:32pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote barnabypage Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Sep 2018 at 9:03pm
I see that the NYCM genre descriptions mention "at least 25 years in the past".

I would add, as a general point, that it also depends on the nature of the story.

Pretty much anything set before, say, 1950 is going to count as historical fiction, even if the historical context is relatively unimportant. So, a Victorian detective story or an 18th century romance is historical fiction.

Where more recent periods are concerned, it depends more on whether historical events are crucial to the story.

So, for example, I wouldn't think of a detective story set in the 1970s as automatically a work of historical fiction. But if it were specifically about the Watergate burglary, then it certainly would be.

Just my rough opinion, of course. Genre borders are hazy!




Edited by barnabypage - 15 Sep 2018 at 9:23pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Talespinner Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Sep 2018 at 8:52am
If historical fiction evokes an age one never saw, then the 1960s, maybe 70s, ought to count; my adult children never saw them, certainly not as adults.
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