By now, most readers' advisors know that stories about vampires and other creatures of the paranormal have been a big trend in speculative fiction for the last couple of years. We know that J.R. Ward incites the romance community; we know that Stephanie Meyers drives teen (and older) girls wild; and we know that Charlaine Harris is getting an HBO TV show, "True Blood". Clearly, vamps have become so mainstream that they can hardly be considered a new trend. So what else is happening?
I've always read a lot of speculative fiction, but in the last year I've been working on a new RA book, so I've been reading, reviewing, and looking at it more than usual. In my reading, I've noticed what I believe is the next big trend in speculative fiction. It's a subgenre I call "historical fantasy".
If you attended the Orbit launch luncheon at ALA Annual 2007, you might remember hearing Jo Graham read the first few pages of Black Ships, and completely captivating her audience - everyone just HAD to read that book! Black Ships was not the first historical fantasy book to hit libraries, but it was at the crest of a new wave, and it quickly became a reviewer favorite. It was also a prime example of what I call "historical fantasy". Black Ships tells the story of Gull, a priestess and illegitimate daughter of a Trojan slave. When Aeneas raids her Greek town, she, along with many other Trojans slaves, joins Aeneas in his quest to found a new kingdom. Why is this historical fantasy? Because the story of Aeneas has feet in both the realms of both history and myth—Gull is a completely fictional character, and there are several supernatural elements, such as Gull's ability to see the future.
What is historical fantasy?
Historical fantasy is a genre blend between fantasy and historical fiction. Some books may be more historical (e.g., those of Diana Gabaldon) and some may be more fantastical (e.g., those of Jacqueline Carey), but all have strong elements of fantasy and history, which makes them appeal to readers of both genres. The world building is fairly detailed, with the assumption that the reader can fill in more depth with their historical knowledge, which usually makes these an especially rich reading experience.
Who's writing it?
Several authors have ventured into this realm with their first books-the aforementioned Jo Graham, who is continuing in this vein with her second book, Hand of Isis, due in 2009-a story about Cleopatra. Another new author making a splash is Naomi Novik with her outstanding Temeraire series, a re-imagining of the Napoleonic Wars with each side having fighting dragons that battle in the air, just like the ships fight each other at sea. Novik combines the historical and military detail of Patrick O'Brien with the intelligent, fighting dragons of Anne McCaffrey's Pern series, and transcends both of those excellent, original titles. The popularity of Novik's series has been confirmed with her move to a hardcover publication with 2008's Victory of Eagles.
On the more fantastical side, Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series, set in a pseudo-Renaissance world, uses the geography and culture of the known world as the basis for her erotic and complex stories. Marie Brennan, another new Orbit author, has recently written the well received Midnight Never Come, which is set in 16th century Elizabethan England, where Queen Elizabeth rules aboveground, and the cruel Queen of the Fairies rules below; together sharing rule of Britain and keeping each other in power.
More established authors have also made the switch to historical fantasy, most notably, Ursula Le Guin. Her newest book, Lavinia, tackles the same time period as Black Ships, and the story of the Aeniad, with Le Guin focusing on Aeneas' Roman wife, the mostly unknown Lavinia.
But historical fantasy is not simply a new thing. Marion Zimmer Bradley's epic retellings of the King Arthur legends, starting with Mists of Avalon, have expanded upon and described the years before the Roman invasion, the Roman years, and the years after the Romans left, all key time periods in British history. And Diana Gabaldon's popular Outlander series, which features 20th century Claire traveling back to and living in 18th-century Scotland and America has now been going strong for more than ten years. While many readers would consider Gabaldon's books historical romance, the inclusion of time travel via the standing stones, and Claire's knowledge of the future, puts it solidly in the realm of historical fantasy, even if it falls on the more historical end of the spectrum.
One of the reasons that historical fantasy is so exciting is that it can be recommended to a wide variety of readers, including historical fiction and fantasy readers. The use of historical detail attracts historical fiction readers, but it mostly appeals to more flexible historical fiction readers who are willing to see historical events in a slightly different light. Most historical fantasy has quite a bit of world building, although it can often be dependent on knowledge of our real world. This attracts fantasy readers who are able to enjoy stories grounded in the real world, as compared to completely fantastical creations. Alternate history readers, such as fans of S.M. Stirling or Harry Turtledove, are another possible reader group; and I think most will enjoy Naomi Novik's alternate view of the Napoleonic Wars.
If you're looking to familiarize yourself with historical fantasy, consider the titles below.
Historical Fantasy Reading List
Brennan, Marie Midnight Never Come
Bradley, Marion Zimmer - Avalon series
Mists of Avalon
The Forest House
Lady of Avalon
Priestess of Avalon
Ancestors of Avalon (by Diana L. Paxson)
Ravens of Avalon (by Diana L. Paxson)
Carey, Jacqueline - Kushiel series
Kushiel's Dart
Kushiel's Chosen
Kushiel's Avatar
Kushiel's Scion
Kushiel's Justice
Kushiel's Mercy
Gabaldon, Diana - Outlander series.
Outlander
Dragonfly in Amber
Voyager
Drums of Autumn
Fiery Cross
A Breath of Snow and Ashes
Graham, Jo
Black Ships
Hand of Isis
Le Guin, Ursula
Lavinia
Novik, Naomi - Temeraire series
His Majesty's Dragon
Black Powder War
Throne of Jade
Empire of Ivory
Victory of Eagles
Historical fantasy is a subgenre we should keep our eyes on. Straddling the genres of fantasy and historical fiction, it provides a rich reading experience to fans of both camps.
Jessica E. Moyer
is a doctoral student in the Adolescent Literacy program at the University of Minnesota, an adjunct lecturer in the MLIS program at the College of St. Catherine and an avid reader. Currently Jessica is reading The Reader, the text, the poem, by Louise Rosenblatt, Kushiel's Mercy, by Jacqueline Carey, the Keys of the Kingdom series by Garth Nix; and she is listening to Witches Abroad, written by Terry Pratchett and read by Nigel Planer.