Historical Fiction Book Selection

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:40

Books with historical fiction gained popularity not so long ago. This genre is also called alternative. In addition, some readers have described such books as military history fiction. Below you will find a brief history and description, as well as a selection of good works in this genre.

Where it all started

The History of Rome is considered to be the first book of historical fiction. You will be surprised, but it was written before our era by the Roman historian Titus Livius. A book about how the victory of Alexander the Great over Rome would have influenced the further course of history.

Also worth mentioning books with patriotic utopia. They reached their peak of popularity in the 19th century. The essence of this subgenre is that the authors "change" the course of history in favor of their native countries. A striking example is the book by Louis Geoffroy about the development of world history in the event of Napoleon's victory over Russia.

Features of historical fiction books

This genre differs from all other science fiction in that the story describedin these works, could be a reality. For example, it could well happen that Hitler took over the Soviet Union or there would have been a different outcome of the Caribbean crisis in 1962.

Also worth noting is a slightly different approach, which is notable for implausibility, but also applies to books with historical fiction. In such works, the incidents that influenced historical reality turn out to be too incredible. For example, it can be aliens, time travelers and the like.

Book selection

"11/22/63" by Stephen King. This book is a shining example of its genre. At the center of the action is Jake Epping, who works as an English teacher. In the story, Jake travels back in time to prevent Kennedy's assassination. Returning back to his time, he discovers that the world with Kennedy not only did not improve, but, on the contrary, became much worse.

How to Make History by Stephen Fry. Reflections on a world where Hitler did not exist. Michael Young and Leo Zuckerman use a time machine to poison Hitler's father with a sterile drug. Hitler was not born, but has the modern world become a better place?

"Bis variant" by Sergey Anisimov. The Patriotic War did not start so suddenly, and the USSR managed to prepare for the war, so Germany was defeated in 1944. But the superpowers cannot divide Europe, so a new war is looming. The author has written a series of historical fiction books on the subject.

"Long live the transatlantic tunnel! Hooray!" Harry Harrison. This wonderful writer describes a world where Columbus did not discover America, and where the US failed to defend its independence.

"The Man in the High Castle" by Philip Dick. In the fictional reality of this work, Hitler won the Second World War. The USA has turned into a colony, the USSR is occupied, and the population of Africa is practically destroyed. The action takes place in 1962, when a certain writer Hawthorne Abendsen publishes a book of historical fiction in which Germany was not defeated. The book prompted the heroes to create "Resistance".

This list of books is only a short selection of interesting works in this genre. If you don’t have enough time to read, but you like the genre of historical fiction, then you should pay attention to films of this theme. In addition, not a single movie has already been made based on many books, including some of our selection.