I had a conversation with someone the other day that left me a little shook, not gonna lie. I was telling this person (who shall remain nameless despite every vengeful nerve in my body screaming for justice) about my new book, The Deserter, and how I was having trouble finding a publisher for it. I expected sympathy. Maybe performative empathy. Lip service, at the very least. Anything but what I got.
“What do you expect? You’re writing about a time and place that nobody knows or cares about.”
EXQUEEZE ME???!
I was gobsmacked (a greatly underused word, IMHO.) I read historical fiction to learn about places and times I don’t know much about. Whether it’s the Nabateans (last week’s interview about The Stonecutter) or the fallout (literally) from the WW2 nuclear experiments at Hanford, I learn stuff (technical term) when I read historical fiction.
Turns out, this is not everyone’s experience. A good friend of mine reads almost exclusively about the American Civil War. Another is obsessed with the Tudors. (AUTHOR NOTE: Civil War 1.0 and British Royalty are my LEAST favorite historical subjects, but I try not to judge. I fail, but I try.)
While I certainly have favorite periods, I think a novel should be, well, novel. Give me a fresh take and tell me something I don’t already know. Maybe tell me my assumptions are wrong.
All of this leads me to a quick, painless poll. Put simply, When (or if) you read histfic, do you like reading about periods you’re not familiar with, the same couple of topics, or one in particular? I’m not even asking which one, just why do you read historical fiction?
You can take the poll here, and let me know. Please, help a brother out.
If you like reading about people and periods you might be unfamiliar with, I have some suggestions:
Count Byron de Prorok: archaeologist, showman and disappointment to most is the hero of The Count of the Sahara
What would life be like for a half-French, half-Syrian orphan in the Crusades? Acre’s Bastard, and Acre’s Orphans, the Lucca Le Pou Stories contain special bonus lepers!
Yup, that’s me. Historical fiction with nary a ruffled shirt or Johnny Reb in sight. Of course, if you want to know when I find a publisher for my dark Foreign Legion tale, you can get on my mailing list.
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