"Admitting that genius which has familiarized itself with all the relics of an ancient period can sometimes, by the force of its sympathetic divination, restore the missing notes in the "music of humanity," and reconstruct the fragments into a whole which will really bring the remote past nearer to us, and interpret it to our duller apprehension,–this form of imaginative power must always be among the very rarest, because it demands as much accurate and minute knowledge as creative vigour."
This is fiction set in a distinctive historical period other than the one the author lives in, which brushes up against actual historical figures if it doesn't star them outright. Depending on the bent of said author, they may let their biases bleed through via Historical Hero Upgrade or Historical Villain Upgrade. A Historical Beauty Update will make the story more fun without making it much less accurate. Important historical events are at least mentioned in passing if they don't have a strong influence on the plot. Deliberate Values Dissonance is frequent for historical accuracy. Often, the period predates a Trope Breaker (though sometimes the audience doesn't realize that). Foregone Conclusion is also a major aspect of Historical Fiction since the events in question will end in the same way they did in Real Life.
This may overlap with Alternate History if the history is shown to play out differently and Historical Fantasy if fantastic elements are present. Compare to Period Piece, which uses the past as a backdrop for the drama, while Historical Fiction is fiction in which historical events significantly affect the plot. Historical Detective Fiction is a common subgenre.
Usually it includes one or more Historical Domain Characters, and may commonly employ Artistic License when the author feels the story is more important than accuracy. See also Docudrama, which tends to aim for more adherence to the facts, but adds its own interpretation to the details.
Compare and contrast Field Trip to the Past and Adventures in the Bible, in which characters from the present day go back in time to experience history.
Examples:
Subcategories:
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Anime & Manga
See also Jidaigeki.
- Le Chevalier d'Eon, set in 18th-century Europe.
- Claudine...!, set in France in the first decade of the 20th century.
- Evyione Ocean Fantasy, set in 18th-century Europe.
- Golden Kamuy, set in early 1900s Imperial Japan, specifically the northern island of Hokkaido.
- Haikara-san ga Tooru, set in Imperial Japan, in 1923.
- Historie, set in the time of Alexander the Great.
- Honey Honey, set in Vienna, 1907.
- Innocents Shounen Juujigun, set in 13th-century France and focusing on the Crusades.
- Kasei Yakyoku, set in Imperial Japan of The Roaring '20s
- Kaze to Ki no Uta, set 1880s France.
- Kingdom, set in China, during the Warring States Period.
- Mademoiselle Butterfly, set in the 1930s with geishas.
- Peacemaker Kurogane covers the pre-Meiji period from The Shinsengumi point of view.
- Red River (1995), set in the Hittite Empire.
- Requiem of the Rose King, set during the Wars of the Roses but taking some inspiration from William Shakespeare's two own well-known Roses plays.
- The Rose of Versailles, set in pre-revolutionary France.
- Rurouni Kenshin, set in the early Meiji period.
- Sakura Gari, set in the Taishou Era, more exactly in 1920.
- Sengoku Strays, set in the Sengoku era.
- Shoukoku no Altair, set in 15th century pseudo-Europe
- Shut Hell, set in the early 13th century, during Genghis Khan's time.
- Sidooh, set in the mid-to-late 1800's, during the chaos of the Bakumatsu Era.
- Vinland Saga, set in the 11th century during the Viking Age, and chronicling the adventures of famed explorer Thorfinn Karlsefni and the rise to power of Cnut the Great, among other things.
- Wolfsmund, set in early 14th-century Switzerland and focusing on the Swiss war of independence against the Habsburgs.
Comic Books
- Les Aigles de Rome is about the Battle of Teutoburg Forest where several Roman legions were destroyed by a Germanic uprising. Numerous characters really did exist (such as Arminius), while others are fictitious.
- Barracuda is set during the Golden Age of Piracy.
- Democracy is a graphic novel about the formation of democracy in Ancient Athens. The story is told by a fictional character to boost his comrades' spirit before the infamous Marathon Battle and it features many Historical Domain Characters.
- From Hell by Alan Moore is an impeccably researched depiction of Victorian London during the Jack the Ripper murders. It mixes historical fiction and accurate detail with Conspiracy Kitchen Sink.
- Gustav Vasa set in 16th-century Sweden.
- The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, by Don Rosa, sets its main character in various decades from the 1870s to the 1940s, featuring such characters as Murdo Mac Kenzie, Wyatt Earp, and Theodore Roosevelt.
- Marvel1602
- Maus by Art Spiegelman is more like non-fiction. It documents the experiences of Vladek Spiegelman, the author's father, during The Holocaust.
- Mendoza The Great: Follows the story of legendary boxer Daniel Mendoza from the late 18th century to early 19th century.
- A People's History of the American Empire uses a lecture by historian Howard Zinn as a framing device to tell about several controversial and often ignored parts of American history from the end of the Civil War to 9/11.
- Le Scorpion takes place in Rome during the second half of the eighteenth century, but feature several deviations from known history, such as one of the main bad guys becoming Pope.
- Three is set in Sparta in the fourth century BC. It features some Historical Domain Characters, but the plot itself is fictional.
- Tomahawk is set in colonial America and during The American Revolution. The last issues jump ahead to the opening of the American Midwest (early 1800s) and focus on Tomahawk's son.
Fan Works
- The Uplifted series is this. Especially the first trilogy, which takes place during World War II.
- Sister Floriana is set right in the middle of the Spanish Civil War.
Films — Live-Action
- 1492: Conquest of Paradise, about Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America to the Europeans.
- Against All Flags, set in Madagascar in 1700.
- Anne of the Indies, set in the Caribbean circa 1720.
- Aguirre, the Wrath of God, set in South America during the Age of Exploration.
- Around the World in 80 Days (2004): Set in Victorian London. The movie has Lord Kelvin
as Big Bad with Historical Villain Upgrade. Cameos include Vincent van Gogh, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Queen Victoria, Wong Fei-hung, the Wright Brothers, and even the Statue of Liberty!
- Barry Lyndon set during the Seven Years' War and Georgian England.
- A Battle Of Wits based on the Qin Dynasty conquest and unity of China.
- Ben-Hur, set during Jesus' lifetime.
- Braveheart, set in the First War of Scottish Independence.
- Cartouche, about a famous French highwayman of the early 18th century.
- Centurion, depicts a possible fate of the Legio IX Hispania - the legendary Ninth Legion that mysteriously disappeared from Roman records in the early second century AD.
- The Children of An Lac, a film depicting two American women assisting a courageous Vietnamese orphanage caretaker evacuate hundreds of orphaned children to the United States shortly before the fall of Saigon during the Vietnam War.
- The Emigrants and The New Land, depicting the story of a Swedish family's taking part in the beginning of the Swedish migration to the upper Midwest in the 1850's.
- Ever After, during the French Renaissance. Complete with Leonardo da Vinci (and the Mona Lisa).
- The Favourite, set in England during the early 18th century, about Queen Anne's relationship with her Royal Favorites Sarah Churchill and Abigail Masham.
- Forrest Gump inserts the title character at various points in American history from Elvis Presley to Hurricane Camille.
- From Hell: Adapted from the comic (see above).
- Gangs of New York, set just before the Civil War draft riots, which break out during the climax.
- Gladiator, set during Commodus' reign.
- Gold (2017), set during the Conquest of America.
- Gone with the Wind, set during the Civil War and featuring an iconic burning of Atlanta.
- Hacksaw Ridge, The infamous story of a conscientious objector who served as a combat medic on Okinawa during World War II.
- The Handmaiden, set during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 1930s.
- Inglourious Basterds, set during World War II.
- Invictus, set in South Africa, in the early years of Nelson Mandela's administration.
- Iron Will, a young musher sets out on a quest to save his family farm by winning a sled dog race through the Minnesota wilderness during World War I.
- Kundun, set in Tibet in the youth of the Dalai Lama.
- The Last Emperor, a biography of the Emperor Pu Yi, chronicles Chinese history in the 20th century.
- The Last King of Scotland is about Ugandan dictator Idi Amin during The '70s.
- The Leopard, set during the Wars of Italian Independence
- Lincoln, set during The American Civil War and the final days of Abraham Lincoln.
- Marketa Lazarová, set during the High Middle Ages, particularly towards the end of the 13th century.
- Mary, Queen of Scots (2018), follows the life of Mary, Queen of Scots from her arrival in Scotland (1561) until her death in England (1587).
- Mary Shelley, follows the courtship of the titular character, her life with her husband and what inspired her to write Literature/Frankenstein.
- Master and Commander, set during The Napoleonic Wars.
- The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, dramatization of the life of Joan of Arc.
- Mississippi Burning, two investigators descend on a racist-ridden Mississippi town investigating the murders of three Civil Rights activists.
- North Face, about the 1936 attempt to climb the north face of the Eiger, a mountain in Switzerland.
- Padmaavat, set in 13th-century India.
- The Patriot, set in a very anachronistic version of the American Revolutionary War in the South.
- Pearl Harbor. Unlike other Pearl Harbor movies, you have to sit through Developing Doomed Characters first.
- The Promise (2016), set during the Ottoman Empire's involvement in World War I and the Armenian genocide.
- Quo Vadis, set during Nero's reign.
- The Raven Trilogy set in and around, Viking age Iceland
- Red Cliff: set in 208 AD in China, during the period of the end of Eastern Han Dynasty.
- The Robe, set during the reigns of Tiberius and Caligula.
- Romasanta: The Werewolf Hunt is set in the Galician countryside in Spain in 1851, and centres around the hunt for Spain's first documented Serial Killer.
- A Royal Affair, set in 18th-century Denmark, following the love affair of Queen Caroline Matilda and Dr Johann Struensee, her husband's advisor
- The Secret Garden, set in Edwardian England where a ten-year-old girl is sent to live with her bitterly widowed uncle at his manor in the country after her parents are killed in an earthquake.
- Silence set in Japan during the Edo Era chronicling the failure of a Portuguese Jesuit mission.
- Spartacus, a retelling of Spartacus' revolt.
- Sweaty Beards, set in 10th-century Sweden.
- Three Kingdoms: Resurrection Of The Dragon, based on Romance of the Three Kingdoms, much like the aforementioed Red Cliff.
- Titanic (1997), set during the 1912 sinking of the famous ship.
- U-571, set during World War II.
- Valhalla Rising, a group of vikings and Christian crusaders accidentally end up in the Americas in 1000 AD.
- The Vikings, Viking raids in Northumbria in the 9th century.
- Wang De Sheng Yan AKA The Last Supper, portraying the rise to power of Gaozu, the first Han emperor, and his last days.
- When the Last Sword Is Drawn (Mibu Gishi Den), set during the Boshin War).
- Young Mr. Lincoln, set during the early years of Abraham Lincoln.
- Zodiac, a Docudrama about the unidentified Serial Killer, Zodiac Killer. Set from The '60s to The '80s, while the final single scene is set in an early 90's.
Literature
Live-Action TV
See also Historical Series.
- Anne with an E, although based on a contemporary novel series, there is a LOT of notable recentism inserted into this series.
- Arthur of the Britons, one of the more realistic portrayals of Dark Ages Britain.
- Atsuhime is set before and during the Meiji Restoration.
- Blackadder, with each of its four seasons taking place at a different time in British history.
- Bomb Girls: Canadian drama set during World War II.
- Britannia
- The Caesars, an earlier treatment of Julian emperors.
- Catherine the Great is about... well, exactly who you'd think.
- Copper is a police drama set in 1864 New York.
- The Count of Monte Cristo (1998), adaptation of Alexandre Dumas Sr. novel of the same name set in France during the Bourbon Restoration (1815-1830).
- The Disguiser is set in republican-era China.
- Doctor Who occasionally slips into this, and uses Time Travel to land in the periods of historical figures such as Winston Churchill, William Shakespeare, Agatha Christie and Vincent van Gogh. Of course, its not a straight Historical Fiction, considering the aliens, space-ships, and 'mythological' creatures, but then when was the show's genre ever easily defined?
- Dong Yi, set in late 17th-century Korea during the reign of King Sukjong.
- Ekaterina is a Russian series about Catherine the Great.
- The Empress of China is about Wu Zetian.
- FAITH, Korean fantasy/historical/medical 24 episode series.
- Fall of Eagles Mini Series dealing with the collapse of empires of Austro-Hungary, Imperial Germany and Russia.
- General and I is set in ancient China.
- Goodbye My Princess is set in fictional kingdoms in ancient China.
- The Great, Hulu's retelling of the life of Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia.
- The Great Emperor in Song Dynasty is about the founder of the Song dynasty.
- The Gu Family Book is set in a fictionalised version of ancient Korea.
- I, Claudius, a biography of the Julian emperors up to Claudius based on a duology by Robert Graves.
- Insu, the Queen Mother is set in Joseon.
- Isabel, based upon the reign of Queen Isabella I of Castile, A.K.A Isabel the Catholic.
- Kingdom (2019) is set in Joseon.
- The King Loves is set in Goryeo.
- King's War is set towards the end of the Qin Dynasty.
- The King's Woman is a fictionalised account of Qin Shi Huangdi's early reign.
- Jeong Dojeon is set in ancient Korea.
- Jingbirok is set during the 1590s Japanese invasion of Korea.
- Joy Of Life is set in Imperial China.
- Justice Bao is set during the Song Dynasty.
- Land Girls, World War Two drama following women serving in the British civilian Women's Land Army.
- The Legend of Dugu is set towards the end of ancient China's Northern and Southern States era.
- The Legend of Xiao Chuo is a fictionalised account of Xiao Yan Yan's marriage to Emperor Jingzong of Liao.
- The Legend of Zhen Huan and its sequel Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace are set during the Qing dynasty.
- The Longest Day In Chang'an is set during the Tang Dynasty.
- Love In The Moonlight is set during Korea's Joseon dynasty.
- Masada, based upon the historical siege of the Masada citadel in Israel by legions of The Roman Empire in AD 73.
- Medici: Masters of Florence a series showing the ascendance of the powerful Medici family in Florence in the Renaissanc era.
- Mercy Street a PBS series that tells the story of a Union hospital in occupied Alexandria during the height of The American Civil War.
- Moon Lovers is set mainly in Goryeo.
- Mr. Queen is set mainly in Joseon.
- Mr. Sunshine (K-Drama) is set towards the end of Korea's Joseon dynasty.
- My Place is probably the most ambitious example for Australian history. Starts in 2008 and travels back to pre-1788. Each episode is set in the same location, but a different decade, often with many of the same characters.
- Napoléon
- Nirvana in Fire and its sequel are set in ancient China.
- Norsemen
- North and South (U.S.), a three-part miniseries based upon the novels by John Jakes, set during and after The American Civil War.
- Peaky Blinders takes place in post World War I Birmingham.
- The Pinkertons is set in Kansas City just after The American Civil War.
- Princess Agents is set in ancient China.
- Princess Returning Pearl, a Chinese series set in the Qing dynasty in the time of Emperor Qian Long. It tells the Mistaken Identity story of Xiao Yan Zi, an orphan living in Beijing and Zi Wei, the illegitimate daughter of the emperor.
- Princess Silver is set in ancient China.
- The Princess Wei Young is a fictionalised account of Empress Dowager Feng's marriage to Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei.
- Queen for Seven Days is about Yeonsan-gun of Joseon's increasing insanity, culminating in his overthrow and his half-brother taking the throne, and Queen Dangyeong being deposed only seven days after becoming queen.
- Queen Seondeok is a fictionalised biography of the title character, the first reigning queen of Silla.
- The Rise of Phoenixes is set in a fictional kingdom in Imperial China.
- The Roman Mysteries is a historical Detective Drama series set in the 1st century AD of The Roman Empire.
- Rome is the rise of the Julian dynasty from the perspective of Those Two Guys.
- Rush (1974), about the Victorian Gold Rush of the 1850s.
- Scarlet Heart is set mainly during the Qing dynasty.
- Scholar Who Walks the Night is set in a fantasy version of Joseon.
- Secret Investigation Record is set in a fictionalised version of Joseon.
- Singing All Along is set in ancient China.
- Story Of Yanxi Palace is a fictionalised biography of Empress Xiaoyichun of the Qing dynasty.
- Sungkyunkwan Scandal is set during the Joseon dynasty.
- Tales of the Gold Monkey: Two-Fisted Tales in the South Pacific in the years before World War II.
- The Three Heroes and Five Gallants is set during the Song dynasty.
- Versailles, a France-Canada series about the court and reign of King Louis XIV of France.
- Warrior (2019)
- Wild Boys is about the exploits of a gang of bush rangers in 1860s New South Wales.
- X Company is set in 1942 during World War Two.
- The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles is about a younger Indiana Jones experiencing various historical events and meeting many famous people in the early 20th century, especially World War I.
Podcasts
- 1865 deals with the fallout from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
Theater
- Anastasia
- Annie: Set in Depression-era New York City, an orphan is taken in and eventually adopted by a millionaire.
- Elisabeth
- The Emperor Constantine
- Götz von Berlichingen
- Marie Antoinette
- Mozart!
- Mozart L'Opera Rock
- Rebecca
- The Takarazuka Revue has performed many original musicals with historical settings. Shows set in ancient Japan are so common they have their own name: nihonmono (日本物), meaning literally "Japanese thing".
- Many of William Shakespeare's works, including:
Video Games
- Aviary Attorney is set in Paris in 1848 (or at least a World of Funny Animals version thereof), and includes some of the events of the February Revolution.
- The Assassin's Creed franchise uses Conspiracy Kitchen Sink to indulge in recreations of actual historical events, places, and figures in the Animus parts of the games.
- Assassin's Creed I is set during the Third Crusade.
- Assassin's Creed II takes place during the Italian Renaissance.
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is also set during the Italian Renaissance, and adds the Italian Wars as context.
- Assassin's Creed: Revelations is set in early 16th century Ottoman Empire, with memories set during the Third Crusade and Mongol conquest of Syria.
- Assassin's Creed III is mostly set before and during The American Revolution.
- Assassin's Creed III: Liberation is also set during the American Revolution, but in the French colony of Louisiana this time around.
- Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is set during The Golden Age of Piracy.
- Assassin's Creed: Freedom Cry is also set during the Golden Age of Piracy, but focuses more on the slavery aspect of the era.
- Assassin's Creed: Rogue is set during the Seven Years' War.
- Assassin's Creed: Unity is set during The French Revolution.
- Assassin's Creed: Chronicles takes place in three different settings: Imperial China, the First Anglo-Afghan War and The Russian Revolution.
- Assassin's Creed: Syndicate is primarily set in Victorian Britain.
- Assassin's Creed Origins is set in Ptolemaic Egypt and Ancient Rome.
- Assassin's Creed: Odyssey is set in Ancient Greece during The Peloponnesian War.
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla is set in The Viking Age and Dark Age Europe.
- Bioshock Infinite is a fantastic steampunk recreation of America in the Presidency of William McKinley.
- Like many World War II games, Call of Duty recreates actual battles of World War II, some with more accuracy than others.
- Dynasty Warriors: Loose adaptation of Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel, which in turn is Historical Fiction Literature depicting events during the end of Eastern Han Dynasty (189-220 AD) and Three Kingdoms period in ancient China (220-280 AD).
- Ghost of Tsushima is set during the Mongol invasion of Japan in the year 1274.
- The Imperivm franchise recreates the old times of Rome.
- The Invisible Hours, an Environmental Narrative Game set in Christie Time.
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance is set circa 1403 in the Kingdom of Bohemia as Civil War breaks out.
- L.A. Noire recreates Los Angeles in the 40s and involves actual historical figures and real-life events such as the Black Dahlia murder as part of its plot.
- Nobunaga's Ambition: Set during Sengoku Jidai.
- Phantom Doctrine is set during the late Cold War of the 1980's and touches upon things like sneaking across the Berlin Wall and the 1983 bombing in Beirut.
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms: same as Dynasty Warriors except it's mostly a strategy game.
- Samurai Warriors: Set during Sengoku Jidai.
- Sniper Elite: Set during World War II's War in Europe and Africa, detailing an Allied agent's hunt to stop Nazi wonder weapon projects.
- Total War
Visual Novels
- Hakuouki is another Shinsengumi tale, covering through the end of the Boshin War.
- Heileen
Web Comics
- Aisopos is set in Ancient Greece and tells the Coming of Age story of Aesop.
- Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant is a swashbuckler set in the Ottoman Empire in 1805.
- The Dreamer
- Outsiders starts in January 1986 and continues through the late 1980's.
- When Heaven Spits You Out starts in July 1971.
- Zekes Guideto History a webcomic written by a Middle School Social Studies Teacher that follows the antics of an affable time traveling dog named Zeke and his adolescent master who learn about how historical events impact his daily life.
Web Original
Western Animation
- An American Tail, though taking place in a Mouse World, mirrors what life was like for immigrants in New York during the 1880's.
- Anastasia
- Liberty's Kids, set in The American Revolution.
- Molierissimo, French series set in the century of King Louis XIV and centered on Molière's theatre. The young protagonist meets quite a lot of important people of the era.
- Mulan
- Pocahontas
- Princess Sissi, a German series that takes a lot of liberties with the story of Elizabeth of Bavaria's life.
