What is Historical Fantasy? This is a question I’ve been asking myself more and more these days. I always viewed “historical fantasy” as the genre of my novels Enoch’s Device and The Key to the Abyss – stories set in the real historical world with fantasy elements, such as magic. But if you look at the Amazon Bestsellers in “historical fantasy,” that’s hardly the case. Many of the top books take place entirely in fictional fantasy worlds. It reminds me of Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride when he said: “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
To try to answer the question about this convoluted genre, I did what many people are doing today – turn to AI! Specifically, I posed the question to ChatGPT, one of the trendiest AI’s in the business. Here’s how ChatGPT responded:
What is historical fantasy?
ChatGPT: “Historical fantasy fiction is a genre of fiction that combines elements of historical fiction and fantasy. It typically takes place in a real historical period or setting, but with the addition of magical, mythical, or supernatural elements that are not part of the actual historical record.”
That’s what I always thought! But that’s certainly not how Amazon classifies the genre. So I asked ChatGPT for some examples…
Give me some examples.
Its response was a mix of real “historical fantasy” and other books, including: “Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell” by Susanna Clarke and “Outlander” by Diana Gabaldon, but also “The Lies of Locke Lamora” by Scott Lynch, and “A Game of Thrones” by George R.R. Martin.
The Lies of Lock Lamora – which is a fantastic novel, by the way – is set in a fantasy world that resembles late-medieval Venice. And almost everyone knows A Game of Thrones is set in the fictional world of Westeros. So I asked ChatGPT to explain itself.
How is Game of Thrones historical fantasy?
ChatGPT: “Game of Thrones” is considered to be a type of historical fantasy because it is set in a fictional version of medieval Europe, which is loosely based on historical events such as the Wars of the Roses and the Norman Conquest. The world-building in the show also includes elements of magic, dragons, and mythical creatures that are not part of actual historical records.
So there you have it, at least according to one AI. “Historical fantasy” can go both ways. It can be a real historical setting with fantasy elements or a fantasy world that loosely resembles an actual historical time period.
I suppose what this means is that I’ll always be writing “historical fantasy,” even if my next series is not set in the real historical world.
By the way…
The Princess Bride by William Goldman is also “historical fantasy.” The book is good, but the movie is classic!
Want more historical fantasy? My novella The Fae Dealings, set during the reign of Charlemagne, is on sale until April 3 for $0.99 in the US and £0.99 in the UK. Here is a universal link to take you to your preferred store here.
If you haven’t read the novella yet, I hope you enjoy it!