10 Underused Historical Settings in Fiction
I've already done 10 Underused Concepts in Sci-Fi and 12 Underused Creatures in Fantasy(click the titles to go to the posts), now it's time for historical fiction to get the spotlight. I don't write a lot of historical fiction myself, but I know there are a lot of historical fiction writers out there! These settings can also be used in a historical sci-fi novel, in a steampunk novel, or even for a fantasy setting. So this is applicable to almost everyone! So on that note:
Idea list: activate!
- The Great Depression. I know that writers like to stray away from talking about people who are broke, on hard financial times, or homeless. It makes people uncomfortable. Well, you know what I say? Good. If you want to make a change, you're gonna make some people uncomfortable. You could write an excellent sci-fi novel based on the next depression that hits the future, or a fantasy world that is hitting hard times.
- Mesoamerica. Me! Me! I've done this! Whether you choose to include all the human sacrifice or not, Mesoamerican cultures are fascinating, and there are so many nuances that could make good books. Bear in mind that there were four completely different civilizations: The Olmecs, the Aztecs, the Mayans, and the Incas. One of them believed in a creature called the werejaguar. Like a werewolf, but a jaguar.
- Transitional periods. The 1920's, the Industrial Revolution, the American Revolution. . . there are lots of transitional periods to choose from, and lots of room to expound upon in the steampunk/fantasy area. Besides some of the excellent fashions, there is always a big moral dilemma with these: To adapt and leave the past behind, or to cling to the past and remain rigid to the future.
- Pre-revolution France. The ball gowns, the big wigs, the fancy foods! And the poor people who were starving on the streets. Like #3, this also has an obvious moral dilemma, which could even be changed to such a question as: Is it right to envy those who have more money, or to be happy that not everyone is poor? Plus, just imagine some centaurs or selkies involved in this setting!
- The era of American Explorers. Lots of rulers were willing to give you a boat, some money, and sometimes even a high position, just to travel to America and report back with what you had discovered there. Imagine what they could have found! Could it be a landing pad for UFO's? Or do they disturb an ancient culture of fantasy creatures already living there? Scientists have discovered that there were still some freaking dinosaurs still living in the US when the colonists were headed West. Imagine what else could have been hiding in the wilderness!
- Classic Arabia. Where are all my books for this setting?? Just look up pictures of the clothes and the booths and the foods and everything they had in this era, and you'll already want to write a book. Turkey, Persia, India. . . there is so much unexplored territory here, and the thought might be a little out there, but why isn't there more sci-fi involving characters from the 1700's and older? It would be fascinating to see a samarai or something aboard an alien vessel.
Um, awesome. - Africa. Just Africa in general. Whether modern or historical, Africa is very much overlooked when people are deciding on the setting of their novel. As far as fantasy and steampunk are concerned, there is almost no jungle territory in sight.
- Colonial America. There's always plenty of room to write in across this era. Whether you choose to write about what mysterious force is helping the British, or who the colonists turn to in their time of need, there are many secrets that could be buried in this era.
- Antarctica. Or the mountains. Or Eskimo territory. Anywhere cold. I haven't seen enough books with mountain princesses, and I want one very badly. If you know of any, I want to read it immediately!
- The Wild West. I'm getting A Town Called Mercy vibes thinking about this, but imagine if the first aliens to reach Earth landed in the Wild West? What if they wanted to invade because they thought we were vulnerable, but the cowboys and Indians fought back, and now they're too afraid to return? This is a classic setting for steampunk, but other things like stitchpunk, or cooler, a battle between steampunk and dieselpunk/clockpunk wouldn't be amiss here.
If you haven't checked out my other Underused blog posts, you really should read them. Now I really want to write either the Wild West book or something set in Pre-Revolution France, probably involving a lot of dark magic. How do you think those beauty queens in France looked so good? (*conspiritorial eyebrow raise*) You never know!
Other posts in the Underused series:
Underused Concepts in SciFi
Underused Creatures and Animals in Fantasy
Other posts in the Underused series:
Underused Concepts in SciFi
Underused Creatures and Animals in Fantasy
Which one of these would you most like to write about? What's a cool underused setting you've read? Let me know in the comments!
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OOH I like all of these. Aztec and French aristocracy have been on my list for awhile, but ARABIA yes that sounds lovely please and thank you! My history class just did Imperial Britain, and colonial India (well, late 1800s anywhere, but colonial India and Africa in particular) just beg more stories...
ReplyDeleteOooh and you know what else I thought of? Involving fantasy elements in the area of India where the British were starting to take power, just because I always found that such an interesting juxtaposition of cultures.
DeleteThe Serpent’s Shadow by Mercedes Lackey. It takes place in Britain, but the main character is a woman physician from India. She is an earth mage and the book really goes into the trials of an Indian woman in a “white man’s world”, all the while she is honing her magical talents and learning from other mages.
DeleteDang that sounds awesome!!! I will have to see if my library has that.
DeleteI have a winterscape in my book.
ReplyDeleteYessssss
DeleteHi friend, the term "Eskimo" is no longer a great term to use. Inuit is a less offensive term and is preferred by that community. Just FYI. =)
ReplyDeleteAh, good to know. Thanks!
DeleteThere were a lot more than four cultures in ancient Mesoamerica. Also, the Inca were in South America. Very different culturally and geographically. The Olmec's werejaguar is only what we call it because the art looks like a partially human and partially jaguar. We have applied our own lore, which is probably not remotely accurate. They didn't have writing.
ReplyDeleteOther cultures include the Zapotec, Mixtec, Toltec, and most importantly because of how many Maya city-states they invaded, the Teotihuacanos.
I'll admit, the description was a little oversimplified since I needed to keep the list paragraphs short, but I wasn't aiming to cause offense. Hopefully anyone aiming to write a novel in that setting would do their research rather than rely on one paragraph in a blog post. 😁
DeleteNow, thinking this post through i agree that there are not many historical novels , (romantic novels based in historical facts ) that deal with native ppls of the American continent and this could develop into an entertaining novel tainted in a distortion of history if not controversial in themes. Now, if a writer lives for this kind of risk then ... it could be most entertaining ....
ReplyDelete