Fantasy Novels Set In The Past


There are millions of fantasy novels set in pseudo-medieval or -dark-ages environments, but those aren't actually our world. Are there any set in the historical past?

Well, there's that dreadful novel Tom Anderson was given as homework for that read-a-random-book thing we did; that was explicitly set at some point in the 13th century (ish). Was that fantasy, or just a historical romance? Not sure; the lazy sod never finished reading it.

The title short by Connie Willis, 'Fire Watch', tho' it's set in the 1940s, is just about ideal. A historian of the future is sent back to the past for historical research, and ends up being part of a fire-watch team during the Blitz. --TL

Mary Gentle?'s Ash comes to mind. Sort of -- NH

There are several books along the "what would have happened if" premise, such as Father Land? by Thomas Harris, or SSGB? by Len Deighton where Hitler won the 2nd world war. But I've not seen any SF type historical fiction (Cryptonomicon is probably the closest I've seen). --DM

The Man In The High Castle?, by Philip K Dick?, is arguably in this category.

Actually, that's not stricly true. I've read something where a historian of the future (in Oxford no less) is sent back to plague times. I think it was an OUSFG Library book, but I'm not sure. --DM


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