Historical Fantasy: Blurring the Lines Between Fiction and Reality

Historical fantasy (the fanciful take on real people, events and times) can subtly lure readers of other types of fiction into its comforting embrace. Historical fantasy has something for every library patron: from readers of classics like Jane Austen to the Napoleonic Wars, from ancient Greece to modern times. Historical fantasy writers take great pains to be time-appropriate, with some writers even going so far as to use only words that would have been in use within the common vernacular of the time. Authors Mary Robinette Kowal and Susan Cooper are excellent examples of historical fantasy that all libraries should consider.