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Author Topic: Good News for Historical Mysteries  (Read 21454 times)

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Charles King

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Good News for Historical Mysteries
« on: December 05, 2009, 12:56:11 PM »

At a recent conference (see the conference thread) agent Barbara Poelle said Historical Fiction was in demand still, and recent trends have been towards sidekicks to historical figures being the PoV's/MC's, although, she says that Historicals using actually historical figures are still in vogue as well.


C. King  8)
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JIM DOHERTY

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Re: Good News for Historical Mysteries
« Reply #1 on: December 05, 2009, 01:45:41 PM »

Charles,

I've heard several different definitions about what constitutes "historical fiction."

One writer specializing in historical mysteries defined historical as any era in which no one who was alive then is still alive.

Another writer differentiated between "historical" and mere "period" fiction, the latter being stories set in a particular past era but otherwise wholly fictional, while "historical" is fiction that's based on actual events.  Hence, a Regency-era romance by Georgette Heyer would be mere "period," while the military novels of Patrick O'Brian, closely based on actual naval engagements during the Napoleonic Wars (which took place during the Regency) are truly "historical."

In an artcle I wrote about historical police procedurals, I defined historical as set far enough in the past that we can look at it with some historical perspective.  Somewhat arbitrarily, I set 20 years, roughly a generation, as the cut-off.

By my definition, the 1970's are fair game for historical fiction.

BTW, the article's available on the 'Net.  If anyone's interested, I can post a link.

B L McAllister

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Re: Good News for Historical Mysteries
« Reply #2 on: December 05, 2009, 11:03:37 PM »

BTW, the article's available on the 'Net.  If anyone's interested, I can post a link.

Please do.

Byron
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Byron Leon McAllister.
Books by Byron and Kay McAllister can most easily be obtained as e-books or in print from the publisher at http://www.writewordsinc.com/ For "Undercover Nudist," the print version is an improved version of the ebook version. The others are the same in both formats.

JIM DOHERTY

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Re: Good News for Historical Mysteries
« Reply #3 on: December 06, 2009, 07:28:48 AM »

You only have to ask me once.

The article's called "Long-Ago Lawmen."  It was published in Mystery Readers Journal.  You should be able to find it here:

http://www.mysteryreaders.org/Issues/History_Supplement.pdf

Thanks for asking.

B L McAllister

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Re: Good News for Historical Mysteries
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2009, 12:07:45 PM »

Thanks!
Byron
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Books by Byron and Kay McAllister can most easily be obtained as e-books or in print from the publisher at http://www.writewordsinc.com/ For "Undercover Nudist," the print version is an improved version of the ebook version. The others are the same in both formats.

Charles King

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Re: Good News for Historical Mysteries
« Reply #5 on: December 07, 2009, 12:25:45 PM »

Ditto! ... and hey congrats on the column in 3rd degree, I enjoy reading it.

C. King 8)
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