Quote:
Originally Posted by pdurrant
Why do you think we have a different standard for other genres? I hold historical fiction to the same standards as other fiction I read: the bits not intended as fiction should match reality as closely as possible, and characters should react according to the personality and background, and not just like the author.
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I'm glad you hold everything to the same standard, but
I think many people hold historical fiction to a different standard because, quite frankly, many people DO hold it to a different standard, in my experience.
They allow contemporary fiction to be as silly, fluffy, and inaccurate as it wants (with nary a critical word), but sticking the word "historical" in front of "fiction" suddenly means (for many) that the work needs to be as painstakingly researched and geographically/historically/socially accurate as a college history textbook. It somehow NEEDS to be a vehicle that one can use to gain academic knowledge about the period in which it is set.
If you're not one of those people, that's great.
In my opinion, the fact that some people wish to learn about real history via fiction does not actually obligate authors of historical fiction to be history teachers or scholars.