Episode 014 - Historical Fantasy

Book Club for Masochists: a Readers’ Advisory Podcast

This episode we tackle a fantasy genre for the first time and once again ponder the question “How much history do you really want in your historical [genre]?” We encounter a lot of ghosts and westerns, but not nearly enough luchadores, wonder how steampunk fits into Historical Fantasy, and discuss the importance of research, the appeal of setting, and how authentic we should expect historical fiction to be in regards to race and gender. Plus: We say goodbye to Amanda :’(

Your Hosts This Episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray

Recommended

• Hellboy in Mexico by Mike Mignola and Richard Corben (Comic) (Recommended)
• Six-Gun Snow White by Catherynne M. Valente
• The Girl With Ghost Eyes by M.H. Boroson
• Vermilion by Molly Tanzer
• The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke
• His Majesty’s Dragon - Temeraire Series by Naomi Novik
• The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
• Soldier of the Mist by Gene Wolfe
• The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

Read

• The Bone Collector’s Son by Paul Yee
• The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg
• The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart
• The Salt Roads by Nalo Hopkinson
• New Amsterdam by Elizabeth Bear

Did Not Finish

• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Other Books and Comics by order of mention:

• The SEA is Ours: Tales from Steampunk Southeast Asia (Recommended)
• John Carter by Edgar Rice Burroughs
• Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
• A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
• The Sixth Gun by Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurt
• The entire Hellboy universe by Mike Mignola and others (Recommended)
• Wise Child by Monica Furlong (Middle Grade) (Recommended)
• The Beetle by Richard Marsh
• Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (Recommended)
• Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear (steampunk via science, no magic)
• The Professor’s Daughter by Joann Sfar and Emmanuel Guibert (Recommended)
• Obsidian and Blood by Aliette de Bodard (Recommended)
• The Others by Anne Bishop (Recommended—not historical at all, just really good contemporary pseudo-urban fantasy)
• The Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Links/Other

• Get Genrefied: Historical Fantasy
• How much history is in the maybe-historical fantasy novel The Curse of Chalion
• Novelist, again
• Call of Cthulhu RPGAchtung! Cthulhu RPG
• Sexism in historical fantasy
• We have always fought: Challenging the 'Women, Cattle and Slaves' Narrative
• RRRrrrr!!! - Trailer (in French), Wikipedia page (in English)
• Krogslist (and more!)
• Ostern or Red Westerns
• Wuxia martial arts stories The other genre Matthew mentioned is linghuan, which apparently means something like “spirit magic” (and seems to be predominantly in film?). There’s a brief description on M. H. Boroson’s website (that’s who wrote The Girl with Ghost Eyes) that might give you some idea of what it is. Basically “spooky horror, but also funny”.
• Matthew’s list of Batman comics and books for every genre.
• Readers’ Advisory for Library Staff Facebook group

Questions

• Are you powerfully attracted to or repelled by the fantasy genre and whyever for?
• Do you like your historical fantasy historical-ish with an extra helping of fantasy or light on the fantasy and heavy with history?
• How far did we stray from your definition of Historical Fantasy in our reading this month?
• What is your dream historical fantasy period/style?

Check out our Pinterest board and Tumblr posts for all the books about Historical Fantasy people in the club read (or tried to read), and follow us on Twitter!

Join us again on Tuesday, October 18th, when we discuss Self Help!