Theme: Historical Fantasy

Historical Fantasy should be differentiated from Historical Events in Fiction, which concerns the treatment of past events in a fictional context or ones offering alternate explanations. Nor does this include Time Travel Films in which travellers visit the past.

Historical Fantasy is set during a recognisable historic era in the past. It winds fantastical elements in to the setting of a known historical era – such as centurions, samurai or pirates facing monsters, mythological creatures or alien invaders. It may feature actual historical characters or more commonly offer fantastic stories based on their lives, or else be set around entirely fictional characters.

The Arthurian Legends – the tales of King Arthur – are historical fantasies set around the reign of a mythic king amid the use of magic. One could also include the adventures of mythic figures of folklore such as Robin Hood and Mulan, as well as the comic adventures of Asterix.

Some of these historic fantasies have become their own genres – see Weird Westerns and Steampunk. Almost the entire Wu Xia genre is an historical fantasy set in a non-specific dynasty of Chinese history. Similarly Arabian Nights Fantasy is set in a mythic version of the Islamic Golden Age that intermingles magic and assorted happenings.