I recently finished “Fall of Giants” by Ken Follett, a long novel about the era of 1910-1920 (WWI) based on a few fictional characters who interacted with real people and events. He has two follow-ups, on WW2 and the Cold War.
It’s a welldone example of a genre in which fictional people are part of real history.
It occurred to me that it was similar to Game of Thrones, including death, war, intrigue, politics and some pretty graphic sex. Except it’s based on reality so you learn something along with the entertainment.
Which leads to my question: Why do people read long complex stories about made-up worlds (Silmarillion, anybody?) when they could read long complex stories about our real world?
EDIT: I didn’t mean this to be as snide as it sounds, sorry. It was supposed to just be a question, not an insult.
by GraniteGeekNH
50 Comments
Because they want to add fantastical elements to their story?
Because reading about dragons and magic is fun! I too prefer historical fiction but sometimes I don’t want to think about the real world when I read
For me, escapism. Real history is awesome and worthwhile, but sometimes a story calls for imaginary things. I would flip the question on its head on occasion and say “rather than worry about the real world which we are forced to deal with whether we like it or not, why not indulge the imagination with fantasy?”
Sometimes I just really want to read about dragons and trolls and magic.
Yeah, history is cool, but sometimes I want to read about a mother fucking dragon.
Why read fiction at all, by your logic? Why even read prose and not just outlines of events and dates?
This is like asking “Why read historical fiction when you could read historical non-fiction?”
Why read about fake people in real events when you could read about real people in real events? Real stories are often just as entertaining as fake ones, so why read about fake people at all?
it’s not like you can’t read both…!
pillars of the earth by follett as well as a song of ice and fire are both among my favourite books
why would you *not* read something like asoiaf just because its set in a fantastic world?
“Why do people read one genre when they could read an entirely different, and honestly not very similar, genre?”
Why do you eat steak and candy when you could just eat rat meat?
Why do people read historical fiction when they could read fantasy, which is like historical fiction but with dragons in it?
The takes on this sub get more stupid every day, wow
Because fantasy has dragons and magic and shit
I will be honest, I fucking love creatures. I know Nessie and the mothman don’t exist, but MAAAAN, do I get excited about those. I love creature design, mysterious stuff.
It’s just what I like, you know.
It’s also funny to assume you can’t learn anything from fantasy. As someone who started seriously learning English at age 15, I did not know the vocabulary for armour. I also learnt things like mythology because of fantasy. A bunch of cultural knowledge from urban fantasy.
Also, when people say stuff like this, I always ask this. Have ever had dessert? You could have eaten something more nutritionally valuable. Or… do you have any decoration in your home? A painting or print? A little statue? A vase? You could have spent that money and used that space better, for something more practical.
HELL, do you have any graphic t-shirts? Wanna bet you could have bought a plain one cheaper?
Why do people read historical fiction when they could read fantasy?
It’s all the boring parts of real life, plus DRAGONS.
Why do people read long complex stories about real history with made up characters and plotlines (War and Peace, anybody?) when they could read long complex stories about places that never existed?
Why do you care what other people read?
I don’t read books with the specific aim of learning things.
I think it’s unfair to suggest that you don’t learn anything by reading fantasy. There is a lot to be learned about emotion, interpersonal connection, and the human condition in reading, no matter the genre
? Creativity and imagination is fundamental to the human experience. Always has been.
Why do people read mysteries when they could be reading romance novels? Because people have preferences.
Lol you’re “learning” very little from historical fiction.
Different people enjoy different things. You might as well ask “why do people like coffee when they could drink tea.” Enjoy what you enjoy (and get out more).
Because with fantasy you don’t have to follow real world rules. You can write about anything you want and no one can say, “But that isn’t how it works,” because it’s all made up.
I truly cannot read historical fiction because it’s just so *incorrect* so much of the time and it’s infuriating. I haven’t read very much historical fiction that I would recommend to someone who actually wants facts. For that I’ll just recommend nonfiction.
Who cares why others read what they read?
Because they want to? Because they enjoy it? Why do you care?
What a condescending question. And from such an ignorant place too, to think all fantasy is historical fantasy and/or tolkeinesque fantasy.
As others have asked: why read fiction at all, when you can read a history text book? Why read non-fiction, when you could just read a newspaper? That’s what your question sounds like.
By your logic: why read historical fiction when I could just read a history without all that pesky made up fiction??
What is this garbage bag of a take? People read fantasy for escapism, if that’s not your bag don’t tell me not to read it.
A lot of historical fiction is really bad.
Because I don’t like war, political intrigue, etc. in the first place. I want something fun and light. History is generally the opposite of that.
Bypassing all the snarky answers – many of which I agree with – here’s my answer:
I hate WWII historical fiction. HATE IT. And a huge portion of HF is exactly that.
And also, dragons and magic and elves, etc.
“Except it’s based on reality so you learn something along with the entertainment.”
You can learn from anything and you can fail to learn from everything.
Does historical fiction have Dragons and magic powers?
Why not both?
Because people can do whatever the fuck they want
Do you have some vested interest in historical fiction? Because there’s no inherent hierarchy of genres, good stories can be written a million different ways and still be good stories. Why do you care which ones people prefer?
Because it doesnt have Dragons.
Why do people read historical fiction when they could read history books?
Read Tolkein essay on Fairy Stories for a better answer than I can give
Imagine the gall it takes to shit on Tolkien for making up worlds!
Dragons
Because I’m a historian and if there’s a year or even a named monarch I can’t turn off my brain as to what was and wasn’t extant at the time. For instance I adore Slewfoot but >! the main character is given a cup of tea as a prisoner in New England when tea was only just available to the very wealthy !< and that sort of thing makes me quite unpleasant at parties.
Well the main reason is that fantasy is also about exploring the real world through analogy, metaphor, and parable. Just because it’s made up, doesn’t mean it’s not real, otherwise people wouldn’t relate to it or find value in it.
Why read historical fiction when you can just read a history textbook?
Why do you think that people don’t learn anything from fiction?
Dragons.
This is such a stupid take lmao
This has to be bait
Well, I guess I would miss the dragons and the ice zombies.
Why read historical fiction when you could read Romance novels? Your comparison is is like comparing apples and fish.
Everyone’s getting upset in the comments but I think I understand where you’re coming from. For me, I’ve never really been able to get into reading historical fiction or any historical literature, not necessarily because it’s boring (although much of it is to me), but because I find it too depressing. It feels too real. Reading about bloodshed, death, and violence in historical works makes me feel too sad, because it reminds me how often that stuff happens in the real world. However, reading about it in a fantasy novel puts an extra layer between reality and fantasy, and I can just focus on the characters/plot/etc. I know it sounds silly, but that’s how my brain works 🤷♀️
Because they have an imagination