historical fiction

noun

1. the genre of literature, film, etc., comprising narratives that take place in the past and are characterized chiefly by an imaginative reconstruction of historical events and personages.
2. works of this genre, as novels and plays.

Word History and Origins

Origin of historical fiction¹

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

But for young voters, the idea of a different kind of Republican Party might as well be historical fiction.

From Los Angeles Times

“The Fallen Fruit” is a heady mix of well-researched historical fiction and gripping fantasy reminiscent of both Octavia Butler’s “Kindred” and Audrey Niffenegger’s “The Time Traveler’s Wife.”

From Los Angeles Times

Paul worked in publishing straight out of college in the 1980s before writing historical fiction in the early 2010s.

From Los Angeles Times

“Shōgun” was first a novel, then a hit 1980 miniseries, but the new series from FX Networks is an amplified historical fiction that offers viewers an entertaining education in medieval Japanese society and its elaborate attire.

From Los Angeles Times

For my historical fiction project, I wrote a mystery story about Napoleon’s exile on Elba — a subject I picked mainly because Napoleons were a type of pastry I loved.

From Los Angeles Times