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Upon joining this group I found myself struck by William's initial post concerning what we, who enjoy historical fiction,want from a story of this type. Obviously, For many of us there is a simple desire to visit distant shores (both geographical as well as temporal). But,what to make of the inhabitants we find when we reach those shores? Do we prefer an author who requires that we not only get to know a cast of characters,but also the context surrounding their cultural mores and values,recognizing that,as denizens of the past, they are citizens of a "foreign country" as L.P Hartley  so famously put it("they do things differently there")? Or do we instead ask that the author,our tour guide on this journey, translate the experiance into a modernized "shorthand" of sorts, so that we can hit the ground running. Should those who prefer the latter be looked down on for hitting what some consider nothing but all the "tourist traps"? 

          I think it is a great thing that there is always a ship at the pier of our imagination bound for just the port we're looking to visit.

          Uh oh, I think I hear the captain calling. Time to set sail. I hope you all get to where you want to go. Maybe I'll see you when I get back.

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Replies to This Discussion

It is my experience that my characters take me into their world and force me to experience their culture and values without any modern filter. From what I've read, most historical fiction authors are likewise "transported" where we can feel, smell, hear and taste another era. As an example, my last novel not only depicted a tar and feathering, but I was dragged into the mob parading through the streets of Boston. I couldn't type fast enough and I had to shake my head to realize I was really sitting at my desk. Sometimes the characters drive me crazy because they won't shut up. You are right; it's a foreign country and time and we are the lucky ones to share it with those who can't travel like we do.
I guess it comes down to the fact that, whether you are the reader or the writer, the ultimate desire is to be so sucessfuly taken through the looking glass that you become a "resident alien" dwelling for a time amongst the literary natives.

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