Non-Definitive Histories

A lot of documentaries about historical personages, locations, incidences start with a question. A question they imply they will answer with in-depth investigation and often an amazing discovery. They usually end with a question-mark. Their investigation, new archeological techniques, and unearthed discoveries are interesting, but too often they finish with something like, "we may never truly know..."

Stonehenge. Image by walkerssk from Pixabay

In response, I started my own doco-blog posts investigating the history of little known and often trivial bits and pieces of information. Discoveries I've come across in my historical fiction research, nuggets of treasure if you like. Pulling together threads of stories and themes to combine history with fantasy has resulted in a pile of notebooks with all sorts of interesting tidbits.

The first of my doco-blogs appeared on an earlier incarnation of my website (back in my wordpress days). I'll share those with you first starting with a brief delve into the history of speculative fiction (next week).

While you're waiting, take a look at A Non-Definitive History of Matches My novel, Keeper of the Way, may be historical fantasy, but I still needed to get match-lighting correct for the time period it's set in. Some things, like the basics of lighting a cigar, you can't just make up if you want you're story to be believable. Suspending belief comes about by making sure the small details are accurate.