Authentically Medieval: Authors and Scholars on Depicting the Middle Ages in Fiction

Edited by Debra E. Best, Elizabeth L. Rambo and Patricia H. Ward

McFarland & Company
ISBN: 978-1-4766-8855-8

A collection of ten essays that examines how the Middle Ages is portrayed in novels and modern literature. It aims to answer the question how to bring a true-to-life medieval world in fiction.

Excerpt:

How do authors negotiate the tension between what their research tells them and the needs of the story? Does a scholarly background hamper their storytelling abilities? In what circumstances do non-scholars do a better job of portraying the Middle Ages? What can fiction uncover about the Middle Ages that academic writing does not reveal, and in what way does writing fiction change the medieval scholar-author? This book project, continuing the conversations begun at well-attended sessions at the 2017 and 2018 International Congress on Medieval Studies, invites medievalists and generalists interested in the Middle Ages – those who write fiction and those who do not – to reflect on the variety of ways that scholars have fictionalized the medieval period.

Who is this book for?

This book stands out in two particular ways – first, much of it deals with fictional works that have been published relatively recently, making it feel very current. Secondly, some of these essays are written by novelists, giving it a fresh perspective. This book will find a good audience among those interested in medievalism and how the Middle Ages is reimagined in modern fiction.

The Editors

Debra E. Best is a professor of English at California State University-Dominguez Hills. Elizabeth L. Rambo is an associate professor of English at Campbell University. Patricia H. Ward is a professor emerita at the College of Charleston.

You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website.

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