i know this struggle! I've actually been banging my head against a wall trying to figure out a proper way to do a horror story set in medieval times. it's hard to come up with a genuine take that doesn't read as parody or derivative though.
yeah i'm struggling to avoid a church vs magic vs science kinda trope. i want to try something with evil sorcery without also just sounding like another D&D campaign. it's a pickle! i think most historical fiction (especially speculative stuff like horror) has that issue. it's hard to think of something from an era we weren't alive for without accidentally using facets of stories from that time that are already overdone.
That's a lot of why I find the past so interesting. In some ways people thought in ways completely alien to us today, but they also shared the same flaws, impulses, and desires as we do.
I'm personally partial to settings that predate combustion engines and gunpowder. But I'm not a stickler for that by any stretch. Mostly I just like stories that escape the modern world in some way. All history interests me. I say write what interests YOU.
I’m a fan of 19th century settings. I like your idea of a context note. It’s something I’ve been thinking about myself. I’m considering a sci-fi series that are basically disjointed episodic stories that explore unique aspects of a far-flung future in which each individual story would be preceded by a one-paragraph note that give a very brief summary of what circumstance led to the situation the characters find themselves in.
As someone who has a hard time keeping up with serials, I like the summary idea a lot. I'll probably do something similar if I ever publish my novel serially.
I feel a little bit like that guy in the audience who is shouting at the band to play someone else's song, but to just toss something out there - what about something set in pre-history or early medieval history? Part of what has been so enjoyable about your writing is the isolation and claustrophobia that come from a lack of technology.
I wonder if something set in a place that feels very, very old might not still allow all of your strengths as a writer to shine through while offering that bit of challenge that comes from writing in less familiar spaces.
Hey, I did ask for suggestions, after all. I've actually considered both of those settings. Part of what I love about history is how unknowable so much of it is. And the further back you go, the more true that is. I just need to find the right story for it!
i know this struggle! I've actually been banging my head against a wall trying to figure out a proper way to do a horror story set in medieval times. it's hard to come up with a genuine take that doesn't read as parody or derivative though.
You're telling me. I read a medieval horror anthology a few months back, and probably half the stories were some variation of "church bad!"
yeah i'm struggling to avoid a church vs magic vs science kinda trope. i want to try something with evil sorcery without also just sounding like another D&D campaign. it's a pickle! i think most historical fiction (especially speculative stuff like horror) has that issue. it's hard to think of something from an era we weren't alive for without accidentally using facets of stories from that time that are already overdone.
That's a lot of why I find the past so interesting. In some ways people thought in ways completely alien to us today, but they also shared the same flaws, impulses, and desires as we do.
Ever thought of using a sci-fi setting? Plenty of unsettling existential horrors to explore in the void of space. ;)
I do love a good sci-fi horror! Gotta be soft sci-fii, though. I don't do that engineering stuff. 😅
I'm personally partial to settings that predate combustion engines and gunpowder. But I'm not a stickler for that by any stretch. Mostly I just like stories that escape the modern world in some way. All history interests me. I say write what interests YOU.
I’m a fan of 19th century settings. I like your idea of a context note. It’s something I’ve been thinking about myself. I’m considering a sci-fi series that are basically disjointed episodic stories that explore unique aspects of a far-flung future in which each individual story would be preceded by a one-paragraph note that give a very brief summary of what circumstance led to the situation the characters find themselves in.
As someone who has a hard time keeping up with serials, I like the summary idea a lot. I'll probably do something similar if I ever publish my novel serially.
I feel a little bit like that guy in the audience who is shouting at the band to play someone else's song, but to just toss something out there - what about something set in pre-history or early medieval history? Part of what has been so enjoyable about your writing is the isolation and claustrophobia that come from a lack of technology.
I wonder if something set in a place that feels very, very old might not still allow all of your strengths as a writer to shine through while offering that bit of challenge that comes from writing in less familiar spaces.
Hey, I did ask for suggestions, after all. I've actually considered both of those settings. Part of what I love about history is how unknowable so much of it is. And the further back you go, the more true that is. I just need to find the right story for it!
Also, thank you for the kind compliment. :-)
If it’s a setting I’m not familiar with I appreciate having a little note about the context.