What is your favorite era and geographic area that you like to write/read about in fiction?

[Representing_Tromba]

The title really explains the question. I'm just curious about what kind of cultures and eras everyone enjoys taking part in or using for reference.

I'll start. I really find Old Celtic, Ancient Greek, Mthethwa Empire, and Imperial Roman eras/cultures to be fun and interesting.

 

[FGCCheckmate]

I want to try working in an Aztec-themed story. Always thought that aesthetic was cool.
Don't know if I'd go full child-sacrifice and cannibalism though.

 

[CarburetorThompson]

I love the Balkans, Russia, Soviet Union. My irl name is of Eastern European origin though I don’t have much family connection to the area. My most recent story is based heavily off of the Russian Revolution/Civil War and the Yugoslavian Civil war.

 

[Irl_Rat]

The near east during the wars of the Diadochi. The steppe empires following the death of Genghis Khan and their interactions with subject states and native peoples. And of course, the dying days of West Rome with the rise of barbarian successor states and the recovery of the Eastern empire.

Don't know if I'd go full child-sacrifice and cannibalism though.

Gotta include homophobia for the Aztecs, though I think cannibalism might have been Europeans overreacting and calling them savages. Not that it didn't happen, just less than we might think.

 

[Representing_Tromba]

I want to try working in an Aztec-themed story. Always thought that aesthetic was cool.
Don't know if I'd go full child-sacrifice and cannibalism though.

Aztec stories are interesting. It's definitely a cool era and culture.

I love the Balkans, Russia, Soviet Union. My irl name is of Eastern European origin though I don’t have much family connection to the area. My most recent story is basked heavily off of the Russian Revolution/Civil War and the Yugoslavian Civil war.

That's interesting. I don't know much about the Balkans other than the battles they had with the Romans.

The near east during the wars of the Diadochi. The steppe empires following the death of Genghis Khan and their interactions with subject states and native peoples. And of course, the dying days of West Rome with the rise of barbarian successor states and the recovery of the Eastern empire.

Gotta include homophobia for the Aztecs, though I think cannibalism might have been Europeans overreacting and calling them savages. Not that it didn't happen, just less than we might think.

The economic and political collapse that occurred during that time period was atrocious and a very interesting niche topic to use. An awesome pick.

 

[SilvCrimBlac]

Diadochi

Awesome! Such an underrated era. It gets overshadowed by Alexander the Great, but his Generals fighting over the spoils of his empire is an awesome epic to read about. Not sure if this will be appreciated, but if you'd like to know more about it, see if you can get Dividing the Spoils by Robin Waterfield. So far, it is THE ONLY book I've ever found that goes through the entire period, all of the battles, the wars, as well as the events that went on a little before and even after, as well as a plethora of other interesting tidbits.

Any other book I've found about it leaned to heavily into one specific region, a specific campaign, a specific battle, or just one of the Diadochi, but this does ALL of it, from the beginning to the end. It is the closest thing I've read about, besides the history of the Wars of the Roses in England, that heavily resembles some real-life Game of thrones-ish with dozens of rival political players all around competing for pretty much everything.

I love the Balkans, Russia, Soviet Union. My irl name is of Eastern European origin though I don’t have much family connection to the area. My most recent story is basked heavily off of the Russian Revolution/Civil War and the Yugoslavian Civil war.

It's pretty hard to find a book that goes through the entirety of the Russia Civil War, like all of the battles, the campaigns, the politics, and all of the leaders, big and small. Everyone I've found only sticks to specific people or campaigns, never the whole. Do you have any recomendations?



Oh, but for my own answer: besides my usual East Asian stuff, Sub-Roman Britain, 400-600 A.D., when the Romans left Britannia. More or less the period in which King Arthur supposedly lived. Also, everything that happened in the Byzantine Empire when the Fourth Crusade crushed it and the Western Europeans took it over and the natives fought back, 1204-1261 A.D.

 

[Irl_Rat]

Awesome! Such an underrated era. It gets overshadowed by Alexander the Great, but his Generals fighting over the spoils of his empire is an awesome epic to read about. Not sure if this will be appreciated, but if you'd like to know more about it, see if you can get Dividing the Spoils by Robin Waterfield. So far, it is THE ONLY book I've ever found that goes through the entire period, all of the battles, the wars, as well as the events that went on a little before and even after, as well as a plethora of other interesting tidbits.

Thanks for the recommendation. I mainly read scholarly articles on my uni's database or watch youtube documentaries, Kings and Generals being a favorite.

But the Diadochi wars were wild. Best part was when the Ptolemies started doing the Hapsburg thing before it was cool.

 

[SilvCrimBlac]

Kings and Generals

Awesome. Me too. What about Invicta? That's a good one too.

 

[Gryphon]

One hundred percent egyptian. I don't see too much egyptian fantasy out there, and the visual of someone braving sandstorms and encountering the egyptian gods just turns a lot of feel good gears in me. The only problem is I'm not knowledgeable enough on egyptian culture, so I can't write it. I'm stuck having to find some good egyptian fantasy books.

 

[Lloyd]

It depends on what I'm writing. But I like sci-fi era and medieval fantasy, all my own worlds/universes. I don't think I've had a single book that actually takes place in the real world. Well, maybe one or two short ones, but they were modern day non-descript places in the USA.

 

[Bartun]

I'm sure that anyone who takes a look at my fantasy story will find similarities with Clan-era Scottland.

 

[good_tentacles]

Medieval Middle East, Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient Persia (Achaemenid, Parthian and Sassanian era). I can't think of one story that is set in any of these eras.

 

[SilvCrimBlac]

Medieval Middle East, Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient Persia (Achaemenid, Parthian and Sassanian era). I can't think of one story that is set in any of these eras.

I've read something from the Achaemenid-era Persia, set during the reigns of Cryus and the latter part of the book under Darius. I think it ended right before Xerxes was crowned. But yeah, it began with Cyrus's youth, back when his own father Cambyses was the ruler of a smaller Persian polity. It then chronicles the dynasty with Cyrus, then his successor Cambyses II, and then Bardiya who historically ruled only for a few months, though some think he was an imposter named Gaumata, with the real Bardiya being dead already. After Bardiya, came Darius, and then the story ended like a few months before the death of Darius, with Darius lamenting that his successor had to be Xerxes, who according to the story, (historical fiction btw,) wasn't his first choice, but in order for the realm to remain stable, Xerxes was considered necessary, especially since the Egyptians had revolted for the umpteenth time. I don't know if this is historically true, that Darius actually disliked Xerxes, his eldest son and was forced to accept him as his heir due to the growing instability of the realm.

Anyway, I wish I could remember what it was called. It was historical fiction, which doesn't excite too many people.

I'd love to have something on the Parthian Empire since so little is known about them despite their long rivalry with the Roman Republic, and then the Roman Empire.

As for Ancient Mesopotamia, I've actually seen historical fiction set in both the Assyrian Empire, (not sure which one since it had multiple versions though all located in the same area,) and also one set during the Akkadian Empire, though it wasn't all that good to me. It was a weird romance and...something else. One of the few historical fictions based on an era I liked, that still failed to grab my interest which is rare. I'd be more interested in the Akkadians since the Assyrians were basically just the Romans of the Mesopotamia, whipping everybody asses around them until they finally grew weak from repeated civil wars and outsiders took advantage of it.

 

[Irl_Rat]

One hundred percent egyptian. I don't see too much egyptian fantasy out there, and the visual of someone braving sandstorms and encountering the egyptian gods just turns a lot of feel good gears in me. The only problem is I'm not knowledgeable enough on egyptian culture, so I can't write it. I'm stuck having to find some good egyptian fantasy books.

Which kingdom huh? And the Ptolemies do count since they did try to assimilate egyptian culture.

 

[2021]

When fire was still the best thing made, instead of slice bread

 

[MyukiMruieast]

History is too complicated. Modern life is expanding quickly. Futuristic is too futuristic. Apocalypse is perfect.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

Paraguay. This is why:

Amazon.com

 

[Deleted member 19066]

I think i have read lots here and there.. So i kinda just like things i havent read too much about...

I wouldn't mind something in the Napoleonics or the Ottomans.

Istanbul~♫ Not Constantinople~♫

 

[Deleted member 54065]

Early Modern/Napoleonic Era Europe. I love writing about formation warfare as well as muskets and bayonet charges.

 

[Bartun]

Paraguay. This is why:

Amazon.com

My bird brain doesn't understand. Could you please explain why? I'm intrigued.