Historical fiction writers is one of the most exciting genres that helped transport readers around the world to another time and place. Its authors weave stories that intrigue and fascinate fans by giving us a glimpse of what life would have been like in the past. Here are some of the best writers in this genre.
Philippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory is a British author whose works of historical fiction have been translated into film. She is most famous for books such as The Other Boleyn Girl, The Constant Princess, The Last Tudor, and The White Queen, among others. Gregory specializes in the stories that shaped British history and is praised for bringing to life some of the most remarkable women in a time period when women were relegated to playing minor roles as wives, concubines, and mothers of kings. While certain components of her stories are based on historical facts, there are also elements that are speculative. She remains one of the most popular writers in the genre.
Jean M. Auel
Jean M. Auel is one of America’s best known historical fiction writers. Her novels tell the stories of a fictional group of prehistoric people – their lives, struggles, fears, and triumphs. To write her first book, The Clan of the Cave Bear, Auel not only performed extensive research on her subject but also signed up for a survival class so she could learn about primitive methods of living and surviving.
Ken Follett
Ken Follett is a Welsh writer and former journalist who initially wrote fiction as a hobby. His first foray into publishing were thrillers but he later began writing historical fiction, releasing works such as Night Over Water, A Place Called Freedom, and A Dangerous Fortune. He is most famous around the world with his novel, The Pillars of the Earth which is set in the 12th Century. This was followed by another bestseller, World Without End.
Conn Iggulden
Conn Iggulden is a British writer known for the Emperor and Conqueror series. The five-part series Emperor was launched with the novel The Gates of Rome, which tells the story of Julius Caesar. The fifth book, Emperor: The Blood of Gods, is a retelling of the rise to power of Augustus Caesar. His Conqueror series is based on the lives of the Mongol Khans – Ogedai, Kublai, and of course, Genghis.
Jeanne Kalogridis
Jeanne Kalogridis writes historical fiction on top of horror and sci-fi. She is an American author and former teacher who has produced a number of notable works, beginning with the three-part The Diaries of the Family Dracul, and the more famous The Borgia Bride, The Devil’s Queen, The Scarlet Contessa, and I, Mona Lisa.