# Nonfiction Pitch: 5 SFF Novels that Shed Light on Obscure History Popular “History… in Spaaaace!” books like the Confederation Novels by Tanya Huff (Zulu Wars) and the Honor Harrington series (Horatio Nelson), and books like Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse and Binti that focus more on underrepresented cultures, are wonderful for exposing people about history. But there are many novels that can teach us things about history — if only we knew what history they related to! - *The Raven Tower* by Ann Leckie has a big rock god as a protagonist. This parallels the Scythians of the Eurasian Plains, who also happened to worship a particular large rock. (Academic Reference: The Amazons by Adrienne Mayor) - *A Memory Called Empire* by Arkady Martine mostly focuses on Inca and Byzantine Empires, but also showcases the history of translating Native American names with names like Three Seagrass: think “Rufus Scipio” (Red Walking Stick) vs. “Sitting Bull” - *The Dresden Files* showcases guest/host relationships in how the obligations of the fae are handled, which pre-dates the Iliad all the way back to the domestication of the horse and early mobile herders. (Academic Reference: The Horse, The Wheel, and Language, by David W. Anthony) - *The Corean Chronicles* by L. E. Modesitt, Jr. illuminate the co-emperors of the Late Roman Empire and also how the people of the fallen Empire might have felt centuries after Rome degraded. - *The Sun Sword* series by Michelle Sagara West sheds light on what life might have been like for Semitic Princesses in the Bronze Age, as well as the Arabian Peninsula, in terms of what powers they might have wielded and what their obligations may have been. (Academic Reference: Brotherhood of Kings, by Amanda Podany) ## Bio I teach Ancient Civilizations and spend the bits of time left over writing books that bring history — and magic — to life. I am a staff writer for Worldbuilding Magazine. Examples of my works include: - A review of the Traitor Son Cycle by Miles Cameron, similar in vein to this proposal’s broader overview, which the author described in a comment as “One of my favourite reviews ever.” — https://eleanorkonik.com/the-traitor-son-cycle-by-miles-cameron/ - “Sending Messages in Low Tech Societies,” written for Worldbuilding Magazine and syndicated to Nerdolopedia: https://www.nerdolopedia.com/articles/2020/8/worldbuilding-magazine-hush-5sx6b - “Prisons & Punishment: Conceptions of Justice in SFF,” a listicle in a similar style to this proposal: https://eleanorkonik.com/fictional-example-of-prison/ PS: If this idea isn’t a good fit, you may be interested in “5 SFF Books that Utilize Unconventional Economic Systems,” which would cover series like Seanan McGuire’s *Wayward Children* and *The Others* by Anne Bishop. --- # Expanded Version ## The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie - The protagonist of Raven Tower is a big rock — who also happens to be a god. The Scythians of the Eurasian Plains happened to worship a very particular large rock. It’s an unusual religion and Ann Leckie does a great job of helping explain how this sort of religious belief might come to be, without at any point being dismissive of a culture that is probably responsible for the Greek myth of the Amazons. (Academic Reference: The Amazons by Adrienne Mayor) ## A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine - Although the Inca and Byzantime Empires are the primary inspiration for this series, names such as *Three Seagrass* can seem a little strange to the Western ear, but actually do the subtle job of making readers think about naming conventions. It’s a subtle pushback against the translation issues that appear with translating Native American names. Like how we think Rufus Scipio (which basically means "Red Walking Stick") is fine as-is and we don't translate it, but we do translate "Sitting Bull" into English. ## The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher - The history of Guest/Host relationships & obligations of “the fae” and obligations go back farther than most people realize — pre-dating even the Iliad, to the origins of the domesticated horse, when guest/host relationships between mobile herders would have been vital as a way to separate people who were allowed to travel through a particular pasture territory and would do so according to the norms established… and those who weren’t. (Academic Reference: The Horse, The Wheel, and Language, by David W. Anthony) ## The Corean Chronicles by L. E. Modesitt, Jr. - Although not a deliberate parallel, the role of the Duarches and the existence of a fallen empire that left behind grand infrastructure helps illuminate the late Roman Empire, after Diocletian split things into the Eastern and Western regions with co-emperors. It’s a relatively unusual method of ruling, and Modesitt illustrates the strengths and weaknesses of the model well, along with how those who came later might have viewed fallen Rome: conquerors, yes, and in some ways evil, but in other ways full of marvels like aqueducts and highways. ## The Sun Sword By Michelle Sagara West - This series is an amazing look at what harem life might have been like for women of the noble classes on the Arabian peninsula; the formal and informal power they wielded, their diplomatic powers, and the skills they would have needed to have. It sheds light on what life might have been like for Semitic Princesses in the Bronze Age, as well. (Academic Reference: Brotherhood of Kings, by Amanda Podany)