So I'm trying figure out what category my novel fits into but am finding it hard. It's based on fairy tales but there is nothing 'fantastical' about it. No fairy godmother, no goblins, etc. Nothing that would make me want to call it fantasy, I just used the general plot of those stories to base mine off. Instead the story focuses on the lives of certain related people, the choices they make and the repercussions caused by those choices. It's set during the early middle ages so I was thinking 'historical drama' but I don't mention THAT much about the era in the novel for me to feel comfortable in labeling it 'historical'. I just focus on the people in it. So, would I just call it a drama?
I would think it still might fall under historical fiction. I would think that in order to make your characters believable you will have to introduce historical references into the work. If it's set on Earth, isn't some sort of alternate dimension, and is actually set in the early Middle Ages, then you will probably be using at least some reference material. What kind of clothes they are wearing, caste systems, info-structure ... unless they sit around naked in one room for the whole book. Just my two cents.
'drama' isn't a fiction genre as far as i know... if it's set in an accurately depicted past era, it would be 'historical fiction'... if it has fantasy elements as well, could be 'historical fantasy'...
I have to agree with with everyone else. Pretty much everything set in history should be labelled as such, followed by a sub genre. I think that you can really push the boat out in these cases and really throw on any word that you see describes it. Within reason, the genre isn't going to have that much effect on this finished product.
If it takes place in the past, then it is "historical". If the world is different, that is, has magic or mythological creatures, then it would be "fantasy". Advanced scientific technology would be "sci-fi". Just mix these accordingly. Personally I believe that the category doesn't matter much, but I'll help anyway.
