Fiction: A Year in Reflection.

In 2023, there was a noticeable trend among literary authors embracing historical fiction as a way to reflect on the past and interpret the present. This shift can be attributed to the genre's newfound gravitas and its ability to address foundational traumas and cross-generational issues. Many celebrated novels of the year, including Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning works, used historical fantasy to shape the past into allegories for contemporary crises. Historical fiction also allowed for the exploration of underrepresented figures and cautionary tales. The genre complemented the abundance of futuristic dystopias in bookstores, warning of global collapse. While historical fantasies tended to have broad characterizations, historical novels grounded in research offered finer psychological subtlety. The year also saw the emergence of meta-historical novels that questioned the nature of history and recollection. Overall, historical fiction provided a means for authors to engage with the past and shed light on present-day issues. [Extracted from the article]