Authentically Medieval: Authors and Scholars on Depicting the Middle Ages in Fiction

This collection compiles essays by medieval scholars on novels depicting the Middle Ages, examining the extent to which writers can authentically represent the period while meeting the challenge of creating engaging literature. The works discussed represent a variety of genres by authors with formal training in the history and literature of the Middle Ages (with the exception of two admirably self-trained contributors), including historical, young adult, detective, and fantasy genres, as well as adaptations of Beowulf and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

Opening the collection are three essays by author-scholars who share their processes of creating an authentic medieval world appealing to a wide audience. The remaining seven essays by medieval scholars examine a variety of medieval texts, addressing the extent to which their authors adhere to the facts of the period, while at times necessarily fudging the facts and filling in historical gaps in creating their works.