Historical fiction is a conjuring trick, an interpretation of bygone times which doesn’t pretend or promise to present the absolute truth. Instead, writers of historical fiction reinvent the past, often venturing further than the known facts. They invoke a past to suit their stories, whilst remaining as loyal to the historical record as possible. Anachronism literally means ‘against or out of its time’ so, put simply, an anachronism in historical fiction is something out of place in the specific time period a novel is set in.

Why are anachronisms important to avoid?

Maintaining readers’ trust is crucial in historical fiction, and requires the careful use of authentic setting, believable plot, and credible characters. When all these elements are working together, readers believe that what they’re reading is real, even though they know it’s not. Accurate details matter because they help readers suspend their scepticism and fully believe in a story.

Anachronisms destroy that belief. When an inaccurate detail appears in a historical novel, readers are faced with something that doesn’t fit with the world, challenging their trust in the story. Even worse, this may result in the reader doubting everything they’ve read up to that point.

Common types of anachronism

  • Anachronistic language – this is the inaccurate use of words or dialogue for the time period; for instance, if a character in a Regency novel uses modern terminology or woke slang. Informal speech, jargon, and metaphors should be handled carefully, as modernisms can creep in, and the wrong use of language can easily disrupt a reader’s trust in the historic world of the novel. If you’re not sure of the origin of a word or phrase, you can use the English Oxford dictionary to check.
  • Anachronistic thoughts and actions – when a character thinks or acts in a way that is at variance with their time. For instance, a character in ancient Egypt thinking about meeting someone in 20 minutes time, when this measurement of time had yet to be invented.
  • Anachronistic attitudes – if, for instance, your 18th century naval captain is pro sexual, racial or class equality, then there must be a very good reason for this anomaly.
  • Anachronistic names – if modern names / nicknames are used in a historical context, it can disrupt the reader’s belief in the story’s authenticity.
  • Anachronistic things – such as technologies, coinage, measuements etc. Be careful not to have your Regency heroine paying for something in a shop with a five-pound note.

When are anachronisms acceptable?

Sometimes, readers care less for precise historical accuracy. Certain genres of historical fiction are more lenient in terms of detail, and this won’t detract from a reader’s enjoyment of the story.

Historical fantasy often utilises a specific time period as a generic foundation, for instance mediaeval, yet the fictional world itself is a construct, and therefore need not be historically accurate.
Historical romance is another genre where anachronisms can sometimes be utilised, for instance to alter a period character’s moral attitudes or world outlook to fit a storyline, or to create a situation that modern readers can identify with.

Steampunk fiction bends historical facts in new and innovative ways, often using speculative novelty to subvert historical accuracy to its ends. Anachronisms in such stories, for instance the use of retro-futuristic inventions, are powerful tools to achieve this.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you can only use anachronisms if you’re writing these genres. Sometimes, it’s perfectly acceptable, indeed even expected, for an author to write accessible, historically neutral or fictitious language, and leave the accuracy for the historians.

As David Mitchell says, the historical novelist must create a sort of dialect – a ‘bygonese’ – which is inaccurate but plausible. 

Do you write historical fiction?

Join our email list for regular writing tips, resources, and promotions.

How to avoid anachronisms

Historians give us information about former times, gleaned from primary and secondary sources, and we expect these facts to be as accurate as possible, albeit recognising that there are often competing interpretations. With historical fiction, whilst there is licence to give a version of events, unintentional anachronisms should be avoided.

But how does a writer do that?

Do your research. Find out as much as possible about the period you’re writing; which newspaper is your Edwardian factory owner reading? What type of bread is your Tudor monarch eating? What is your 1950s housewife wearing?

Immerse yourself in your chosen time period. Read as much fiction from the time, and nonfiction about the time. Use tools such as the online Etymology Dictionary to check word usage; Project Gutenberg – a superb source for older books; online museum tours and archives; Birmingham University’s CLiC to search for behavioural, cultural, or linguistic anachronisms in the long 19th century; Quora – to reach out to experts; and social media sites like Facebook to connect with people such as reenactment societies.

When you are fully immersed in the history, it will be harder to make mistakes, and your writing will attain a level of realism and authenticity.

You’ll still get some things wrong, but there are plenty of examples of very successful historical novels where minor anachronisms have crept in. It should be remembered that whilst anachronisms risk breaking a reader’s trust, the contract you have with your reader will always be more important. For instance, it might be necessary to adapt historical language in a novel to make characters more relatable to a modern audience. If, for example, a character in a novel set just before 1850 says ‘Okay’, this wouldn’t be authentic, but it might still be acceptable.

When is an anachronism not an anachronism?

There is a grey area when something that feels inappropriate and ahistorical is in fact accurate (and perhaps even apt for the story). This is commonly known as the ‘Tiffany Problem’, a term coined by author Jo Walton, and describes the moment when history doesn’t match our perception. The Tiffany Problem is inspired by the 1961 film, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. We think of Tiffany as a modern name, but in fact it originated in the Middle Ages. Most authors would not use the name Tiffany in a historical context, even though it could be accurately used. It’s not an anachronism in the strictest sense but it would still break the authentic feel, and therefore is potentially risky.

Authors of creative nonfiction can use a foreword or footnotes to educate the reader about anything anomalous. Fiction authors can use authors’ notes, explaining any contentious detail they may have included in their novel.

Perhaps the best way to tackle Tiffany-type anachronisms is to create such an authentic historical world that every aspect of your story is organically connected and even surprising details are believable.

Always check specific details if you’re not sure and question any potential anachronisms. Ask yourself if they’re worth including, and don’t be afraid to delete them if they aren’t.

Louise Morrish is an author and librarian from Hampshire. Her stories are inspired by real women in the past, who achieved incredible things, but whom history has forgotten. Her debut novel Operation Moonlight won the Penguin Random House First Novel competition. Her second novel, women of war, will be published by Penguin in September. 

Do you write historical fiction?

Join our email list for regular writing tips, resources, and promotions.