All Things Historical

People have been trying to set up a Reccing Thursday meme (like the Reading Wednesdays) and it suddenly occurred to me that we could do that here.

To start us off, here are the five most recent historical fanworks I've bookmarked (all excellent) - four historical RPF/historical RPF-based fiction (14th C & 15th C), and one Pride & Prejudice:

In myn herte have hem in reverence by brutti-ma-buoni (14th C/Katherine - Anya Seton)
(G, 1507 words. John of Gaunt/Katherine Swynford.) It is 1398 and history is about to take a different turn. A messenger arrives for the Duke of Lancaster. A choice is made.

Intriguing post-canon AU, beautifully done.


And trewe of love thise women were echoon by Lilliburlero (15th C/Shakespeare's Henry V)
(Not Rated (G), 463 words. Fluellen/Gower.) These entries were thought too recondite to include in Women in Late Medieval England and Wales: A Biographical Dictionary, eds Charlotte A. Dodd, Pamela Laredo Marlow, and Thomasine Merrick (Streweminster: Streweminster University Press, 2013). They are reproduced here in the interests of open access to research and scholarship.

I love a bit of metafiction and these historical biographical dictionary entries are lovely and much can be read between the lines.


Wrapt in a Woman's Hide by Gileonnen (15th C/Shakespeare's Henry VI)
(Teen, 1144 words. Richard III/Edward of Lancaster, George Plantagenet Duke of Clarence, Margaret of Anjou, Henry VI.) The youngest child of Richard of York is a daughter--and the women of York make good use of their marriages.

Brilliant AU of Shakespeare's Richard; it's an excellent and sharp piece that's got teeth.


past imperfect by fandomsruinedmylife (15thC/16thC)
(G, 2965 words. Henry VII/Elizabeth of York, Margaret Beaufort, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Henry VIII, Mary I, Elizabeth I, Edward VI.)or, glimpses into eight worlds where history unfolded differently thanks to an accident of birth

What it says on the tin - a well written series of fascinating alternate history vignettes, looking at what might have happened had eight different figures of the Tudor era been a different gender. (Or the patriarchy sucks, as the author says.)


Five Sons Mr and Mrs Bennet Never Had by by biichan
(G, 3929 words. Elizabeth Bennet/Fitzwilliam Darcy, Caroline Bingley, Mary Bennet, George Wickham, Lydia Bennet, Kitty Bennet.) ...for, of course, they were to have a son. This son was to join in cutting off the entail, as soon as he should be of age... (A series of what-ifs exploring in turn the possibilities had any of the Bennet girls been born male.)

Great and enjoyable exploration of what would have happened had each of the Bennet sisters been boys in turn. It's really hard to even decide on a favourite segment.


(If several of these involve genderswapping, that's because I was making a rec set for a bingo square, hence that dominating my most recent bookmarks.)


What good historical fanfic, fanart, vids, podfic (etc. etc.) do you want to shout about?

Rec them here in the comments (or link to posts at your blog), whether brand new or old favourites!


P.S. Apologies for the lateness of this week's newsletter - it follows shortly and a comm update will follow before the end of the weekend!