I have a question for you that I’ve also posed on social media: Is it important to you that a historical novel, though it be fiction, is historically accurate? I was surprised to hear that for some, all that matters is a good story. But if the story places people or inventions in the wrong decade, it bugs me. In fact, I cannot finish the story; I DNF it as the kids say.
Maybe it’s not a big deal to some, but for someone who makes it a point to ensure the accuracy of my novels, I think a lack of research is inexcusable, especially when there are so many resources at our disposal that take no time at all.
Granted, we must check multiple sources to make sure the information is correct, but still, that to me is worth the effort. I cannot imagine myself writing a HF novel without doing any research. It goes against the principles of good fiction. I even ensure that I choose HF readers to beta for me. I know that they read wide and can point out inconsistencies in a particular decade or era.
So tell me: is it important to you that the author checks his or her facts, or are you just looking for a good story?
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