Co-Geeking

History for Writers explores world history to offer ideas and observations of interest to those of us who are in the business of inventing new worlds, cultures, and histories of our own. Here’s where we’ve been in 2019:

Ethnicity and identity

• Race in Antiquity: Short Answers
• Gaulish Wheelbarrow Pigs: A Cautionary Tale
• Petosiris: Being Roman-Egyptian

Food

• Bread and Cheese
• Wine and Sheep for a Princess

Warfare

• Chariots
• Classifying Warfare: Predatory and Hierarchical
• The Persian Version
• You Don’t Want War Elephants

Social structures

• Mountains and Valleys
• Fantasy Religions: Novel Religions
• Guest-Friendship
• The Sanity of Crowds

Spooky things

• The Past is Haunted
• Testing Witches with Water

Fun with history

• Roman Law to the Rescue
• Making a Mark

Join us in 2020 for more history from a SFF writer’s perspective.

History for Writers is a weekly feature which looks at how history can be a fiction writer’s most useful tool. From worldbuilding to dialogue, history helps you write.