Re: Common Historical Errors (was Re: [crit] Atomic Age Historical Fiction: Getting Details Right

On Sat, 20 Oct 2007 16:20:07 +0200, Peter Knutsen wrote:

Brenda Clough wrote:
I am always annoyed by characters who hold anachronistic attitudes. All
those feminists in the 13th century, all those wise women who practice
modern hygiene.

Yes, that bothers me too. A lot.

Medieval characters should think like medieval people and make decisions
the way medieval people did. Of course that means that the writer, as
well as the reader, must utilize techniques that aren't too different
from what happens in science fiction, when you write or read about alien
species, and try to figure out why they do that which they do.

Which reminds me of another story I can't dig out of the archives, meat
or paper: in which a time-traveler from the future is shown from the POV
of a medieval Italian. I recall it being frustrating to read.

Regards,
Ric

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