red ations ▁of ▁the ▁c ensor . ▁ ▁In ▁some ▁historical ▁nov els , ▁major ▁historic ▁events ▁take ▁place ▁mostly ▁off - stage , ▁while ▁the ▁fict ional ▁characters ▁inhab it ▁the ▁world ▁where ▁those ▁events ▁occur . ▁ ▁Robert ▁Louis ▁Stevens on ' s ▁Kid n apped ▁rec ount s ▁mostly ▁private ▁advent ures ▁set ▁against ▁the ▁back drop ▁of ▁the ▁Jacob ite ▁troubles ▁in ▁Scotland . ▁ ▁Charles ▁Dick ens ' s ▁Bar nab y ▁Rud ge ▁is ▁set ▁amid ▁the ▁Gordon ▁Ri ots , ▁and ▁A ▁T ale ▁of ▁Two ▁C ities ▁in ▁the ▁French ▁Revolution . ▁ ▁In ▁some ▁works , ▁the ▁accuracy ▁of ▁the ▁historical ▁elements ▁has ▁been ▁question ed , ▁as ▁in ▁Alexandre ▁Dum as ' ▁Queen ▁Mar got . ▁Post mod ern ▁novel ists ▁such ▁as ▁John ▁Bar th ▁and ▁Thomas ▁P yn ch on ▁operate ▁with ▁even ▁more ▁freedom , ▁mixing ▁historical ▁characters ▁and ▁settings ▁with ▁invent ed ▁history ▁and ▁fant asy , ▁as ▁in ▁the ▁nov els ▁The ▁S ot - We ed ▁F actor ▁and ▁Mason ▁& ▁D ixon ▁respectively . ▁A ▁few ▁writers ▁create ▁historical ▁fiction ▁without ▁fict ional ▁characters . ▁One ▁example ▁is ▁the ▁series ▁Masters ▁of ▁Rome ▁by ▁Col le en ▁McC ull ough . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁History ▁up ▁to ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁Historical ▁pro se ▁fiction ▁has ▁a ▁long ▁tradition ▁in ▁world ▁literature . ▁Three ▁of ▁the ▁Four ▁Class ics ▁of ▁Chinese ▁literature ▁were ▁set ▁in ▁the ▁distant ▁past : ▁Sh i ▁N ai ' an