▁it ▁can ▁also ▁be ▁applied ▁to ▁other ▁types ▁of ▁narr ative , ▁including ▁theatre , ▁opera , ▁cinema ▁and ▁television , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁video ▁games ▁and ▁graph ic ▁nov els . ▁ ▁An ▁essential ▁element ▁of ▁historical ▁fiction ▁is ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁and ▁pays ▁attention ▁to ▁the ▁man ners , ▁social ▁conditions ▁and ▁other ▁details ▁of ▁the ▁dep icted ▁period . ▁Auth ors ▁also ▁frequently ▁choose ▁to ▁explore ▁notable ▁historical ▁figures ▁in ▁these ▁settings , ▁allowing ▁readers ▁to ▁better ▁understand ▁how ▁these ▁individuals ▁might ▁have ▁respond ed ▁to ▁their ▁environments . ▁Some ▁sub gen res ▁such ▁as ▁alternate ▁history ▁and ▁historical ▁fant asy ▁insert ▁spec ulative ▁or ▁a histor ical ▁elements ▁into ▁a ▁novel . ▁ ▁Works ▁of ▁historical ▁fiction ▁are ▁sometimes ▁critic ized ▁for ▁lack ▁of ▁authentic ity ▁because ▁of ▁reader ly ▁criticism ▁or ▁genre ▁expect ations ▁for ▁accurate ▁period ▁details . ▁This ▁t ension ▁between ▁historical ▁authentic ity , ▁or ▁historic ity , ▁and ▁fiction ▁frequently ▁becomes ▁a ▁point ▁of ▁comment ▁for ▁readers ▁and ▁popular ▁critics , ▁while ▁scholar ly ▁criticism ▁frequently ▁goes ▁beyond ▁this ▁comment ary , ▁investig ating ▁the ▁genre ▁for ▁its ▁other ▁them atic ▁and ▁critical ▁interests . ▁ ▁Historical ▁fiction ▁as ▁a ▁contemporary ▁Western ▁literary ▁genre ▁has ▁its ▁found ations ▁in ▁the ▁early - 1 9 th - century ▁works ▁of ▁Sir ▁Walter ▁Scott ▁and ▁his ▁contempor aries ▁in ▁other ▁national ▁liter atures ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁French man ▁Honor é ▁de ▁Bal z ac , ▁the ▁American ▁James ▁Fen imore ▁Cooper ,