Political fiction takes many forms, including novels, movies, TV shows, and plays. It can be traced back to ancient Greece and is divided into four types: historical fiction, alternative historical fiction, contemporary political drama, and contemporary political thriller. Historical fiction dramatizes past events, while alternative historical fiction speculates on different outcomes. Contemporary political drama explores political events, and political thrillers involve a mystery or issue that threatens the political order.
There are different types of political fiction and they take many forms, including novels and short stories, movies, television shows, and plays. The tradition of political fiction can be traced back to ancient Greece, with some of the earliest plays revolving around the political machinations of mortal gods and kings over whom they sought dominion. In contemporary terms, there are four distinct types of political fiction: historical fiction, alternative historical fiction, contemporary political drama, and contemporary political thriller.
Historical fiction dramatizes some element of the past, such as a war, a natural disaster or a strictly political event. The narrative of a piece of historical fiction often places fictional characters of ordinary status in well-known events, mixing with and influencing the political figures of the time. Historical fiction works best when storytelling is used to suggest an altered understanding of history, such as the machinations of fictional characters that have been left out of the official story. Prominent examples of historical fiction include Carter Beats The Devil, which incorporates the death of President Warren G. Harding into a story about a real 1920s wizard under fictional circumstances, and Against the Day, a novel that takes wide imaginary liberties with many of the political figures of the World War I era.
Alternative historical fiction is similar to historical fiction, but it is distinct in one crucial way. The alt-history narrative speculates about how historical events might have turned out differently than they actually did. For example, Harry Turtledove’s How Few Remain is the first novel in a series that explores how history unfolds after a Confederate victory in the American Civil War. Philip Roth’s The Plot Against America depicts an alternate history in which Charles Lindbergh defeats Franklin Roosevelt in the 1940 election, drastically altering the second half of the 20th century.
Contemporary political drama is the dramatization of political events which may or may not involve actual political leaders. This type of political fiction explores the inherent drama of various types of political events, such as a high-profile congressional confirmation or the parliamentary process for a controversial initiative. Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing is an example of a political drama that uses the conflict of political events to create conflict and tension in a story. Contemporary political dramas take place in the present and there is usually no incorporation of historical events into the narrative.
Contemporary political thrillers are similar to political drama, with one important distinction: Thrillers involve a mystery or issue that threatens to subvert the prevailing political order. In a political drama, the trial is the story, while the subversion of the trial is the story in a thriller. Political thrillers often incorporate elements of detective fiction, where the main characters are clueless, trying to piece together the truth in time to save the day. Ralph Peters’ novel Traitor examines a military-political industrial complex willing to kill to obtain funding for the development of the Air Force’s latest fighter aircraft. In Tom Clancy’s The Sum Of All Fears, political events lead to a potential war of the United States against the Soviet Union and the protagonist must overcome political obstacles to prevent the outbreak of hostilities.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
