Signing with the Dead: The Contract behind Historical Fiction

Clicks: 12
ID: 322328
2026
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Abstract
Abstract The typical criticism that a work of historical fiction is aesthetically flawed because it is historically inaccurate is puzzling. In this article, I argue for a fundamental modification of Iskra Fileva’s contract solution to the puzzle of historical fiction. I agree with Christopher Bartel and Fileva that other solutions in the literature, like appealing to genre, imaginative resistance, and import–export inconsistency, fail to solve the puzzle. However, I recommend that the contract between creator and audience be expanded to include a third party: the historical figures featured in the historical fiction. In this way, we make contracts with the dead when we engage with historical fiction.
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openalex_W7170148715 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Nathan Huffine
Journal the british journal of aesthetics
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/aesthj/ayag017
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/aesthj/ayag017
Keywords Keywords not found

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