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This article provides an analysis of C. J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake novels (2003–2018), considering the fact that both crime and historical fiction may be used to reconceptualise collective memory in subversive ways, and with important implications for both genres. I will attempt to demonstrate that Sansom's narrative illustrates the shift in recent crime fiction from the crime itself to the historical conditions of its setting. As a result, Henrician England is presented as a very different context from that foundational time identified by Whig historiography, thereby questioning the very pillars of Englishness / Britishness that were such a central part of the country's political climate leading up to the Brexit referendum. This is not achieved through the use of any postmodern technique. Instead, the reader perceives a sense of 'neo-historical' authenticity in Sansom's fiction that results from its sensorially approaching the historico-geographical locus of the narrative through the eyes of its anachronistically cosmopolitan stranger protagonist (the lawyer Matthew Shardlake), whose walks and rides through the Tudor city turn the reader into a privileged flâneur, ultimately raising awareness of the subversive power of everyday life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chen Yufu' s full-length novel Ma Chao from Xi Liang continues the vein of popular historical novels and introduces some innovations of Chinese modern times . At the same time, it shares several common features with contemporary historical fiction since the "May Fourth Movement". Based on Wuwei's regional culture in Gansu's Hexi Corridor, it connects Ma Chao with elements such as Li Qian, "The Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow", Leitai Han Tomb, and "Liangzhou Horses", realizing the historical articalation, and a unity of literature, history, and regional culture is formed in the unfolding and advancement of the plot. In the reconstruction of the hero' s image, Ma Chao from Xi Liang practices the writer's realization of the spirit of China's western literature, that is, China's western literature should be the literature of heroes, and participates in the construction of multiple discourses on China's western literature with a unique point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is an important attempt of the contemporary Chinese science fiction to creatively transform traditional writing resources by using science fiction to creatively adapt and reconstruct mythological history. This creative adaptation and reconstruction of Chinese science fiction originates from the narrative tradition of "rewriting old stories". Science fiction writers have made active exploration in terms of content sourcing, narrative construction, adaptation techniques, and the combination of mythological history and science fiction. Currently, there are still issues in the creative adaptation and reconstruction of Chinese science fiction, such as the lack of a scientific fiction core, stereotyped plot formulas, and ambiguous science fiction attributes. On this basis, contemporary Chinese science fiction novels can effectively transform traditional writing resources through setting up reasonable scientific cores, skillfully connecting with suitable points, activating Chinese excellent traditional culture, and integrating local genre novels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of non-standard language varieties in fiction is an effective writing technique, and at present, such varieties appear both in popular fiction and films or television series, incorporating specific linguistic, stylistic and cultural elements. The use of Scots in fiction and other cultural products is relevant to the study of the English language and culture, as there is an overlap between these varieties, due to their shared history and prolonged contact. There is much discussion on various websites on the use of Scots (and Scottish Gaelic) in the highly popular novel Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon, and its television adaptation. However, academic research conducted on the use of such language varieties in popular historical romance fiction is rather scarce. This study was conducted with a descriptive-analytical approach, performing a literature review on the topic of Scottish languages and their use in literature, and a comparative analysis of the selected first three chapters of the novel Outlander, the script for the first episode of the eponymous television series, and the episode itself. The use of Scots grammatical features and lexical items has been presented, and the use of Scottish symbols and other cultural elements in the selected texts and episode have been discussed. While the novel cannot be considered an authentic representation of Scottish identity and culture, the featuring of Scots in such a popular work of fiction and the internationally acclaimed television adaptation has generated interest in and discussion around the topics of Scottish languages, culture and history. Our intention throughout this article is to underline the role of Scots being used not only as an identity marker of its speakers but also as a form of resistance to the oppressive presence of the English on the Scottish territories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Al Athar is the property of University of Kasdi Merbah Ouargla and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

An essay is presented on the first introduction of many Americans to southern writer Shelby Foote through Ken Burns's American television documentary "Civil War," citing Foote's series of insights into the human side of the American Civil War. Topics discussed include how Foote's Mississippi roots drew him to the Civil War, a review of his novel "Shiloh," and the 2 revolutions that occurred around him, the first being a revolution in historical writing, and the second the Civil Rights Movement.

An essay is presented on the representation of historical difference and diasporic community in the book "The Atlantic Sound" by Caryl Phillips. It discusses the strategies used by Phillips in the book to establish the connections of the novel between past contexts, individuals and situations with the presents through fictionalized history, historiography and travel narrative. It suggests that the novel represents the challenging, painful, but hopeful work of reaching others in relation.

This essay presented by an author is in response to four articles published in previous issues about his trilogy of novels. It offers his experience of writing the novels and the challenges he faced. He also discusses the character of Toussaint Louverture, the trilogy's protagonist. He comments on his artistic inspiration for the work.