Exploring the Genre of “Shadows of the Great War”: Anachronistic Science Fiction or Anachronistic Fantasy?

In writing Shadows of the Great War, I found myself navigating between the genres of science fiction and fantasy in a way that many might consider anachronistic. Although the novel is not based on real historical events, it incorporates elements of both science fiction and fantasy, which might suggest a new categorization: Anachronistic Fantasy?

Book cover

This term, “anachronistic,” refers to something that does not correspond to or is out of its time and context. In the case of my novel, this manifests itself in the mixture of advanced technology and magical elements in a time frame that evokes World War I, but without adhering to historical facts.

Helga

In short, it is creating a historical situation that is not real and with elements outside of reality, perhaps without using dinosaurs or lightsabers in the First World War but with elements that do not belong to that era.

Why not simply “fantasy” or “science fiction”? The answer lies in the texture of the world I have created: one that defies traditional categories and enriches the narrative with layers of complexity and wonder. Through this blog, I want to open a discussion about how we categorize works that cross these conventional boundaries.

Is "The Shadows of the Great War" an example of Anachronistic Science Fiction or should we consider it within Anachronistic Fantasy?

I invite you to dive into this discussion and explore these concepts with me. What do you think about categorizing novels that fuse elements of multiple genres?

Shadows of the Great War PDF

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