All the literature listed below is ‘modern’ historical fiction — i.e., stories written in relatively recent years with a (fabricated) historical period setting. As a consequence of this, these novels will have some level of historical- / classical-style prose, although not as much as classical historical fiction, which means that they may be written in a slightly different manner than what you’re familiar with. That said, knowledge of Chinese history isn’t necessary to understand these works; as long as you have a decent grasp of Chinese culture and are willing to deal with the occasional unfamiliar (vocabulary-wise) sections, then you should be set!
Of course, some knowledge of historical minutiae or customs can aid in better enjoyment of these novels. But, don’t let this stop you — just carry a similar mindset to one you might have when approaching modern historical fiction in your native language. Take, for example, A Song of Ice and Fire. Here, you don’t need to be aware of medieval British tradition to read the novel, though admittedly experience with its language style, slang, and setting will enable you to consume the work with more ease.
<aside> <img src="/icons/castle-japanese_red.svg" alt="/icons/castle-japanese_red.svg" width="40px" /> If you want to gain some experience before embarking on your literary journey, we have just one major tip. You’ll probably be relieved to hear, documentaries aren’t necessary. While they’re great for learning actual history, they are far from the only or even the most important component of understanding historical Chinese fiction. Instead, we recommend you consume more visual, fictional types of media. Consuming some content fromDramas, Variety Shows, Movies (电视剧、综艺节目、电影) are your best bet. These are beneficial in that they not only familiarize you with history, but also frequently leverage the same prose, vocabulary, and settings that you would expect to see in some of the novels listed herein. What’s more, since lots of TV dramas are themselves adapted from webnovels, you’re even likely to gain early, valuable exposure to some tropes or plot patterns!
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