Historical science nonfiction
Historical science nonfiction is a popular genre of storytelling in Illuminatian literature and theatre. Readers can easily confuse the genre with science fiction—and while there is considerable crossover between the two genres in authors and audiences, historical science nonfiction writing maintains the distinction of being based upon actual facts of a nonfictional nature.
In contrast to science fiction, which tends to illustrate a speculative future using the vehicle of a fictional story, historical science nonfiction instead looks only into the past and tells stories which have been documented as truth in existing historical documentation, reference materials, documentaries, or other methods of passing personal accounts through the ages.
Historical science nonfiction literature is best known for telling the unbelievable and sometimes terrifying true tales of scientific research and experimentation from human history. The stories may have the appearance of being fictional despite their accuracy and fidelity to actual events.
Writings of the genre often relate the stories of scientific endeavors that take unexpected turns, result in unforeseen outcomes, trigger catastrophic disasters, or otherwise cause loss of life or destruction of property. Common elements include experiments gone wrong, accidental discoveries, and unintentional expansions of humanity's understanding of the natural world. Historical science nonfiction literature—particularly that which delves into Earthly human history—also frequently highlights the horrors of human experimentation and the injustices and maltreatment of people in the name of science.
Most historical science nonfiction writers make concerted efforts to refrain from exaggeration and unrealistic embellishment. The mainstream of the genre sticks exclusively to personal stories that have been documented. Some authors may invent characters and personal stories around actual historical scientific events; these stories are often assigned to the subgenre of historical science quasinonfiction.
Historical science nonfiction novels, serials, plays, musicals, cinema films don't necessarily contain elements of horror, but many do. One subgenre, historical science horror nonfiction, emphasizes the terror effect by focusing on such stories that do contain elements of horror, fright, disgust, and stories that promote other forms of especially distressing emotions.
Primary schools as well as colleges and universities often assign historical science nonfiction reading as a part of their mandatory humanities curricula to ensure pupils are exposed to an understanding of the historical scientific process, the progression of human scientific discovery, science ethics, scientific morals and integrity, and the impacts of science and technology on humanity.