Historical fiction—it sounds like a self-canceling phrase. “;History,”; after all, is what happened; “;fiction,”; by definition, is imaginary. And yet, it's one of the most popular genres for novels. Is there a trick to it?

“;The challenge for any novelist—but especially those doing historical fiction—is verisimilitude, the creation of an artificial world that seems real,”; explained Steve Goldsberry, novelist and writing instructor at the University of Hawaii. “;This means the narrative voice and the dialogue must sound like the way people talked during that era; and the setting, costumes, each historical detail must be correct. Otherwise you knock the readers out of the trance of believing they've been transported to an actual place.

“;You're trying to maintain a dream. To get it right, the novelist spends months in research: photos, maps, recordings and especially reading the publications of the time.”;

Two new novels have the difficult task of transporting the reader to Hawaii in the early part of the century. Bill Riddle's “;Dead Downwind”; covers the fantastic—and hairy—adventure of Navy pilots sailing a downed aircraft to Hawaii, while Paul Malmont's “;Jack London in Paradise”; concerns the mysterious last days of a celebrity. In most of the facts and details, the events in each book actually happened.

It's one thing for an author to pore over dusty records; it's another to walk in the shoes of a character.

“;A costume designer recommended the greatest research tool I've ever come across—a Sears & Roebuck catalog from 1916,”; said Malmont. “;It had everything that you never think you might need to know, like what kind of underwear they wore. Flipping through the catalog is like a trip back through time.

“;I also tried to eat local, authentic cuisine whenever I could—laulau, poke, poi, things like that. Loved Ono Hawaiian Foods restaurant! I find that people make great associations through food, so being able to describe how things tasted helps create reality.”;

Riddle was shocked by what he found in a 300-plus-page 1924 report written by Gen. Billy Mitchell while he was stationed at Schofield Barracks.

“;Mitchell expected a Sunday morning attack on Hawaii by Japanese carrier-based aircraft. His detailed account of the raid was so specific it chilled me to the core, and it had been written 17 years before the actual assault.

“;Interesting, too, was the derisive handwritten comment by Mitchell's superior officer on the report. It simply said, 'Arse.'”;

Inevitably, some avenues of research were illuminating, and others were dead ends. What was the most useful—and what was a waste of time?

“;Throughout my research, I was quite surprised to find so many inconsistent records passed off as fact,”; said Riddle. “;Determining which account had the most credence was often confounding. The Internet was helpful; it allowed me to quickly compare conflicting information.”;

“;Two things stand out,”; said Malmont. “;At the Library of Congress I was able to see the last print of Hobart Bosworth's movie of London's 'Martin Eden.' It was such an insight into what audiences expected to see, acting styles and the world of the time.

“;And I had to go where Jack went. We brought our family to Oahu for a month, and the book never would have been possible (without) breathing in the air, feeling the wind, swimming in the water, learning to surf—things I was able to put into words and bring to life in the book. I can't wait to get back!”;