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Yes, that title is a shout-out to the excellent podcast 60 Songs that Explain the ‘90s. Obviously, many writers wrote contemporary works during the 1990s. Those books reflect that time through the eyes of people living through it. Nowadays, writers can turn to the 1990s as a historical setting. These writers will have the benefit of hindsight, if they were around back then. Those past events will inform the contemporary context of their work. No matter when writers hail from, they also have the body of 1990s media to draw from, reference, and comment on.
I consulted my article on what makes historical fiction to determine whether books with 1990s settings strictly qualify as historical fiction. The Historical Writers Association says books must be set 35 years in the past to qualify as historical. That organization has the broadest scope. Even they won’t start accepting 1990s novels as historical until next year at the earliest. So for the time being, these books are in a nebulous zone, genre-wise.
Nonetheless, writers are gravitating to the era. Many people who came of age in that decade now have enough years under their belts and the accumulated wisdom to deeply reflect on the time. The 1990s were rife with big historical events. Consider the fall of the Soviet Union, the repealing of apartheid in South Africa, the peace process in Northern Ireland, the ongoing civil war in Sri Lanka, and more. Moreover, it was the dawn of the information age, the decade in which many people first had access to the Internet. Culturally, the rise of grunge and hip-hop made music so exciting. And that’s the tip of the iceberg. It was a decade of rapid change, which makes for a dynamic book setting. So let’s see what the best books set in the 1990s are all about.
9 Books Set in the 1990s
Sky in Stereo by Sacha Mardou
The 1990s were an iconic time for alternative comics, with titles like Ghost World, Love and Rockets, and Optic Nerve coming out. So I had to include a graphic novel in this collection. Sky in Stereo follows Iris, who is coming of age in 1990s Manchester, England. Between drugs and her romantic pursuits, you may not think she’s making the best choices. Luckily, nothing too tragic happens and the result is a carefully observed portrait of a young person living through an intense time of life.
New People by Danzy Senna
It’s the 1990s, and Khalil and Maria are planning their wedding. They’re also starring in a documentary about their identities as “new people,” which is to say mixed-race people born of interracial relationships blossoming in the 1960s and 1970s. They seem like a perfect couple, but there are secrets and temptations threatening to blow their lives up. It’s a thought-provoking read that might make you squirm a little, but it’s such a clever exploration of the feeling of ambivalence.
Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia
I can’t pretend I’m not biased about this book. ‘90s New Yorkers who attended statewide events in rapidly fading Borscht Belt resorts (that’s me!) simply must read this book. But the rest of you should, too. Hundreds of high school musicians descend on the Bellweather Hotel for a statewide festival. There’s a blizzard, and a prodigy goes missing from a room infamous for a murder-suicide in the 1970s. What ensues is a little bit Glee, a little bit Agatha Christie, and an undeniably good read.
The Idiot by Elif Batuman
I think about this book all the time, and I’m glad it’s picked up some traction with the BookTok crowd. There was a little window of time in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s when people had enhanced access to technology and communication, but social media and smartphones had not taken over. What did that mean? Basically, you still had some privacy. This book perfectly characterizes the kinds of relationships and correspondences that arose during that window, through the story of Harvard freshman Selin. It’s a wonderfully rendered slice of ’90s life.
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
If there’s a book about a cursed film project, I’m going to read it. Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s entry into this beloved microgenre follows Montserrat, a film editor in 1990s Mexico City who is talented but overlooked. Her best friend Tristán’s neighbor is a cult horror director, who claims a Nazi occultist’s magic is cursing him—you read that right! If he can finish his film with Montserrat and Tristán, the curse may be lifted. As Montserrat and Tristán begin to sense dark things themselves, they must unravel the mystery of what really happened with this film.
A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum
This is a dual timeline book, with one part in the 1990s and another in the late 2000s. Despite the generation gap, the Palestinian mother and daughter at the front of these timelines have something in common. They’re being prepared for arranged marriages with no choice in the matter themselves. Deya, the daughter in the 2000s timeline, discovers some information about her late mother that puts everything she knows into question. This book is a stunning exploration of the no-win situations people inhabit while living within oppressive systems like the patriarchy.
Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras
This book is set in 1990s Colombia when drug lord Pablo Escobar terrorized the country. Young Chula lives within a safe bubble in Bogotá. When her family hires Petrona as a live-in maid, Chula wants to figure out why Petrona, who came from a guerilla-controlled slum, behaves mysteriously. As the conflict in Bogotá escalates, both Chula and Petrona face impossible choices. It’s a lyrical, ambitious book that has earned its author comparison to other South American literary giants like Isabel Allende and Gabriel García Márquez.
All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien
Ky Tran’s younger brother was murdered while out celebrating his high school graduation. When Ky returns to the Sydney suburb of Cabramatta for his funeral, she learns that the police are stumped by the crime. Despite the dozen people present at the restaurant where the murder happened, no claims to have seen anything. Ky decides to track down the witnesses herself. This page-turner illuminates the lives of Vietnamese refugees in Australia whose lives were affected by racism, violence, and a heroin epidemic.
Gateway to the Moon by Mary Morris
Have you ever thought about how the 1990s are 500 years after the 1490s? The 1490s were famous for the Spanish Inquisition, which led to the expulsion of Jews and Muslims from Spain. Fast forward to 1992 New Mexico. Miguel Torres takes a job caring for Rachel Rothstein’s boys. Rachel is new to New Mexico, and Miguel is surprised that the traditions of this New York Jewish family are similar to traditions in his own community. This spellbinding book, anchored by its 1990s setting, explores the 500 years of history that explain that connection.
Still in your 1990s phase? Lord knows I am. Check out these other lists of books set in the 1990s:
