Historical Fiction Books at Simplyeighties.com

Here you will discover a wide variety of recommended nostalgia novels relating to recent history, which feature stories set in the 1980s. So if you're a fan of both fiction and the best decade ever, you have definitely landed on the right page - enjoy!

Music journalist Paul Matts brings us his first novel, a kitchen-sink family drama set in scruffy suburban England in 1980. It involves family estrangement, adolescence and pregnancy against a backdrop of punk rock dreams, and has been receiving rave reviews from readers on Amazon.

Matt Morgan loves being fourteen years old. Care-free, doing everything for the first time. He worships his pig-headed elder brother Karl, despite the fact punk fan Karl treats him like shit. His Mum and Dad aren’t perfect but life in the scruffy suburbs suits Matt Morgan fine.

Until Karl messes up with tumultuous consequences. He doesn’t want to, but Matt must step up.

Luckily, he has plenty of distractions. And thank god for music.

Released in October 2022, Street Siren is the latest crime thriller by the the writer Tom Batt, who has several film credits to his name.

Set in London during 1988, this absorbing novella tells the story of a young prostitute, Devlin Hunter. She becomes distraught after discovering that her best friend Roxy has been murdered, which, inevitably, pushes her back into drug addiction. A snuff film is uncovered depicting Roxy’s death by a masked killer. However, the police still struggle for leads.

Devlin stumbles upon a connection between the snuff film and a local adult entertainment studio and infiltrates the company by going undercover as an actress. She tracks down those responsible and seduces each of them before exacting her brutal revenge.

However, she soon has the police on her trail and it becomes a race against the clock to kill them before she is caught herself.

Take a wild ride back through the music, culture and fashion of the late 80s/early 90s, in this gripping sci-fi thriller.

This is the story of a few brave Americans who were willing to do what they thought was right in order to save the lives of millions.

A War between the United States and the People’s Republic of China. A crushing but costly American victory. Unintended consequences, hidden nukes, a Viral Weapon and an aftermath that killed millions upon millions of people in North America, China, Korea, and Russia.

A tightly compartmented group of American Soldiers, Intelligence Operators and specially-cleared scientists working at secret installations in the American Southwest, are determined to change what happened by going back in time to 1990 to stop the aftermath of a Pacific War.

They have the technology, the personnel, and even scientific assistance from an extra-terrestrial engineer pulled from a UFO crash site.

Will it work, or will it only make things worse?

This imaginative story is partially inspired by the amazing toys and cartoons of the 1980s, and also a Mattel 'Create a Character' competition that the co-author, Anthony Grate, entered in 1985.

Tommy Grant's tranquil life in Ohio is disrupted by a similar competition, and the 11-year-old finds his world torn apart after his action figure design fails to win - there is only only one way he knows to fix it!

What follows is a whirlwind coming-of-age adventure of righting wrongs, overcoming perilous obstacles, confronting our inner demons, and challenging the limits of reality. In this waxing nostalgic and imaginative fantasy, readers will discover what excitement lies waiting when you take risks and conquer your fears. Only one question remains: In the final hour when you heed the call, the courage to give your all, will you stand or fall?

This is the fabulously funny sequel to Steven's bestseller Bread Bags & Bullies. It's a novel about growing-up in a zany family during the great 1980s (the summer of 1984 to be precise), and it's already receiving fantastic feedback from some very well-known 80s icons, including Taylor Dayne, Nik Kershaw and Corey Hart, to name but a few - the lead character's favourite song just happens to be Corey's hit "Sunglasses At Night".

This is a highly amusing nostalgia fest that will rekindle many memories growing-up during the 80s.

“Lawn Darts & Lemonade is beautifully and tenderly observed with extraordinary attention to detail. A few pages in and I was pining for my Atari.” – Nik Kershaw.

Based on real life events, this funny, heart-warming coming-of-age travel adventure takes us back to 1983, when Wham! are riding high in the charts, and Jennie Agatha Frances Arthur (JAFA) is experiencing a wild, action-packed backpacking adventure, full of sex, drugs and a vodka watermelon party! Join her on this exhilarating journey of self discovery, as she brushes with the criminal underworld and makes some very dodgy decisions!

If you can imagine Four Weddings and a Funeral but with criminal activity and an 80s soundtrack, or Trainspotting with an Aussie accent, then you kind of get the idea! A free bonus ebook is also included. This is an essential read that is already receiving rave reviews from customers on Amazon.

In the proud tradition of The Goonies, IT, and Stranger Things, comes this high-spirited retrowave adventure from the creator of the Deadblast Chronicles. Influenced by everything from Stand By Me to A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Strong Bones explores the challenges and horrors of growing up all while delivering a healthy dose of pop nostalgia for the 80s and 90s.

It’s 1989, and evil’s on the loose in the Smoky Mountains. Now, only a brave group of friends can stop it, using their imaginations and a little bit of magic.

If you're a fan of murder mysteries and the 1980's, then you are definitely going to need this book in your collection! For his latest work, the author has decided to use songs from the 80's as his inspiration. Not only has he named each chapter after a song, but he has also used them for character names, setting and events.

On a girls’ night out at Borderline, the city’s hot new 80’s club, Chloe Harmon is excited to reconnect with her friend, Sara, a performer at the club. Their reunion is cut short, though, when Sara is murdered behind the club the next night, strangled with one of the leg warmers she wore onstage.

Set in the mid-1980s, The Oxford Chronicles is an exciting account of four catholic school outcasts who escape from the boredom of their small dairy farming town of Oxford in Connecticut. They are nerd-delinquents who need stimulation (preferably dangerous and illegal) in a time when the internet didn't exist. Think of those 80s teen movies such as Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Stand By Me, and you get a good idea of what to expect, and I think you'll love it!

Do you remember a time when the summers seemed endless, the friendships were straightforward, deep and genuine, and life was, pretty much, joyous and carefree. Lose yourself in this absorbing and nostalgic journey (in a sign of friendship) from Castle Rock to Tulsa, and experience a world that you thought had been lost forever. Chapters; Prologue, Stand By Me, The Goonies, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial and The Outsiders.

Take a nostalgic trip back to 1981, in Richard Easter's brilliantly written novel Don't You Want Me?, which will delight fans of twists, thrillers, history, music, and popular culture. Growing racial tensions are leading to rioting across England, as Prince Charles and Lady Diana prepare for marriage, and the New Romantics dance in their flamboyant outfits. However, an identity-shifting serial killer is operating in plain sight, and no-one has realised except Detective Inspector Anna Leeding, who has secrets of her own…

This is a captivating read which is simply bursting with early 80s nostalgia, and as with Richard's previous works, it is already receiving very positive feedback from readers on Amazon.

This is an absorbing coming-of-age tale set in the winter of 1984, from the No.1 bestselling author Steven Manchester. Right from the off, I found myself being transported right back to the world which I grew up in, when wearing stone washed jeans and a Swatch watch was the norm. Using relatable characters (three brothers who bicker, fight, and play Atari video games), and beautifully descriptive sentences, the author revisits the real issues we all faced living as a twelve-year old in the 1980s, such as dealing with bullies on the school bus. This is a very engaging and satisfying nostalgia-fest.

Lethal Dangerousness is a homage to the great 80s action movies. It pays tribute to films such as Lethal Weapon, Commando, Robocop and many more. The year is 1986. The surge in popularity of video games, consoles and video recorders leaves demand for traditional toys at an all-time low. With his workshop rapidly going out of fashion, Santa Claus decides to steer his business in a radical new direction - International drug trafficking! After all, why lose money making Christmas crackers, when he can earn money making Christmas crack heads.

This book is great fun to read and features 45 riveting chapters that are bursting with 80s nostaglia, laughs and plenty of action.

This absorbing novel is about two entrepreneurial families in 1980s Australia, who are each other’s number one competition.

The Gallaghers and Garrisons manage to find competition at every level, even when they are off-duty. Challenged by the unceasing rivalry, co-existing is complicated for the families and companies, when they must secure their rightful place.

Revisit the era that will continue to inspire to bring not only old-school items back, but also values. The Business Wise Series is based on a fascination with the 80s - a time that lacked today’s popular communication tools and electronics - and also the fashion, style and how people were able to connect, which are the key points.

As he heads into high school, star-gazing poet Ford Quinn has fallen hard for an Egyptian princess and become a caddy at an exclusive country club. The 14-year-old is set to have an awesome summer - until just about everything goes wrong!

This is Michael's debut novel, and if you love an engaging and quirky coming of age story, you will find much to enjoy here. Immerse yourself in the joy of growing up back in the summer of 1980, when just about every teenager was creating their own mix tape, playing Space Invaders, and trying to solve the Rubik's Cube.

Set in the summer of 1989, this beautifully written and engaging novel tells the story of a single-minded boy, Sebastian Riggs, who is focused on much bigger problems than being made to do the school bullies' homework or vying for the attention of the coolest girl in his class. The one thing in the world he really needs is a radio-controlled vintage stunt plane - the Dreamin'. A thoroughly enjoyable and recommended read.

If you could take a trip back in time and relive one weekend as a teenager again, would you change anything? In this best-selling novel, Craig Pelling is stick in a rut, until he's thrown a lifeline - a brief trip back in time to 1986. But will he be able to fix his life?

By Edward Fernandez

210 pages - Kindle Edition Only

It was 1985, somewhere in Southern California. A skinny teenager with a yellow Mohawk named Rusty Ruston, along with his band of misfit friends, unwittingly uncover a town secret when their curiosity leads them to rely on nothing more than their youthful, pure-hearted sense of adventure and a trusty butter knife!

By Addison Moore

202 pages - Kindle or Paperback

Welcome to 1985 - Big hair, leg warmers, bitchin’ music, and the Brat Pack — what’s not to love about the 80’s? Extract " I get accused of shoplifting right in front of my crush, Russell James, aka The Preppy Prince. He makes my entire body weak as water, and I hate that he has that effect on me." Head back to the mid 1980s in Tainted Love from a best-selling American author.

By Michelle Duffy

196 pages - Kindle or Paperback

A highly-rated comedy romance that is both fun and witty. This entertaining and engaging story will take you right back to being an 80s teenager again, a time when John Hughes films (such as Pretty in Pink) and dodgy fashion were pretty much order of the day.