野史又称稗史，是指正史上无纪录，多是民间的街谈巷说及遗闻佚事。惟野史不一定虚假，《汉书·艺文志》引如淳之言，“细米为稗，街谈巷说，甚细碎之言也。王者欲知里巷风俗，故立稗官，使称说之”。余嘉锡《小说家出于稗官说》认为“稗官者天子之士也”。周楞伽《稗官考》反对稗官是“天子之士”说。

相对于中国历朝正史数千年皆儒家士大夫集团把持编修，须符合儒学意识形态单一标准取舍，多有曲笔或偏袒隐瞒，造成纣王“天下之恶皆归焉 ”，因此正史也不一定就是真相，如苻坚涉嫌改史，唐太宗因玄武门之变而亦涉嫌改史。野史在研究中国历史挖掘真相上，颇具参考价值及贡献，不宜轻忽。

Pseudohistory is produced by the application of the research techniques of the historical method (primary sources and evidence) characteristic of legitimate history; yet, in itself, the work of pseudohistory is intellectually inconsistent with the historical record and with the common-sense understanding held in the collective memory of society. In practice, a pseudohistory presents a big lie—sensational claims—about historical fact that would require the revision (re-writing) of the historical record. The term pseudohistory is applied to works of historical revision that are based upon or derived from a theory or upon a re-interpretation or both; moreover, the related term cryptohistory applied to a pseudohistory based upon or derived from the superstitions inherent to occultism.