This world, or one kind of like it?

Stellan · Feb 16, 2010

In your writing and reading, do you prefer your fantasies set in a world that is definetely ours, with same countries and languages and religions, or one that is like ours, but significantly different in some way? I'm not really talking about secondary world stories, but something like Ink and Steel, where the setting has a clear basis in the real word.

I'm kicking around a first draft for a steampunkish idea, and I'm currently waffling on whether or not to ground it in (more or less) actual reality, or to set it in a twisted reflection with its own politics and history, so I thought I'd see what other people's idea on this are.

WalpurgisQuill · Feb 16, 2010

Myself, I prefer a world that´s almost exactly like ours in every way, except it has some sort of paranormal twist to it. Actually, I like to see how ordinary, perfectly realistic people interact with the paranormal.

That might be a good idea, since the novel I´m writing is sort of like that. What´s your idea? It may or may not work.

Kitty Pryde · Feb 16, 2010

Umm, if it's steampunk it will necessarily be set in a world like ours but significantly different in some way. Ditto for any SF or fantasy novel, given that impossible things are happening.

maxmordon · Feb 16, 2010

I like when is very similar than our world, but with interesting twists. And love to see those twists when they're imaginative.

Stellan · Feb 16, 2010

Well yeah, the fantastic elements will change the "real" world significantly, but it could still take place in, say, London, in England, in 1896. Or it could take place in the Duchy of Alberith, in the Year of Our Lady 1407. That's the kind of distinction I'm waffling on.

Z0Marley · Feb 16, 2010

I like all of it. ^_^

dogfacedboy · Feb 16, 2010

I prefer a completely fictional world. For one, I love worldbuilding and the freedom to create everything from the ground up. Also, I know that there will always be someone out there who knows more about the real world than I do, so setting my story in the real world (or a world based on this one) just opens up more possibilities that I'm going to get something wrong and take the reader out of the story.

So I guess, for me, the complete fantasy world is simply safer.

sunandshadow · Feb 16, 2010

I can't stand modern culture/technology, so I'm okay with a historical version of the real world which has magic or shapeshifters added, or I'm okay with far future real universe where humans have "technology indistinguishable from magic". But what I enjoy most is reading about a non-human race in a culture that has evolved a bit differently because of the non-human bits of their biology. That can be a fantasy race in a fantasy world or an alien race in an alien world, or even a race that looks basically human but has a bit different instincts or genders or psychic abilities which make their culture distinctly different from a human one.

Ambri · Feb 16, 2010

I do like alternate/ fictional worlds to earth-based fantasy, but with a steampunk story, I think either could work. You could do the London 1890's . . . or what about Paris or Moscow or something in the 1890's . . . or you could do your made up duchy of whatever; that would certainly give you more leaway (sp?) in your world. Another option is to do an "alternate history" of Earth; maybe Alexander the Great's empire lasted for hundreds of years, instead of pretty much ending with his death; or Napoleon won at Waterloo . . . something like that would make for a rich backstory, I would think.

Lhun · Feb 16, 2010

Depends on what "like it" means. I like to read about worlds where the actual world is quite different, but the people are similar. It just reads more believable and immersive to me. A world that is quite like hours but populated by people who seem to constantly carry idiot balls for example (tragically common on TV) gets annoying quickly. Unless it's not done seriously, i guess that's why i like Stargate and Pratchett and dislike StarTrek and Salvatore.

MumblingSage · Feb 16, 2010

I love completely secondary worlds (especially when the worldbuilding is made into an art from), but I've recently toyed with the idea of writing a story set in an alternate history/mythological North America. I'd be handling real historical events that happened sometime around 1100 AD, but with a long cushion on either side (Vikings landing in Vinland in 1000AD, fall of Cahokia in 1300 AD), so my treatment of time would be somewhat mythical. It would be a lot closer to historical fiction (ie 'real world stuff') than anything I've ever done before, but there's still a lot of leeway for creativity. It helps that preColumbian America is little more than a blank slate, and that's only beginning to change now.

Pthom · Feb 16, 2010

I'm with M.Austin. It's all good.

That comes with a caveat, though: if the story sucks, I don't care how great the world building is, the paper goes in the recycler.

Liosse de Velishaf · Feb 16, 2010

Whatever floats your boat, it's your story. If the story is good, an setting can work.

Giovanni_Spada · Feb 17, 2010

I used to really like high-fantasy stuff like Tolkein, Eddings, etc, but as time goes on, I'm more and more interested in stories set in our world. The problem is, even the most detailed fantasy world (yes, even Middle-Earth) doesn't come close to the complexity of our world.

Of course, with my typical ambivalence, I still enjoy the occasional story like Jack Vance's Tales of the Dying Earth yarns where the world is nothing like ours, but the writing is so fun that I can't help but enjoy it.

Kitti · Feb 17, 2010

I enjoy playing "what-if" and taking off from a point in our world's history, figuring out what the world would have been like if x-y-z happened. But that requires a lot of historical research which is a different type of world-building than creating your own world from scratch.

But really, whichever floats your boat will probably work for your readers, too.

Death Wizard · Feb 17, 2010

I like different worlds than ours, but of course you have to have most of it be the same, regardless. Trees are trees, boulders are boulders, rivers are rivers, etc.

Liosse de Velishaf · Feb 17, 2010

Giovanni_Spada said:
I used to really like high-fantasy stuff like Tolkein, Eddings, etc, but as time goes on, I'm more and more interested in stories set in our world. The problem is, even the most detailed fantasy world (yes, even Middle-Earth) doesn't come close to the complexity of our world.

Of course, with my typical ambivalence, I still enjoy the occasional story like Jack Vance's Tales of the Dying Earth yarns where the world is nothing like ours, but the writing is so fun that I can't help but enjoy it.

Well, that's because you have personal experience to fill in the gaps. I've seen plenty of secondary world stories with more and better world-building than many contemporary or urban fantasies, but the Earth-based stuff can afford to leave more gaps.

LOG · Feb 17, 2010

Depends on the story.

WildScribe · Feb 17, 2010

I prefer either urban in this world, or historical in a whole new world. Otherwise I spend the whole freakin' book trying to match each fictionally named race with a real race, country, people, here. It drives me nuts and totally distracts me.

My exception is the Kushiel series by Jacquiline Carey, which is set in a fictional historical Europe type place, and I DID still spend the whole books matching peoples to real places (Picti are old English Picts, for example, but not all were so obvious). I just happened to love her books so much that I got past it.

Wavy_Blue · Feb 17, 2010

I still have a lot of world-building to do, but currently my world for my WIP is a fantasy world, similar to late 18th to early 19th century Europe. It's a little steampunk, but it's not very advanced. Think Industrial Age with a little bit of magic in the machinery. That's about it.

However, there's a lot that happens in different dimensions in my story...so I can go crazy with that.

Originally this story was set in a typical Middle-Earth, medieval type world, but I decided to shake things up. It's harder to get out of that rut than I thought.

heretic_scribe · Mar 13, 2010

The closer it is to our real world, the easier it is to immerse the reader, since he is already so familiar with it, but it also makes the differences that much more dramatic and interesting.

MumblingSage · Mar 13, 2010

WildScribe said:
I prefer either urban in this world, or historical in a whole new world. Otherwise I spend the whole freakin' book trying to match each fictionally named race with a real race, country, people, here. It drives me nuts and totally distracts me.

My exception is the Kushiel series by Jacquiline Carey, which is set in a fictional historical Europe type place, and I DID still spend the whole books matching peoples to real places (Picti are old English Picts, for example, but not all were so obvious). I just happened to love her books so much that I got past it.

For me the matching is part of the fun. No accounting for taste, I guess.

Chasing the Horizon · Mar 15, 2010

I like fantasy set on other worlds that presents unique, creative cultures which are completely different from any that ever existed on Earth, yet somehow show the fundamental sameness between all sentient beings. Is that too much to ask? Bonus points are given for steam technology and warrior women.

I also like near-future sci-fi, which shows an interesting and completely believable view of where we as a planet and society will be in 50-100 years. I guess that would count as something with a basis in the real world.

But in the end, while what I like dictates my own writing, it should have no influence on yours.

Liosse de Velishaf · Mar 15, 2010

Chasing the Horizon said:
I like fantasy set on other worlds that presents unique, creative cultures which are completely different from any that ever existed on Earth, yet somehow show the fundamental sameness between all sentient beings. Is that too much to ask? Bonus points are given for steam technology and warrior women.

I also like near-future sci-fi, which shows an interesting and completely believable view of where we as a planet and society will be in 50-100 years. I guess that would count as something with a basis in the real world.

But in the end, while what I like dictates my own writing, it should have no influence on yours.

Except as interesting suggestions.

In regards to the near future thing, what about work that fits all those criteria except being set on earth?

Satsya · Mar 17, 2010

I can't imagine writing fiction using real locations. Something about it really turns me off -- probably a fear of never being accurate enough. That, and one of my favorite things about writing is putting together the locations, cultures, countries, etc.

That said though, I like stories set in the real world, or a close alternate reality. The description for places tends to be much more engrossing. It takes a lot more effort on the writer's part to invoke the same amount of passion for a location that only exists in their head.

This world, or one kind of like it?

Not that other guy

i luv you giant bear statue

Penúltimo

Not that other guy

Impractical Fantasy Animal

Plotting something

New kid, be gentle!

Inarticulate Herb

Word butcher

procrastinatrix

Tumhe na koci puujetha

Lagrangian

Slave to the Wordcount

Adventure is out there!

CIA Roadsign Assassin

Inarticulate Herb

Blowing in the Wind

slow and steady