This week’s Time Magazine features an article about the Stephanie Meyer novels, and the phenomenon surrounding her books, Rowling’s, and the other fantastical YA novels that seem to have spawned entire societies of fans.
The article, written by Lev Grossman, made one point that jumped out of the web page and smacked me on the nose:
“There’s no literary term for the quality Twilight and Harry Potter (and The Lord of the Rings) share, but you know it when you see it: their worlds have a freestanding internal integrity that makes you feel as if you should be able to buy real estate there.”
True that, double true. But it’s happening repeatedly, this desire to immerse oneself in a world created in a book, be it urban fantasy, science fiction, or paranormal romance, and it fascinates me. There are books I think about often (damn you Black Ships, quit following me around) and books I enjoy over and over just to visit the characters and their world, but I don’t know that I’ve personally read a book, that had such deft worldbuilding that I wanted to set up a yurt and move in for awhile.
However, and I’ve had to recognize this strong preference on my part recently, I’m a historical romance girl all the way. I like urban fantasy, I like paranormals, contemporaries, a mix of the three, science fiction, fantasy, whatever you name it. I dabble in everything but I love me a straight up historical romance. Considering my personal preference within the context of world building makes me wonder, though – can establishment of a historical setting be considered “world building,” or is it more “world reconstructing?” And do I prefer the historical because the same “world” is accessed by so many different authors using the same researched elements of long-past societies and countries? I must ponder this one further.
So who builds great worlds for you? What world from a book would you want to camp out in for awhile?
Of books already listed Terre D’Ange, Valdamar, Narnia, Discworld all of these represent for me fully fleshed out worlds that I can immerse myself in.
Of ones not yet mentioned I loved the “Dark is Rising” series by Susan Cooper. I wished for months after reading that series that I could be and Old One and go hang out with Will and Bran in an England that the rest of the world didn’t see.
Also Robin McKinley’s “Beauty” I REALLY covet the Beast’s library of all the books not yet written
As mentioned before (by Kimberly B.), I would definitely live in de Lint’s Newford, probably hanging out on Grasso Street trying to help the helpless. It’s what I do.
I personally never saw the Twilightverse as world-building. To me, aside from the necessary climatic aspects of the setting, Twilight’s universe is about the characters (annoyingly addictive as they are), and not the place.
As for others: Weetzie Bat’s L.A., Jasper Fforde’s England, Garth Nix’s The Old Kingdom, and (if I were brave/foolish enough) The Borderlands.
Robin Mckinley’s Damar
Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar
Patricia Briggs’ Tri Cities
Jaqueline Carey’s Terre d’Ange
The early Laurell K. Hamilton’s St. Louis
The thing that connects these for me is the richness of the imagery and the attention paid to details about mundane life in fantasy worlds – I am a real fan of authors who include small details – like the fact that fantasy heroes and heroines still have to wash their socks!
Would also love to visit Belgarath and the Vale of Aldur from David Eddings Belgariad.
That would be mine, too! All of the characters are so much fun to be with I refer to The Belgariad series (to hubby, anyway) as Jokey Tolkien. 😉
Wouldn’t mind visiting Middle Earth, for that matter. 🙂
Lisa Shearin’s (Magic Lost, Trouble Found & Armed and Magical) Mermeia sounds like a cool place – like Venice, Italy, but populated with elves and other magical beings. Raine, the heroine, is kick-ass without being a Mary Sue.
I love you Mads. I completely agree with your assessments of both Harry Potter and Twilight.
Spam word is Looked23. I have looked for the “wonder” in Twilight and not found it. I have most likely read all of the books in the potter series a combined 23 times.
I was loathe to leave the Twilight world when I finished. The worldbuilding wasn’t as complex as Harry Potter, but there were some very clever elements in this world that came close – especially the Volterra world.
I don’t know why I didn’t classify you as a genius before, Sarah!. My oversight entirely on this topic.I do always love to read your blogs for the latest updates in all topics.
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