First, apologies for not posting a discussion on Sunday like I usually do. Honestly, I totally forgot. Then Monday was the 4th of July and I wasn’t in the mood. Yesterday I posted a review, which puts a discussion on Wednesday this week, rather than Sunday.
Readers of speculative fiction tend to run into a ton of different worlds and cultures while they explore different books. That’s one of the beauties of the genre, in my opinion. Each world is new and unique and infused with different cultures and traditions I could have never dreamed up otherwise. Some of the worlds are brutal. I’d lump Westeros from GRRM’s series in with brutal, and the Malazan Empire (though opinions may vary on those). Some of them are really interesting. For example, I tend to think the Niskie people Tad Williams writes about in his series Memory, Sorrow and Thorn as interesting for some weird reason. I’m not sure why – I just do. Some have cool magic systems, like the textual system Blake Charlton uses. Some world’s just fascinate me, like Peter F. Hamilton’s creations, which seem so fascinatingly in depth in my mind.
However, if I had to choose a world, or a culture I had to live in, I’m not sure what I’d choose. In all honesty, I’d probably go along with Peter F. Hamilton and find a world he’s created to make my home, but I’m not sure. When I seriously think about this question, I think all the worlds, while interesting, aren’t worth living in (if that even makes sense).
Thus, I thought I’d pose this question to you, my dear reader, and see what world/culture you’d live in and why. The only rule is that it has to be a world/culture you’ve read about in a speculative fiction book.
7 Responses
Part of me wants to say Westeros….
…but I think I'd live in the Malazan world…simply because it's so diverse and has such a long rich history.
I made a post about this on my blog recently. Myself, I'd live in Mercedes Lackey's "Valdemar". Good education system, good healthcare, a governing body that's essentially incorruptable, the potential for everyone to do something great in their lives, to play on their talents and have them mean something… There really isn't much more I could ask for in a fantasy world.
Which is probably why I end up role-playing senarios there so much! 🙂
My first thought when I think of world building is always Westeros…but that would be awful for very obvious reasons. My second was Alastair Reynolds's Revelation Space novels, but, again, living hell. Malazan, same thing. I'd be slaughtered by some ascendant after getting drafted and have my name shortened to something like "Beard." In the end, I think I might have to go with Ambergris, as it's vivid and there's at least a 1/4 chance I won't die.
As far as comfort is concerned, however, I'd have to pick Hamilton's Night's Dawn or Pandora's Star, a few decades before ALL HELL, because both of those would be rather fantastic places to live, complete with snazzy technology and rather mind boggling amounts of graphically described sex.
Actually, nevermind, Banks. The Culture's just utopian enough for me, I think… (And is it obvious that I've thought of this way too many times, and come to way too many different conclusions?)
Oh dear, there's a lot of ones I'd like to live in. Tamora Pierce's Tortall, certainly. If I was still twelve years old, I'd never come back from Neverland. And I'd love to live in Anne McCaffrey's Pern.
It's funny, I was just thinking about this today–about how being set in a world I'd like to live in, or at least visit, is practically a requirement for a favorite book for me. Reading the book is a lot like living there for a little while…
The Shire. That has always been my answer and will forever be my answer. Drink beer, eat food several times a day and end things off with a puff of pipeweed and some music.
I was going to say Westeros, but I'm going with Aiden on this one and say The Shire. Nothing but good times (well, most of the time…)
Bas-Lag, but only if I could in (on?) Armada.