Worldbuilding
Worldbuildingis the process of constructing an imaginary world or setting, sometimes associated with afictional universe.[1]Developing the world with coherent qualities such as ahistory,geography, culture andecologyis a key task for manyscience fictionorfantasywriters.[2]Worldbuilding often involves thecreation of geography,abackstory,flora, fauna, inhabitants, technology and often if writingspeculative fiction,different peoples. This may include social customs as well asinvented languages(often calledconlangs) for the world.[3][4][5][6]: PT103
The world could encompass different planets spanning vast distances ofspaceor be limited in scope to a single small village.[6]: 104 Worldbuilding exists innovels,tabletop role-playing games,andvisual mediasuch as films,video gamesandcomics.[7][8][9][10][11]Prior to 1900, most worldbuilding was conducted by novelists, who could leave imagination of the fictional setting in part to the reader.[6]: 106 Some authors of fiction set multiple works in the same world. This is known as afictional universe.[12]For example, science fiction writerJack Vanceset a number of his novels in theGaean Reach,a fictional region of space.[8]A fictional universe with works by multiple authors is known as ashared world.One notable example of such is theStar Wars Expanded Universe.[13]
Etymology
[edit]The term "world-building" was first used in theEdinburgh Reviewin December 1820[14]and appeared inArthur Eddington'sSpace Time and Gravitation: An Outline of the General Relativity Theory(1920) to describe the thinking out of hypothetical worlds with different physical laws.[15]: 160 The term has been used inscience fictionand fantasy criticism since appearing inR.A. Lupoff'sEdgar Rice Burroughs: Master of Adventure(1965).[13]: 270
History
[edit]One of the earliest examples of a fictional world is Dante'sDivine Comedy,with the BBC's Dante 2021 series describing it as "the first virtual reality".[16]The creation of literary fictional worlds was first examined by fantasy authors such asGeorge MacDonald,J. R. R. Tolkien,Lord Dunsany,Dorothy L. Sayers,andC. S. Lewis.[8]William Morriswould be the first person to create the entire world of his story.[17]
Tolkien addressed the issue in his essay "On Fairy-Stories",where he stated that the" Secondary World "or" Sub-Creation "(the constructed world) is substantially different from the art of play-writing:" Very little about trees as trees can be got into a play. "[18]Constructed worlds may sometimes shift away from storytelling, narrative, characters and figures, and may explore "trees as trees" or aspects of the world in-and-of-themselves. Tolkien sought to make his constructed world seem real by paying careful attention toframing his worldwith narrators and versions of stories,like a real mythology.[19]
Later analysis of fantasy worlds in the 1960s contextualized them in the medium or the narrative of the works, offering an analysis of the stories in the world, but not the world itself. In the 2000s, worldbuilding in film has increased in popularity. When before, writers sought to create a character that could sustain multiple stories, now they create a world that can sustain multiple characters and stories.[8][page needed][example needed]
Methods
[edit]
Worldbuilding can be designed fromthe top down or the bottom up,or by a combination of these approaches. The official worldbuilding guidelines forDungeons & Dragonsrefer to these terms as "outside-in" and "inside-out", respectively.[20][page needed]In the top-down approach, thedesignerfirst creates a general overview of the world, determining broad characteristics such as the world's inhabitants,technologylevel, major geographic features,climate,and history. From there, they develop the rest of the world in increasing detail. This approach might involve creation of the world's basics, followed by levels such ascontinents,civilizations,nations,cities,andtowns.A world constructed from the top down tends to be well-integrated, with individual components fitting together appropriately. It can, however, require considerable work before enough detail is completed for the setting to be useful, such as in the setting of a story.
With the bottom-up approach, the designer focuses on a small part of the world needed for their purposes. This location is given considerable detail, such as local geography,culture,social structure,government,politics,commerce,and history. Prominent local individuals may be described, including theirrelationshipsto each other. The surrounding areas are then described in a lower level of detail, with description growing more general with increasing distance from the initial location. The designer can subsequently enhance the description of other areas in the world. For example, an author may createfictional currenciesand refer tofictional booksto add detail to their world.Terry Pratchettsays "You had to start wondering how the fresh water got in and the sewage got out... World building from the bottom up, to use a happy phrase, is more fruitful than world building from top-down."[21]
This approach provides for almost immediate applicability of the setting, with details pertinent to a certain story or situation. The approach can yield a world plagued withinconsistencies,however. By combining the top-down and bottom-up approaches, a designer can enjoy the benefits of both. This is very hard to accomplish, however, because the need to start from both sides creates twice as much work, which may delay the desired product.
Despite requiring considerable work to develop enough detail for a setting to be useful, not every aspect of a setting can be explored, and instead an approach called inferred worldbuilding is often used. Inferred worldbuilding is when the author provides enough detail about the various parts of a setting that readers can extrapolate on what is written to come to their own conclusions regarding specific details that were not provided. This is especially useful for roleplaying game settings, as individual games may require certain details to be created on a case-by-case basis for the RPG's story to function.
Elements
[edit]From a game-design perspective, the goal of worldbuilding is to create the context for a story. Consistency is an important element, since the world provides a foundation for the action of a story.[22]However, J. R. R. Tolkien described the goal of worldbuilding as creating immersion, or "enchantment" as he put it, and descriptions of the world can be wholly disconnected from the story and narrative.[18]Writers must also make the world building make sense for the story on hands-on matters concerningplot devicessuch as what equipment, nourishment, and modes of transportation characters use.[6]: PT110
An uninhabited world can be useful for certain purposes, especially in science fiction, but the majority of constructed worlds have one or moresapientspecies.These species can haveconstructed culturesandconstructed languages.Designers inhard science fictionmay designfloraandfaunatowards the end of the worldbuilding process, thus creating lifeforms with environmental adaptations to scientifically novel situations.
Physics
[edit]Perhaps the most basic consideration of worldbuilding is to what degree a fictional world will be based on real-worldphysicscompared tomagic.[23]While magic is a more common element of fantasy settings, science fiction worlds can contain magic or technological equivalents of it. For example, the Biotics in the science fiction video game seriesMass Effecthave abilities, described scientifically in-game, which mirror those ofmagesin fantasy games. In the science fiction novelMidnight at the Well of Souls,magic exists, but is explained scientifically.
Some fictional worlds modify the real-worldlaws of physics;faster-than-lighttravel is a common factor in much science fiction. Worldbuilding may combine physics and magic, such as in theDark Towerseries and theStar Warsfranchise. One subgenre of science fiction,mundane science fiction,calls for writers to depict only scientifically plausible technology; as such, fictional faster-than-light travel is not depicted in these works.
Cosmology
[edit]
Constructed worlds often have cosmologies, both in thescientificandmetaphysicalsenses of the word. The design of science fiction worlds, especially those withspacefaringsocieties, usually entails creation of astar systemandplanets.If the designer wishes to apply real-life principles of astronomy, they may develop detailedastronomicalmeasures for theorbitof the world, and to define the physical characteristics of the other bodies in the same system; this establisheschronologicalparameters, such as the length of a day and the durations ofseasons.[24]Some systems are intentionally bizarre. ForLarry Niven's novelsThe Integral TreesandThe Smoke Ring,Niven designed a "freefall" environment, a gastorusring of habitable pressure, temperature, and composition, around aneutron star;Brian Aldiss'sHelliconiatrilogy has a very long year (called the "great year" ), equivalent to 2,500 Earth years, where generations live & die within one season.
Fantasy worlds can also involve unique cosmologies. InDungeons & Dragons,the physical world is referred to as the Prime Material Plane, but other planes of existence devoted to moral or elemental concepts are available for play, such as theSpelljammersetting, which provides an entirely novel fantasy astrophysical system. Some fantasy worlds feature religions. TheElder Scrollsseries, for example, contains a variety of religions practiced by its world's various races. The world of the 2000 video gameSummonerhas a well-developed cosmology, including acreation myth.
Geography
[edit]
Construction of afictional mapis often one of the first tasks of worldbuilding. Maps can lay out a world's basicterrainfeatures and significant civilizations present. A clear, concise map that displays the locations of key points in the story can be a helpful tool for developers and audiences alike. Finished creative products, such as books, may contain published versions of development maps; many editions ofThe Lord of the Rings,for example, include maps ofMiddle-earth.Cartographyof fictional worlds is sometimes calledgeofiction.[25]
Thephysical geographyof a fictional world is important in designingweatherpatterns andbiomessuch asdeserts,wetlands,mountains,andforests.These physical features also affect the growth and interaction of the various societies, such as the establishment oftrade routesand locations of important cities.[26]Desire for control ofnatural resourcesin a fictional world may lead towaramong its people. Geography can also defineecosystemsfor each biome. Often, Earth-like ecology is assumed, but designers can vary drastically from this trend. For example,Isaac Asimov'sshort story"The Talking Stone"features a life form based onsilicon,rather thancarbon.[27]
Somesoftwareprograms can create random terrain usingfractalalgorithms. Sophisticated programs can apply geologic effects such astectonicplate movement anderosion;the resulting world can berenderedin great detail, providing a degree of realism to the result.
Culture
[edit]Constructed cultures, or concultures, are a typical element of worldbuilding. Worldbuilders sometimes employ past human civilizations as a model for fictional societies. The 1990 video gameWorlds of Ultima: The Savage Empire,for example, takes place in a world full oftribesbased on civilizations in earlyMesoamericaand Africa. This method can make a fictional world more accessible for an audience.Simon Provencherhas stated as a 'Golden Rule' of worldbuilding that "... unless specified otherwise, everything inside your world is assumed to behave exactly as it would in the real world."[28]Another example isSteven S. Long,a representative of theChampionsrole-playing game, who stated that "Everything that happened in the real world has also unfolded in the exact same way in the Champions Universe." This means any past wars, elections, and technological advancements in our world occurred the same way in the Champions Universe unless explained otherwise.
Creating a cohesivealienculture can be a distinct challenge. Some designers have also looked to human civilizations for inspiration in doing so, such asStar Trek'sRomulans,whose society resembles that ofancient Rome.The fictional world's history can explain past and present relationships between different societies, which can introduce a story's action. A past war, for example, functions as a key plot point in theShannaraandBelgariadseries.
Types of constructed worlds
[edit]Examples of constructed worlds includeTerry Pratchett'sDiscworld,the pseudo-EarthHyborian Agein theConan series,the planet Arrakis in theDuneseries, the continent ofTamrielin theElder Scrollsseries of games,Ursula K. Le Guin'sEarthseauniverse andHainishworlds, the Subcontinent ofHayao Miyazaki'sNausicaä of the Valley of the Wind,Arda,the location ofJ. R. R. Tolkien'sMiddle-earth,inThe Lord of the Rings.
Constructed worlds are not always limited to one type of story.Lawrence Watt-EvansandSteven BrustcreatedEthsharandDragaera,respectively, for role-playing games before using them as settings for novels.M. A. R. Barkeroriginally designedTékumelwell before the advent of role-playing games, but manygamers,including Barker himself, have used it as a setting for such games.
Ashared universeis a fictional universe that can be used by different authors. Examples of shared universes include theStar Warsexpanded universe,theArrowverseandcampaign settingsdeveloped specifically for role-playing games. One of the oldest of these isOerth,developed for theDungeons & Dragons'Greyhawksetting.Forgotten Realmsis another such D&D setting, originally ahomebrewcampaign world byEd Greenwood.
See also
[edit]- Constructed language– Consciously devised language
- Fantasy world– Imaginary world created for fictional media
- Fictional encyclopaedism– Literary concept
- List of fictional universes– Self-consistent fictional setting with elements that may differ from the real world
- Mythopoeia– Narrative genre in modern literature and film
- Nation-building– Constructing national identity using state power
- Paracosm– Detailed imaginary world
- Planets in science fiction
References
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{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^Wolf, Mark J. P. (2020).World-builders on World-building: An Exploration of Subcreation.New York, NY.ISBN978-0-429-24286-1.OCLC1151513107.
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{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^abcdWolf, Mark J. P. (2018).The Routledge Companion to Imaginary Worlds.New York.ISBN978-1-317-26828-4.OCLC1004848638.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^Gavins, Joanna; Lahey, Ernestine (2016).World Building: Discourse in the Mind.London.ISBN978-1-4725-8655-1.OCLC950613576.
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External links
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