World Building

Have you ever noticed how traditional (think King Arthur) fantasy is often so cliche that the story isn't worth reading, the world of old Europe is so strictly confined that it's all but impossible to make something unique and worth reading. Luckily for us, the majority of modern high fantasy is set in fantastical alternate worlds, largely but not exclusively, based upon old Europe but often with cultures and traditions vastly different from the feudal societies presented in more traditional fantasy.

Possibly the most famous world builder is one Terry Pratchett who is best known for his Discworld series. If you haven't read Terry Pratchett then I suggest you take a visit to your local library. There are currently 36 of 'em and despite this the majority of them are out every time I visit the library which says something for the popularity of them. I understand that Pratchett was recently knighted for services to literature.

The Discworld series is comic-fantasy, set upon the Discworld which is a world in the shape of a circular disc that sits (or rather, rotates) on the back of four enormous elephants who in turn stand on the back of an even more enormous turtle. It's somewhat hard for me to explain the Discworld, with over 36 books it's become somewhat complicated and the writer's skills make it as difficult to explain the Discworld as it would be to explain Earth. Put as simply as I can, Terry Pratchett takes all of today's traditional fantasy elements (magic, vampires, elves, barbarians, gods) and puts them in a world in which the majority of people treat them as just another part of life.

Simon R. Green is another I greatly respect for his world building. His Deathstalker series is something of a parody of the space opera common at the time he started writing them. Green specializes in a somewhat Lovecraftian take on the universe, full of hostile beings and nonbeings who are so alien that they distort the very reality around them and humanity evolving into a somewhat brutal culture in order to just survive. Green departs from Lovecraft in that humanity is equally capable of creating monsters (why is humanity always depicted as being the most innovative species in the universe? Is it just that that's the reason we became dominant on earth?) that are an equal match to such awesome beings.

Finally I'd like to praise Brandon Sanderson for his Mistborn series, despite the fact that the last book has not actually touched my library's shelves since it came out, there's something unsatisfying about a book that has been consistently reserved for the last three or four months. But I appear to have lost the trail of this conversation, the point I wished to make is that the Mistborn series is almost completely unique when compared to all the other fantasy I have read. The Mistborn series is set in a world which has been controlled for a thousand years by the tyrant know as the Lord Ruler, he created the system of the nobles and the slaves known as the Skaa. Since then the entire society has barely changed, the nobles have great balls and the Skaa slave away. The nobles occasionally spawn someone with the ability for allomancy which is something of a cross between magic and psychic ability, there are several abilities of which an allomancer can have either one or all of them. An allomancer with all of these abilities is extremely rare and extremely powerful. The first book revolve around two half-skaa who both have the full range of abilities and who's goal is to overthrow the lord ruler. Not wishing to spoil the the plot, I'll refrain from any more discussion but I suggest you check out the Mistborn series.

I'm afraid I'm not much of a critic, I lack the abilitiy to go on for pages about the author's shear ability to make you want to throw up (because that's a good thing?), but I know what I like and judging by the reactions of fans I think I know what others might like, as well and I think these three series are something you'll enjoy.