# If you could create your own world, which fantasy novel would it resemble?



## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

Wouldn't it be nice to create a world or your own to live in? If you could do so, which world from a fantasy novel would it resemble? Or would you create something totally unique?

I love the woods so I would probably choose the land of Lothlorien from the Lord of the Rings. No evil is permitted to enter there, and all is in harmony with nature. If I lived in my own creation it would be a civilization based in a great city on the shores of the sea. It would not be a modern city, but one that has elegant buildings with rounded edges and streets where the citizens congregate to tell stories, sing music, and exchange food with one another to sample each other's cooking. There would be no poverty, but all would have enough to eat and a roof over their heads. It would be a city where culture is prized and musicians, artists, and poets held in high esteem, but there would be a rite of passage that involves sending a young person of eighteen or so out on the sea for a great adventure. They must conquer the sea and its dangers in order to be recognized as an adult in the eyes of their fellow citizens.

What would your world look like?


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

While I ponder what my answer will be, I'll just quibble a bit with yours. 

You asked us to build a _world_, but then you just selected a small part of one world, ignoring all the not-so-nice parts of the world in which Lothlorien existed (as well as other nice parts, to be fair). Of course, most (all?) fantasy worlds have not-so-nice parts, or there probably wouldn't be much of a story.

I shall return.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

NogDog said:


> While I ponder what my answer will be, I'll just quibble a bit with yours.
> 
> You asked us to build a _world_, but then you just selected a small part of one world, ignoring all the not-so-nice parts of the world in which Lothlorien existed (as well as other nice parts, to be fair). Of course, most (all?) fantasy worlds have not-so-nice parts, or there probably wouldn't be much of a story.
> 
> I shall return.


Ah, but Nog Dog, remember that Lothlorien itself was a world within a world in some ways. If you remember, Frodo felt that once he set foot across the Silverlode he felt time slipping away and he was suddenly transported back to the Elder Days. To quote from the book: "As soon as he set foot upon the far bank of Silverlode a strange feeling had come upon him, and it deepened as he walked on into the Naith: it seemed to him that he had stepped over a bridge of time into a corner of the Elder Days, and was now walking in a world that was no more. In Rivendell there was memory of ancient things; in Lorien the ancient things still lived on in the waking world."

So you see, I did choose a small part of Middle Earth, but the part I chose was a world unto itself, so to speak. 

Thanks for keeping everyone on their toes, as you do so well. 

I shall await your return...


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

To keep with what I suspect is the original intent of your question, I'd probably pick "The Land" of Stephen R. Donaldson's "Thomas Covenant" series, as long as it's at a time when Lord Foul _et al_ are not making lots of trouble. It's beautifully visualized, and the land itself is an important character in the stories, so to speak.

If I wanted to cheat, then I'd pick the world of Roger Zelazny's "Amber" series, since within it, I could reach any world I could imagine -- as long as I was able to walk through shadow (including our world).

Yes, I hear a few of you saying, "What, not the Discworld?" While it's a blast to read about, depending on who you were, life would be anything from deadly boring (cabbage farmer) to frightfully unpredictable (wizard at the Unseen University) to very short (tourist taking a wrong turn into The Shades in Ankh-Morpork).


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

NogDog said:


> To keep with what I suspect is the original intent of your question, I'd probably pick "The Land" of Stephen R. Donaldson's "Thomas Covenant" series, as long as it's at a time when Lord Foul _et al_ are not making lots of trouble. It's beautifully visualized, and the land itself is an important character in the stories, so to speak.
> 
> If I wanted to cheat, then I'd pick the world of Roger Zelazny's "Amber" series, since within it, I could reach any world I could imagine -- as long as I was able to walk through shadow (including our world).
> 
> Yes, I hear a few of you saying, "What, not the Discworld?" While it's a blast to read about, depending on who you were, life would be anything from deadly boring (cabbage farmer) to frightfully unpredictable (wizard at the Unseen University) to very short (tourist taking a wrong turn into The Shades in Ankh-Morpork).


Hmmm, that reminds me that I hadn't thought of the Wood Between the Worlds in The Magician's Nephew from The Chronicles of Narnia. I'm not going to restrict people from having to choose the main world in a book if there are actually worlds within worlds to choose from in a novel or series. Narnia was actually a world within a world as was Charn, although I don't think too many people would want to visit it as it was in its death throes when the children wound up there and met the evil Queen Jadis!


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## mgilmour (Apr 13, 2015)

What an interesting thought....what world would I create...hmmmm....
Although Thomas Convenant's fantasy world was incredibly wrought I think that I would lean towards the simple beauty of Rivendell. I recently traveled to the south island of New Zealand and I must admit that it was breath taking....I felt like I was stepping into Middle Earth. 
Here's a couple of the photos that I took while there.

The Misty Mountains.








This is where Isengard lay.








Milford Sound









So I discovered that my dream world was actually New Zealand. LOL!


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Of course, I'm not sure I want to go anywhere that does not have modern conveniences (such as our amazing medical advances that have drastically reduced infant mortality and increased healthy lifespans, along with the advent of the 5-day, 40ish-hour work week), so maybe I'd opt for the fantasy world of Pratchett & Gaiman's _Good Omens_ and Douglas Adams's "Dirk Gently" novels, and live in modern day England.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

mgilmour said:


> What an interesting thought....what world would I create...hmmmm....
> Although Thomas Convenant's fantasy world was incredibly wrought I think that I would lean towards the simple beauty of Rivendell. I recently traveled to the south island of New Zealand and I must admit that it was breath taking....I felt like I was stepping into Middle Earth.
> Here's a couple of the photos that I took while there.
> 
> ...


Those pictures transport me right into Middle Earth. Gorgeous with an air of mystery!


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

NogDog said:


> Of course, I'm not sure I want to go anywhere that does not have modern conveniences (such as our amazing medical advances that have drastically reduced infant mortality and increased healthy lifespans, along with the advent of the 5-day, 40ish-hour work week), so maybe I'd opt for the fantasy world of Pratchett & Gaiman's _Good Omens_ and Douglas Adams's "Dirk Gently" novels, and live in modern day England.


What? No modern conveniences? Where's your sense of adventure?! You could always go to Shangri-La, where there was no sickness and people lived to incredibly old ages. Of course, you would have to live in the Himalayas but at least they are beautiful.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Nogdog, I always pictured you as one of the Wyrd Sisters, arguing vociferously for control of the brewing pot.    

I spend a couple of years living in the fantasy worlds I create.  Who says they aren't real?  Santa Fe exists.  I've been most of the places!  Okay, I can't tell you where Wendal is, but it's a nice enough place and so long as I can take my magical powers with me, I'll be just fine.  I have three DragonKin roaming about here somewhere and I know two of them will go with me.  Scamper will show up if she is so inclined.  Otherwise, she won't.  Whether I read about them or create them, I spend quite a bit of time in other worlds.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

MariaESchneider said:


> Nogdog, I always pictured you as one of the Wyrd Sisters, arguing vociferously for control of the brewing pot.
> 
> I spend a couple of years living in the fantasy worlds I create. Who says they aren't real? Santa Fe exists. I've been most of the places! Okay, I can't tell you where Wendal is, but it's a nice enough place and so long as I can take my magical powers with me, I'll be just fine. I have three DragonKin roaming about here somewhere and I know two of them will go with me. Scamper will show up if she is so inclined. Otherwise, she won't. Whether I read about them or create them, I spend quite a bit of time in other worlds.


Yes, I find it hard to get out the fantasy worlds I create; there's nothing quite like taking a vacation and never actually going anywhere! But it's still refreshing, just the same!


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

MariaESchneider said:


> Nogdog, I always pictured you as one of the Wyrd Sisters, arguing vociferously for control of the brewing pot.
> ...


Well, besides the requisite sex-change operation I'd need to become one of the coven, I think I'm more of a Mustrum Ridcully sort.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

NogDog said:


> Well, besides the requisite sex-change operation I'd need to become one of the coven, I think I'm more of a Mustrum Ridcully sort.


Sex-change, hex-change! They'd have to let you in! You have the personality for it. Every coven needs a day of enlightenment. It's time to let the wizards join the coven!


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## Daniel Harvell (Jun 21, 2013)

Middle Earth from the Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit would be amazing ... if we could leave out the Orcs, Trolls, Dragons, Witch Kings, Fire Demons, giant Spiders, evil Wizards, and so on!


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## 67499 (Feb 4, 2013)

Larry Niven's _Ringworld_ - what could be finer than looking up to see home overhead?


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Steven Hardesty said:


> Larry Niven's _Ringworld_ - what could be finer than looking up to see home overhead?


Well, if we're going to include SF within Fantasy, then I'd pick one of the General Systems Vehicle class ships of Iain M. Banks' "Culture" series.


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## I&#039;m a Little Teapot (Apr 10, 2014)

Discworld, for sure. I fancy living atop four elephants and a turtle, in a place named Bad A**.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

NogDog said:


> Well, if we're going to include SF within Fantasy, then I'd pick one of the General Systems Vehicle class ships of Iain M. Banks' "Culture" series.


Yes, we can expand our discussion to include SF as we are talking about creating fantasy _worlds_. I will not limit it to the fantasy _genre_ therefore, as I would hate to leave Larry Niven or Isaac Asimov out of such a creative undertaking!


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