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I was wondering which fictional worlds us Swords and Lasers have found most compelling? It is relatively easy, for me at least, to become attached to characters. But what about worlds?

I was recently reminded of Garth Nix's Old Kingdom/Ancelstierre world, which really hooked me when I was younger - enough so that I read through quite a few algebra 2 lessons...

Any others for you ladies, gentlemen, aliens, wizards and non-corporeal lifeforms?

I just read Sanderson's Mistborn and that world seemed really cool.

For me that would be the world in Steven Erikson's and Ian C. Esselmont's Malazan series.

They have hundreds of thousands years of detailed history, very divergent cultures and a world that is as complex and complicated as our own. It's a tremendous effort and the immersion is simply insane.

Lately, I also really enjoyed the World-Building in Miles Cameron's medieval setting for The Red Knight and Stefan Bachmann's wonderful display of a fairytale steampunk England for The Peculiar.

For the laser part, Dune will always remain a favorite, but I also enjoyed Alistar Reynold's world-building.

Mark wrote: "I just read Sanderson's Mistborn and that world seemed really cool."

Sanderson's whole Cosmere universe is amazing. It really blew my mind when I found out that Mistborn and The Way of Kings (as well as Warbreaker and Elantris) are set on different planets in the same universe.

The Cosmere would also be my favourite because I can't choose between Mistborn, The Way of Kings, and Warbreaker :)

Cosmere is one of my favorite too� I loved Elantris.

Out of what I have read, Martin's world of A Song of Ice and Fire and Tolkien's Middle-Earth.

I imagine that Erikson will provide an equally immersive experience when I get around to reading him.

Honorary mention: Simmons' Hyperion saga.

Anne McCaffery's Pern has always seemed to me a real place. Middle Earth also. And Feist's Midkemia.

Sword: Middle Earth and Discworld. In that order.

Laser: I'd second the Alastair Reynolds universe. I love the way the books sort of nudge into each other while still being solid standalones.

I liked the future world in Peter Hamilton's Void series.

Amber with its shadows (by Zelazny) is the most fascinating world for me followed closely by the Wheel of Time. For all the faults of the latter series, this is one of the most - if not the most - developed world in fantasy.

Sanderson's Cosmere sucked me in from page 1 of Mistborn. Erikson's Malazan series is so engrossing. Middle Earth. Harry Potter as well, even though it's set in modern times, everything magical at Hogwarts feels so realistic to me. On the laser side of things, James SA Corey's Expanse series.

Not originally a book series but Mass Effect is #1 for me. Absolutely, without a doubt.

Brandon Sanderson Stormlight Archieve. I'm totally obsessed again now that the sequel has a firm release date.

Alex wrote: "Steven Erikson, without a shred of hesitation."

This one definitely. But interesting as it is, it's not a world I'm sure I'd want to live in.

Banks' Culture wins that contest hands down for me.

Joe Ambercrombie's "First Law" world, Banks's "Culture" and Richard Morgan's take on the near future with "Market Forces" and "Thirteen/Black Man" are standouts for me....ok, Herbert's "Dune" universe as well

Sword: (no particular order)
Steven Brust's Dragaera.
Feist's Midkemia and to a lesser extent Kelewan.
Fritz Leiber's Newhon.
Krynn of the Dragonlance books.
GRRM's Westeros.
Terry Pratchett's Discworld.
Almost any setting from Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion books.

Laser:
Herbert's Dune.
Simmons' Hyperion.
Corey's The Expanse.

The ones from childhood stick hard -- Oz, Narnia, Middle Earth, Earthsea, Pern, Arrakis, Llankhmar, Asimov's universe, Amber . . .

As for worlds that have sucked me in as an adult, I'm really impressed by the worlds in Sun of Suns, A Deepness in the Sky, Way of Kings, Game of Thrones, Sundiver, and A Dying Earth.

Well, Middle Earth for starters. There's a reason Tolkien is still king.

Dune, definitely Dune.

Westeros by G.R.R. Martin.

Probably about a dozen others I just can't think of at the moment.

Westeros and Midkemia have drawn me in more than any others I can remember. Midkemia might have even been quicker to do it than Westeros.

Brandon Sanderson's larger world has sucked me in, but not as quickly as Westeros and Midkemia. I suspect that Worlds of Radiance will help that, though. :)

Middle Earth
Hyboria
The Sprawl.

I love books where the setting seems like as much of a character as the actual characters.

- Mieville's Bas-Lag
- Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast
- Jeff Vandermeer's Ambergris

All of these worlds are great! I didn't see any Dark Tower though. Stephen King's universe/ multi-verse expands even into Joe Hill's novels. I am really really digging The Way of Kings. It was my first Sanderson read and I really felt like the world was well realized.

Middle Earth. Islandia. I can picture both so well it's like I've visited there. The Dark is Rising has some very vivid settings. The Pern books have a good sense of place, one of their strongest points. The setting of Old Peter's Russian Tales is strong. I can experience sitting in a small warm roon with the Russian winter outside, a steaming samovar of tea. Le Giun's Always Coming Home has some places I'd recognise if I ever saw them. The introduction's description of her bring her grand-daughter to the sea oats on the coast is an image I'll always carry.

If your taking worlds literally then I can only think of two at the moment

Arakis in Dune and the world in Sanderson's The Way of Kings.

In both of these the ecology of the planet is essential and almost everything else relates back to it.

Lois McMaster Bujold's Barrayar feels very real, partly because she makes a point to show how things change culturally in response to new technology and political pressures.

I grew up with the "RandLand" of Robert Jordan's and Middle Earth as my worlds. Through those books I sometimes feel as if I have walked through those forests and cities myself. Those two worlds are the first ones that I truly felt connected with.

No love for the young adult/children's fictional worlds? Harry Potter? Abarat? Redwall? Skulduggery Pleasant's world (these books are hysterical, by the way. I love them)? Alt history counts as fictional!

This very subject was discussed on the Jeff Rubin Jeff Rubin show a couple months ago:

Amanda wrote: "No love for the young adult/children's fictional worlds? Harry Potter? Abarat? Redwall? Skulduggery Pleasant's world (these books are hysterical, by the way. I love them)? Alt history counts ..."

Redwall is one I hope to visit next year :)
Pern completely hooked me as a kid, but when I read it earlier this year, it didn't draw me in as much.
Harry Potter I loved but it was a different sort. I guess on e he got to Hogwarts I was drawn in. Though I became less emanated in later books.

I like Brust's Draegera.

And yeah, I'm boring, Middle-Earth sucked me in the most

Tekumel, the setting for M.A.R. Barker's Empire of the Petal Throne RPG and novels beginning with The Man of Gold -- weird and intricate and alien and exotic with layers upon layers of history beneath its surface.

The setting of Michael Reaves' The Shattered World -- isolated fragments of a former globe (which, of course, retain gravity & atmosphere because MAGIC!), between which people fly in ships of dragonskin.

Amanda wrote: "No love for the young adult/children's fictional worlds? Harry Potter? Abarat? Redwall? Skulduggery Pleasant's world (these books are hysterical, by the way. I love them)? Alt history counts ..."

I said Harry Potter! I'll gladly go to Hogwarts.

Amanda wrote: "No love for the young adult/children's fictional worlds? Harry Potter? Abarat? Redwall? Skulduggery Pleasant's world (these books are hysterical, by the way. I love them)? Alt history counts ..."

I love Redwall, they introduced my love for fantasy.

Draegera for sure. Also, interestingly I got really sucked into the post-apocalyptic urban fantasy setting of the Kate Daniels series from Illona Andrews. I found a sample chapter from Magic Bites at the end of something else and was instantly hooked.

Daniel Abraham's The Dagger & The Coin series (crazy cool humanoids that can interbreed, but set in medieval kind of world. Economics plays a key role in the story).

Robin McKinley's Sunshine (Urban fantasy with so many great little details that I really hope McKinley will revisit this world with another book).

Susan wrote: "Daniel Abraham's The Dagger & The Coin series (crazy cool humanoids that can interbreed, but set in medieval kind of world. Economics plays a key role in the story).

Robin McKinley's Sunshine (Urb..."

I think that's why I didn't like Sunshine as much as I should have. The world was so amazing, and I loved it so much. I wanted more and I hated that it ended. I wanted to stay there even though the story was ended.

Jennifer wrote: "Susan wrote: "Daniel Abraham's The Dagger & The Coin series (crazy cool humanoids that can interbreed, but set in medieval kind of world. Economics plays a key role in the story).

Robin McKinley's..."

Very true. I have all these questions and I wonder where Sunshine's life will go from here. Like what was up with Mel's tattoos? What will she and the SOF guys face next? And just who or what is the Goddess of Pain?

Robin McKinley, if you're reading this, please, please give us more of this most incredible world you created!

Sword: David Eddings's Malloreon, and Belgariad

Laser: Herbert's Dune

Susan wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Susan wrote: "Daniel Abraham's The Dagger & The Coin series (crazy cool humanoids that can interbreed, but set in medieval kind of world. Economics plays a key role in the story).
..."

Yeah and a cookbook to go along with more books in the Sunshine Universe wouldn't be a bad idea either Robin McKinley!

Jennifer wrote: "Susan wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Susan wrote: "Daniel Abraham's The Dagger & The Coin series (crazy cool humanoids that can interbreed, but set in medieval kind of world. Economics plays a key role i..."

Bitter chocolate Death!

Zelazny's Amber
Grimjack's Cynosure, the city where all realities meet, from John Ostrander and Tim Truman.
Brian Daley's Corporate Sector gave Han Solo a nice playground.

Doug wrote: "Sword: David Eddings's Malloreon, and Belgariad

Laser: Herbert's Dune"

Sword. I must confess this opinion puzzles me. Of course, Eddings is a writer I just don't get.

The thing that turns me off about him is what I see as his shallow world building that doesn't get beyond cliches. He has EVERY person from a country exemplify their national stereotypes.

I've asked a number people, but I'd still like to "get" why Eddings gets considerable love (which his sales numbers clearly show).

JohnViril wrote: "Sword. I must confess this opinion puzzles me. Of course, Eddings is a writer I just don't get.

The thing that turns me off about him is what I see as his shallow world building that doesn't get beyond cliches. He has EVERY person from a country exemplify their national stereotypes.

I've asked a number people, but I'd still like to "get" why Eddings gets considerable love (which his sales numbers clearly show). "

I think it may have something to do with when a person was exposed to that author. I started reading Eddings around 10-11 years old and found those books to be fun; the characters are still some of my favorite in fantasy. I also re-read the Belgariad awhile ago and found them to be just as enjoyable then.

Are they simpler stories then the fantasy that is being produced now? Yes. Less enjoyable? I don't think so. I think their simplicity is what makes them classics.

*edited because autocorrect can suck it*

Jennifer wrote: "Susan wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Susan wrote: "Daniel Abraham's The Dagger & The Coin series (crazy cool humanoids that can interbreed, but set in medieval kind of world. Economics plays a key role i..."

OMG a Sunshine cookbook would be the BEST.

Vance's Dying Earth
Wolfe's Briah\Yesod
Wolfe's Ancient Greece + Gods!
Mieville's Bas-Lag
Tolkien's Middle Earth, of course.
Robinson's Mars Trilogy
Banks' Culture
LeGuin's Hainish Saga

Kenneth wrote: "Vance's Dying Earth
Wolfe's Briah\Yesod
Wolfe's Ancient Greece + Gods!
Mieville's Bas-Lag
Tolkien's Middle Earth, of course.
Robinson's Mars Trilogy
Banks' Culture
LeGuin's Hainish Saga"

I'm with you on the Bas-Lag.

Anybody read the Book of Swords by Saberhagen? Bit silly but it was fun to see all the swords play against each other

Niven's Known Space series
Zelazny's Amber series
(Also, I loved the world of Zelazny's Lord of Light.)
Cherryh's Chanur series

I was going to mention Lord of Light too! Even if it is just one book.

Micah wrote: "JohnViril wrote: "Sword. I must confess this opinion puzzles me. Of course, Eddings is a writer I just don't get.

The thing that turns me off about him is what I see as his shallow world building ..."

I always enjoyed the Sparhawk books & that world, although I understand the shallow world bldg critique. Just the introduction to Sparhawk in The Diamond throne was worth the minor disappointment of the Tamuli series though (I thought the ending was a little duex ex machina).