[Gem Windcaster]

Raymond Luxury Yacht;327571 said:

I see the point, but if you get too far away from earth-based, it starts to seem like scifi instead of fantasy.

That is not a bad thing!

[DarkGothicGirl]

Best fantasy world for me would be Tolkien's Middle Earth.

[Cougar]

I think my favorite would be Wu.

If I'm picking another I'm gonna say I like the Sipstrassi Earth, love Shannow and the Swords of Power and I think Lion of Macedon fits into the same world. I've heard it argued that all of the Gemmell novels take place in the same universe

[Abyss]

There are problems with the series, but as a whole, the interwoven worlds in Weis/Hickman's DEATHGATE CYCLE were interesting and perhaps one of the more novel takes on element-based worlds in a fantasy setting. The floating islands of the Air world were hardly novel but the way the atmosphere still followed world rules was a nice touch, the breathable waterworld was neat and i liked the disaster that was the stone world and the way the fire world internalized the sun. It was just well thought out without beating the reader over the head with 'look, it's a fire world so there are volcanos and shit, see?!?'.

- Abyss, always thought the Labyrinth would be a neat place to vacation but i wouldn't want to live there.

[Pallol One Eye]

Cougar;357110 said:

If I'm picking another I'm gonna say I like the Sipstrassi Earth, love Shannow and the Swords of Power and I think Lion of Macedon fits into the same world. I've heard it argued that all of the Gemmell novels take place in the same universe

Agree. Like the way he topples the earth several times during the course of the planets history to destroy Atlantis, Create Jannow's world. Putting people on the Titanic again, Flight 19. And all set in a backdrop that is essentially the "Wild Wild West" for Shannow. Cool stuff.

[Cause]

Quote

Erikson's Malazan. Erikson's past experience really shows through in his world. Hundreds of thousands of years of history, interesting and diverse cultures and non-human species that aren't just copies of dwarves and elves.

Bakker's Earwa. Interesting and distinct cultures, based on some real wold civilisations but remade and reworked so they stand on their own. There's a consistency to the world that makes it feel almost real. Exotic, mysterious, grim and dangerous.

Martin's Westeros. So much texture, for want of a better world. It feels real, yet it still retains many fantasy elements. The world is conveyed subtly, without cramming it down the reader's throat, yet at the same time there seems little doubt Martin knows every little detail of his creation (even if he actually doesn't, he manages to make you *think* he does) Like Bakker, there is also a great feel of consistency.

Mieville's Bas Lag, just for the sheer ammount of imagination and cool ideas.

Camoor- Okay the entire world is basically one city as far as we know but the author got it write. It was a city where you knew what happened to criminals, how they operate. You undertood who ruled and how.

[Masonity]

I just love Discworld. Then again, I'm not sure if it really counts. After all, it is the best and worst of our world, and every other fantast world out there.

I'm starting to think that perhaps our world is the best. Maybe the mythical magical alternative historyish our world, like Gemmel's takes on it... We know the fluff that way, the author only has to show us what's different.

[sinag55]

Uhm... this may sound stupid, but from what book is Wu?

[Illuyankas]

Old reference to the Malazan world that Steve mentioned using a while back in an interview. I seized upon it as an easier alternative to writing out The Malazan World, only to read in another interview that Steve doesn't like it or use it any more. It's still used a lot around the forum anyway.

[Pallol One Eye]

I still want it to be called Bob, Planet Bob

[sinag55]

Didn't know that. It's Wu, Bas-lag, and/or Earwa for me then.

[DarkGothicGirl]

I also like Terry Brooks Shannara world. I really like how his Genesis of Shannara tells of how our world became the four lands that make up Shannara.