Worlds Better than Tolkiens

[dArkNESS rISiNG]

In your opinion, what are the best built up worlds? I mean built by realistic cultures/society, characters of these cultures and most intruging nations. This thread is inspired by a recent thread about living in different worlds..

It is a common assumption that Tolkien was/is the best at worldbuilding. I don't think that's true, imo. Tolkien's world is great, but I still think there are others out there that match it in grandeur and even exceed it.

Do you think this is true? If not, what worlds do you think are on par or just a step below? Why?

IMO i think they include:

MBotF- the world is vast and complex w/ many different cultures. To me, this could be the best worldbuilding ever, if not for the lack of development in the malaz world.. But the world trumps LotRs with the sheer grandness of its past. The Silmarrion was great, but c'mon, Erickson could create novels upon novels of Malaz's past and they would all be great and interesting.

SoI&F- the world's history is just as complex as the LotR's world. I would agrue that it is much more gritty and realistic as well. I think both stories show similarities, but SoI&F is better even without the magic. The characters in SoI&F are also much more developed and realistic. I've never cared about Turin or any of the others, but SoI&F is different story...

Those are only two. Sadly, I haven't been able to read as much fantasy as I would like (just finished the Manifold trilogy), but there must be others.

 

[Mock]

I think Arda is the best world. It's so rich in history -- not that Malaz and Westeros aren't but I just like Arda better. For me, The Silmarillion is endlessly intriguing.

I love Earwa though.

 

[Anthorn]

Santhenar.

 

[Larry]

Earth At least it spawned more cultures and philosophies than all the rest

 

[Mock]

Earth At least it spawned more cultures and philosophies than all the rest

Lame, Aldarion

 

[Luonas]

Arda, SoIaF I think is pretty shallow in comparison. GRRM's big strength is not his world.

Wu is great but do not match the detail of Arda.

Would still vote for Earth tho

 

[Lfex]

Earth At least it spawned more cultures and philosophies than all the rest

Ah, but which Earth?

 

[Larry]

So many Earthly possibilities that one could never exhaust the setting, so any of them?

 

[joacqin]

Despite the fact that Jordan dragged out his series until he passed away and got bogged down in the amount of lace people were wearing I have to say that the Wheel of Time world is one of my absolute favourites. It is big but it is still possible to grasp it and feel like you know it decently it also feels like everything is connected. The Malazan world is awesome but it is so great that you never feel comfortable which of course has its own appeal.

 

[STHayden]

I think the earth in The Hungry City Chronicles is the best one. but it's my favorite series.

 

[Kazz Wylde]

Martin's ASoI&F

Howard's Hyboria

 

[molybdenum]

To me, the Malazan world is just to big for me to get a good grasp on all the history involved in it, even just involving the Malazan empire. Kind of like Earth in that respect.

I'd have to say my favorite is Earwa. I can keep track of the history, it has a set system of rules about what can happen, and has the characters involved continue to use this history and learn from it.

 

[Afrobro]

??

To the original Poster I would like to say I am very suprised by your comment that erikson's world rivals Tolkiens. No I am not the biggest LOTR fan in the world but I have read the Silmarillion and the Lost Tales, and nothing in MBOTF comes close to capturing the sadness and beauty of these two books.

I think I heard someone describe the world of MBOTF as broad but lacking depth. I think that is spot on. The only thing we really see these cultures do is fight and die. There is no Malazan equivalent of beren's love story, there is no malazan equivalent of the tragic turin turambar. IMO there is a really a sense of loss and beauty captured in Arda that is not to be found in the malazan book of overpowered characters.

Also we pretty much now the beginning and major lore of Middle Earth while we are shown relatively little about the beginnigs of the malazan world. It is broad and yes there are a lot of cultures but at the end of the day all the differences really boil down to whos fighting who. (IMO)

 

[Sonja Ravenscroft]

Despite the fact that Jordan dragged out his series until he passed away and got bogged down in the amount of lace people were wearing I have to say that the Wheel of Time world is one of my absolute favourites. It is big but it is still possible to grasp it and feel like you know it decently it also feels like everything is connected. The Malazan world is awesome but it is so great that you never feel comfortable which of course has its own appeal.

Boy am I out of it! When did Jordan pass away(mind you I've been mentally elsewhere the past few years)?

How many books did he get before he died- have any of the newer books been (pardon the pun) Ghost written?


I liked the Wheel of Time, and thought it was filling out pretty decently. The only other series I think that captures (to me) the magical quality-please don't laugh-is Brian Jacques Redwall series-though he hasn't nearly fleshed it out the way JRR did.

 

[Fred Gallney]

Lame as the series is, I think Paolini's Alagaesia really nails a good world on the head. The reason I think this is because the maps of Paolini's world are so well done. It gives a great visual, and Alagaesia seems to be a land of wonders - somewhere I could easily go. How wondrous it would be to journey into the heart of Du Weldenvarden, the Great Forest, or to traverse my way through the Beor Mountains, or to trek across the parched plains of the Desert. Alagaesia is simple, but effective, and draws the reader in.

If only Paolini had utilized his great world and produced an equally great story...

 

[Zedar]

Boy am I out of it! When did Jordan pass away(mind you I've been mentally elsewhere the past few years)?

How many books did he get before he died- have any of the newer books been (pardon the pun) Ghost written?

RJ died last year, leaving eleven completed WoT books. Apparently Brandon Sanderson has been contracted to finish the last book, based on RJ's copious notes on it. Sanderson has written books such as Elantris and Mistborn.

 

[justLuke]

I'm fond of Le Guin's Earthsea, Pratchett's Discworld, and Mieville's Bas-Lag.

The mythological China portrayed in Journey to the West is also very appealing - but it's not exactly an invented world.

 

[Mock]

To the original Poster I would like to say I am very suprised by your comment that erikson's world rivals Tolkiens. No I am not the biggest LOTR fan in the world but I have read the Silmarillion and the Lost Tales, and nothing in MBOTF comes close to capturing the sadness and beauty of these two books.

I think I heard someone describe the world of MBOTF as broad but lacking depth. I think that is spot on. The only thing we really see these cultures do is fight and die. There is no Malazan equivalent of beren's love story, there is no malazan equivalent of the tragic turin turambar. IMO there is a really a sense of loss and beauty captured in Arda that is not to be found in the malazan book of overpowered characters.

Also we pretty much now the beginning and major lore of Middle Earth while we are shown relatively little about the beginnigs of the malazan world. It is broad and yes there are a lot of cultures but at the end of the day all the differences really boil down to whos fighting who. (IMO)

You hit the nail on the head, bro

 

[Miriamele]

I really love the world of LeGuin's Earthsea, although I wouldn't say it's actually better than Middle Earth, which will always be my favourite fantasy world.

 

[columbob]

Also we pretty much now the beginning and major lore of Middle Earth while we are shown relatively little about the beginnigs of the malazan world. It is broad and yes there are a lot of cultures but at the end of the day all the differences really boil down to whos fighting who. (IMO)

Why would we need to know about the beginnings of any world? We hardly know anything about our own besides the Big Bang. Basically, any fantasy world is created by a god and his angels or whatever. It was also the most boring, dry part of the Silmarillion. Just because you put a name on the creator, doesn't make it essential or even useful to know.

RJ died last year, leaving eleven completed WoT books. Apparently Brandon Sanderson has been contracted to finish the last book, based on RJ's copious notes on it. Sanderson has written books such as Elantris and Mistborn.

Don't forget Jordan also wrote and published a prequel (A New Spring) before finishing the series. While I was glad to get to read a new WoT book only a year after Crossroads of Twilight was released (Jan 2003-Jan 2004), I would have preferred if he'd concentrated on the main series.