Worldbuilding in Fantasy and Science Fiction

This is a draw, but it's also a pitfall. One of the surest signs of an amateur author is an inconsistent milieu in which the story plays itself out.

Quasi-Europe, Quasi-Earth

It's easy to see why many fantasies are set in a pseudo-Middle Ages on an earth-like world. Everyone knows (or thinks they know) what serfs and lords and kings and minstrels are. So with a bit of magic, voila, a magical setting for your apocalyptic battle between good and evil to take place.

Still, many new authors, especially younger ones, don't perhaps know as much about the Middle Ages as they think they do. Or they choose to change certain details of the social structure without thinking through how such a change might have come about and how it would influence surrounding social structures.

One example of Quasi-Europe done rather well is Fiona Patton's Branion Realm novels, which begins with The Stone Prince. Branion is clearly meant to resemble Scotland, with the notable exception that the genders are completely equal. There are no titles for Princess, Duchess or Lady. One is a Prince, a Duke or a Lord regardless of genitalia. This has the surprising effect of making the book very difficult to read in parts, as you try to recall if the Count or the Duke currently being addressed is male or female. It does matter, however noble an experiment this series of novels was.

Think It Through

Many consider 'worldbuilding' in Sci-fi and particularly in fantasy to be a simple matter of drawing a map of their fictitious terrain. But you really need to give it more thought. A city in the desert? why on earth? Cities grow up originally around first, waterways and later, major highways. Is there a highway through the desert? If so, why? Is it a major trade route to reach markets on the other side? Then perhaps a city might have sprouted at the junction where several trade routes converged. But how is it fed? Where does its water come from? All questions need to be answered if you don't want to leave your readers continually 'falling out of the story' to ask themselves how it all fits together.

Worldbuilding Assistance

To make sure you're not propagating any hideous scientific boners in your sci-fi worldbuilding, you might consider Stephen Gillet's World Building, from Ben Bova's series on writing sci-fi.

Patricia Wrede has an amazingly extensive world-building questionnaire at The Science Fiction Writers of America's website. If you can work your way through all these questions, you will have developed an indepth and working knowledge of the milieu your characters will be inhabiting.

Holly Lisle also has some interesting things to say about World Building.

Jeffrey A. Carver's online guide for young authors, WriteSF.com, includes a section on world building, as well as other aspects of the craft of writing.

Don't Skimp on Worldbuilding in Fantasy and Science Fiction

If you dash through the process of thinking through your fictitious setting, it will show in the final product. Those novels that stick with us are the ones that transport us to other worlds. And this only succeeds if the world is well-thought-out, internally consistent and fascinating.