Setting is something we bring up quite a lot in reviews. We all tend to appreciate world-building that's really well thought out and we also tend to quickly lose interest in world-building that's lazy or nonsensical. Today on Three Heads Are Better Than One (Or Two), we are talking about great settings - settings that are not only well done but that we also wish were real life places so we could pile into a van with lots of caffeinated drinks and sugar and go to there. (Imagine The Readventurers on a road trip to Hogwarts or Avonlea - epic!) I can just see us drinking raspberry cordial to excess and getting up to no good with the Marauders' Map. Now if only we could get our hands on a set of vanishing cabinets that took us to each others' houses...
There are many fictional places that I would love to visit but, keeping in mind that the stories set in these places are often full of danger, only on the condition that I would be free to return to the safety of our own reality immediately upon request. (And, sorry, I don't feel like checking out District 12, even if I am guaranteed a meeting with Peeta Mellark. Dystopias are pretty much a no-no for me when it comes to actually "sampling" of them.)
1) Harry Potter-verse. This is such an obvious and cheaty choice, I know. But, what can I say, I'd love it there. I can tell this for sure because I have already sort of experienced this world, thanks to Universal Studios in Orlando, and let me tell you, walking the streets of Hogsmeade, drinking butter beer at Three Broomsticks and visiting Hogwarts was a blast and a dream come true.
1) Harry Potter-verse. This is such an obvious and cheaty choice, I know. But, what can I say, I'd love it there. I can tell this for sure because I have already sort of experienced this world, thanks to Universal Studios in Orlando, and let me tell you, walking the streets of Hogsmeade, drinking butter beer at Three Broomsticks and visiting Hogwarts was a blast and a dream come true.
Hogwarts, view from the back terrace of Three Broomsticks
2) Fever-verse. My attraction to this world is three-fold.
On the one hand, I think visiting craic-full, fae-free present day Dublin could be a lot of fun, if it's even remotely similar to the vibrant city described by Karen Marie Moning. (Fish'n'chips sounds particularly nice just now.)
On the other hand, I find the whole idea of silvers connecting to different planes in Faery and to White Mansion - home of the Unseelie King and his concubine - utterly fascinating. Exploring different realities and different worlds (possibly alien worlds?) and then numerous mysterious rooms of the Mansion sounds like a great time to me.
And of course, who can forget Barrons Books & Baubles? I'd spend a few days there as well.
On the one hand, I think visiting craic-full, fae-free present day Dublin could be a lot of fun, if it's even remotely similar to the vibrant city described by Karen Marie Moning. (Fish'n'chips sounds particularly nice just now.)
On the other hand, I find the whole idea of silvers connecting to different planes in Faery and to White Mansion - home of the Unseelie King and his concubine - utterly fascinating. Exploring different realities and different worlds (possibly alien worlds?) and then numerous mysterious rooms of the Mansion sounds like a great time to me.
And of course, who can forget Barrons Books & Baubles? I'd spend a few days there as well.
3) Eretz and Prague as described by Laini Taylor. My memories of Laini's books are still fresh, so it's no wonder I am all eager to visit her worlds.
Like with Fever, I am attracted to both real and imaginary worlds in Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Days of Blood and Starlight. I would be equally interested in browsing the streets of Prague and sampling Karou's bohemian life style and seeing with my own eyes the chimaera and seraphim of Eretz. I would probably have to wear fake horns or wings there, right? I also foresee many awkward conversations as I'd try to learn more about mating habits of chimaera and seraphim. Can you blame me for my curiosity? With so many different types of chimaera of different aspects, how do they even navigate the dating scene? There must be a ton of rules. Same goes for seraphim with their armies populated by stepbrothers and sisters.
Like with Fever, I am attracted to both real and imaginary worlds in Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Days of Blood and Starlight. I would be equally interested in browsing the streets of Prague and sampling Karou's bohemian life style and seeing with my own eyes the chimaera and seraphim of Eretz. I would probably have to wear fake horns or wings there, right? I also foresee many awkward conversations as I'd try to learn more about mating habits of chimaera and seraphim. Can you blame me for my curiosity? With so many different types of chimaera of different aspects, how do they even navigate the dating scene? There must be a ton of rules. Same goes for seraphim with their armies populated by stepbrothers and sisters.
 | 4) Parallel universes and time travel. Flannery will talk about parallel universes in her part too. Just like her, I am very keen on this concept and would love to see what kind of person I would become if I made different decisions at some point in my life. How much different would I turn out to be? |  |
This concept is explored pretty extensively on TV and in books. But the book that comes first into my mind that would accommodate my urge to meet my alternative self is Ian McDonald's Planesrunner. Unlike let's say, Fringe, this book would give me an opportunity to get to know not just one other version of myself, but a limitless number of versions. Hmm, that sounds both exciting and very tiresome. How many of myselves could I realistically handle?
There are also a ton of books about time-travel. The fictional version that is the most appealing to me is the one in Alison Goodman's Singing the Dogstar Blues. I would not only go inside that world with pleasure, but possibly stay there for good after enrolling in its time-travel academy and acquiring an alien bestie.
There are also a ton of books about time-travel. The fictional version that is the most appealing to me is the one in Alison Goodman's Singing the Dogstar Blues. I would not only go inside that world with pleasure, but possibly stay there for good after enrolling in its time-travel academy and acquiring an alien bestie.
The first thing I need to say is that I thought about cheating on our own blog for this post by picking a book that would allow me to avoid truly answering the question. There are a few books that can easily be seen as cop-outs so I have to get those out of the way first. Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series is set in an alternate world that is similar in many ways to our own, but with many, many subtle differences. I'd love to experience living in that world, where literature crime is so prevalent that literary detective is actually a job description. (I think I'd be qualified to do this work. Perhaps this is my dream job?) If that were the only world in the series, I'd still want to visit, but instead, the series delves deep into the BookWorld, where every single thing that has ever been written or will be written exists to one extent or another. So why wouldn't I pick a book that allows me to visit EVERY setting? Game, set, match to me. Similarly, I know I would also want to pick Ernest Cline's recent sci fi novel, Ready Player One, because it would allow me to virtually visit any world from movies, video games, books, etc. that I could dream up. Of course, I'd probably be living in a slum due to the overpopulation and scarce resources in the primary world of that novel. Other cop out answers include Jumper (where I could visit any place on current Earth as long as I had a visual in my mind of it), and any of the "many worlds" theory based universe books in which I could experience endless different versions of myself/settings (The Walls of the Universe, for one). So, I'll move on to other, less cheater answers.
 | I think at this point, anyone who has ever had a conversation with me about books knows how obsessed I am with space fiction--as long as it's fun. While I absolutely respect (and adore) the world-building in books like Dune, do I really want to squeeze into a Freman bodysuit on Arrakis, snorting up spice and barfing up a lung from all the sand? Um, no thank you. I'd much rather be having conversations with a young James T. Kirk at Starfleet Academy or aboard a group of space travelers reminiscent of the crew on the Serenity. Though I've read a lot of books set in space (or in Starfleet's case, regarding space but set on Earth), these two are the space-related settings from series I'd most like to visit. Of course, if I could also find a Firefly-era Nathan Fillion or a snarky Chris Pine, that would be doubly amazing. |  |
I think eventually we'll need to do another 3/2 post about literary houses we'd most like to visit, because several of my favorite settings are ones I want to visit solely to see what the houses (or the surrounding area) looks like, even though I could probably go to similar places in our reality. For example, if Misselthwaite Manor from The Secret Garden looks anything like it did in the 1990-something movie, I'd love to go there. Same goes for those huge rambling houses from the Austen-era and the futuristic "mansion so large Eve doesn't even know how many rooms there are" from Nora Roberts' In Death series. I guess these could be seen as boring choices but I can't help it that I am obsessed with huge, sprawling houses that probably cost a million dollars a year in upkeep alone. Other reality-based places I'd love to see are the orange groves in California from Beverly Cleary's 1950s YA book, The Luckiest Girl, and Sherlock Holmes era England, though I'd only want to visit there as a wealthy person. (I learned this wish needs to be mentioned from Delia Sherman's The Freedom Maze, which I read this week and absolutely recommend)
In terms of built fantasy worlds I'd love to experience, there are so many. I think I would love to visit most worlds where magic is practiced--places like the world of Harry Potter, Maria V. Snyder's Study series, M.K. Hobson's world that mixes about four different genres, and even the Graceling Realm of Kristin Cashore, where hopefully I would be graced with being able to do everything awesome. And it probably goes without saying, but I'd love to be a dragon in Rachel Hartman's Goredd, from Seraphina.
Though I've only read the first book in Kenneth Oppel's Matt Cruse series, Airborn, but he created a world filled with airships, where sailmakers rappel around the outside, patching holes, and where people can vacation and travel on huge floating dirigibles. I mean, I think about once a day how much I'd love to go in a hot air balloon. If I could ever go on an airship, I'd probably explode with happiness.
I think I need to stop, because I think I could find something exciting in nearly every single book I've read. I want to go to all the places!
Though I've only read the first book in Kenneth Oppel's Matt Cruse series, Airborn, but he created a world filled with airships, where sailmakers rappel around the outside, patching holes, and where people can vacation and travel on huge floating dirigibles. I mean, I think about once a day how much I'd love to go in a hot air balloon. If I could ever go on an airship, I'd probably explode with happiness.
I think I need to stop, because I think I could find something exciting in nearly every single book I've read. I want to go to all the places!
I’m going to have to start with the obvious choices here, just to get them out of the way:
Phew. Now that I’ve gotten those obligatory choices out of the way, I’d love to talk about a few that I’ve only fallen in love with more recently. Recently, the idea of setting and world-building has become more crucial for me. I don’t know if it’s just because I’ve read so many fantasies or because I’m just getting old or what but, as I’ve mentioned before, shallow/generic world-building is a complete deal-breaker for me. Lately I want amazing, panoramic, inventive, technicolor worldbuilding with all the bells and whistles and nothing else will do. If you’re like me, I suggest you check out:
- I wish I could visit Hobbiton for second breakfast.
- I wish I could visit Lyra in alternate universe Oxford so I could finally see what my daemon looks like (totally hoping for a spider).
- I wish I could get sorted at Hogwarts (totally hoping for Hufflepuff, because those friendly, humble kids don’t get enough credit).
- I wish I could spend a day training with Alanna in Tortall (even though she’d definitely kick my ass).
- And for the rare non-fantasy pick, I wish I could spend a day drinking “raspberry cordial” and stealing Gilbert from right under Anne’s perfect nose in Avonlea.
Phew. Now that I’ve gotten those obligatory choices out of the way, I’d love to talk about a few that I’ve only fallen in love with more recently. Recently, the idea of setting and world-building has become more crucial for me. I don’t know if it’s just because I’ve read so many fantasies or because I’m just getting old or what but, as I’ve mentioned before, shallow/generic world-building is a complete deal-breaker for me. Lately I want amazing, panoramic, inventive, technicolor worldbuilding with all the bells and whistles and nothing else will do. If you’re like me, I suggest you check out:
Catherynne M. Valente: I hope that I’ll be singing this woman’s praises for the rest of my life. In my humble opinion, she’s one of the most gifted writers alive right now. AND, with over ten distinct works plus poems and short stories, she’s already incredibly prolific for her young age. There are so many of her worlds that I’d love to explore: Fairyland, the limitless virtual Interior (from Silently and Very Fast), the secret, sordid world of Palimpsest, and Koschei’s realm from Deathless. I have so much of her work to read – it’s both depressing (that I haven’t gotten to it all) and comforting (that I have so many brilliant books left).
China Miéville: Why yes, I am a China Girl. When I think about setting, his books will always come to mind. Some of his books might feel crowded, short on characterization, and long on imagination. But one thing that can never be faulted is his world-building. His worlds have allll the bells and whistles, plus the trumpets, kazoos, maracas, and foghorns. I think my favorites of his are the oddly segregated cities of Beszel and Ul Qoma from The City & The City, the motley Armada from The Scar, and maybe most of all – the diversely populated outer space world of the Immerverse from Embassytown. I'd love to hop aboard an immer ship and explore that place with Avice and her first mate.
 | Oh, Frances Hardinge how I love your crazy, crazy mind. Here is one of my favorite Frances Hardinge tweets (very appropriate for today!):  If the worlds from the two books of hers that I’ve read – the twisty caves of Caverna from A Face Like Glass and the treacherous Gullstruck Island – required a novella’s worth of setting notes then I am all for that mania. |
Her books may be labeled middle grade, but don’t let that label steer you away. Her stories are quirky and whimsical, but they’ll surprise you with their dark corners, deep thoughts, and most of all – their crazy imaginative worlds. Although to be honest, I’m not really sure I’d want to go to Caverna…except maybe to sample the cheeses.
Stacia Kane: Settings from my favorite series are almost always places that I’d love to visit. I guess it’s hard to spend so much time getting to know a place and not want to go there. I think most of you know that I love Stacia Kane’s Downside Ghosts series, and even though the series revolves around a very harsh, post-apocalyptic world, it has its upsides too. The main upside being…Downside (yeah, yeah – I couldn’t help it). I’d love to go out for a night at Tricksters, to enjoy some interesting (read: scavenged) food and great punk music from the 80’s and early 90’s. Chess can stay at home unless she promises to behave but of course, Terrible is always invited.
What are your favorite settings? Are they all places you wish you could visit or are some of them worlds you loved reading about but would never want to experience in real life?
