Worldbuilding in Literature

[Larry.]

Oh, that. I was sympathetic only as far as being hesitant about works that focus overmuch on that one element of a story to the point where the overall story would suffer. When I hear an author has almost slaved over that one aspect, based on past experiences with several novels, I tend to be wary because things that I value more in a story (themes, characterizations, prose) have suffered. Doesn't mean I believe it to be an ironclad rule or that most fantasy works are that way, but rather I can sympathize with a worry, if not with a dismissive attitude.

[fionwe1987]

Oh, that. I was sympathetic only as far as being hesitant about works that focus overmuch on that one element of a story to the point where the overall story would suffer. When I hear an author has almost slaved over that one aspect, based on past experiences with several novels, I tend to be wary because things that I value more in a story (themes, characterizations, prose) have suffered. Doesn't mean I believe it to be an ironclad rule or that most fantasy works are that way, but rather I can sympathize with a worry, if not with a dismissive attitude.

Well, that's something I can get behind. Mind you, I think that such fixations can yield good results when done right. Look at Tolkien. He spent decades building his world, but it wasn't just the small details. There are themes embedded in the history of his land, and that gives a richness to his world when seen through the eyes of the Hobbits.

In many other cases, though, you're right that an exclusive focus on worldbuilding can screw up other aspects of good writing.

[Larry.]

Hal Duncan breaks down distinctions/terminology related to this in an essay he just wrote.

[Wastrel]

And in case anyone other than DF was confused, here's the core of a reply I made on his blog, in reply to a complaint about 'beating his head against the wall' of 'epic fantasy people' in their 'sandbox': here.

[Nerdanel]

As I see the term, worldbuilding isn't necessary when the author sets the story on his own backyard, present time. He doesn't have to invent how loud is the sound of traffic early in the morning. He can just get up early and check. He doesn't have to invent what kind of flowers grow there. He can go out and check, using a reference book to identify them if necessary.

When the author departs from the sphere of his immediate experience, worldbuilding appears. Imaginary apartment in New York, imaginary town in Norway, imaginary country in Africa, imaginary planet in Andromeda - all of these are just matters of degree.

Similarly worldbuilding appears when the facts and natural laws are tweaked intentionally. Author's backyard with suspiciously prophetic dreams, author's backyard with sightings of fairies, author's backyard with mind control, author's backyard with lightning bolt spells, author's backyard with immortal dragon gods blowing the whole place to smithereens - these are examples of another axis.

The third possible axis is that of time, both forwards into unknowability and backwards into forgetfulness.