If you could live in any fantasy world...

[Ealasaid]

Rivendale?

In the shelter of Tom Bombadil's home?

Tolkien's Middle Earth, where I discovered fantasy in 1968.

[Mich]

I'd have to go with Melanie Rawn's world from the Dragon Prince and the Dragon Star trilogies.

[Matrim Fox Cauthon]

Fantasy Series: Earthsea - A world of the open seas, no real major catastrophes for peasants to truly worry about, and no cheap demihumans.

Fantasy Movie: The Dark Crystal - The world is completely alien and would be incredible to explore and the evil skeksis have left.

[The Man]

The land where Mary Malone spent a good deal of time towards the end of His Dark Materials. Can't remember if it ever actually received a name. Seems like it'd be a neat place to live.

Alternatively, the World of Sky from the Death Gate Cycle. Or the Discworld.

[Asa]

Rivendale?

In the shelter of Tom Bombadil's home?

Tolkien's Middle Earth, where I discovered fantasy in 1968.

Rivendale sounds nice....

I have my suspicions that Tom Bombadil is actually a pedophile, though.

[Stonehelm]

I would have to say that I would want to live in the world that David Eddings created in The Belgariad. At least the world I remember reading about when I was still a teenager. It seemed to have the right mix of terrain, ethnic, magic and temperment.

[Xanrn]

Are we allowed to take stuff from this world? Cause living in Westeroes would be fun, if I could take an Assault Rifle back.

Or maybe live in Star Wars land, get yourself a Lightsabre.

Then move to Westeros, "Dawn? Lightbringer? Blackfyre? pfft I got me a Lightsabre biatchs!"

Maybe Marvel Universe if I could be a Super-hero.

Well it depends, Malaz World would be fun, especially if you were a Sapper.

Hmmm Cussers+Westeros = Fun.

"Twins are falling down, falling down."

Give one to Dany with "Dragon chew toy" written on it.

One to Cersei with "Make-U-Man Potion" written on it.

One to the Maesters with "I bet you can't guess how this works" written on it.

[oneeye]

Shire with a nice round door does sound nice actually.

[shortstark]

Middle Earth, Gondor, 3rd age, after the return of the king...

[Alwyn]

I've changed my mind, if not the Arabian Nights (come on genies nad belly dancing!) I would live in "a galaxy far far away", relatively monor danger and extremely cool spacecrafts, but only if I get to be a Jedi

[Jerol]

Amber sounds good, especially if you're one of the family. And on everyone's good side.

Malaz would only be good if you were Quick Ben powerful, too many dangers in that world.

Westeros? No, I like to keep my head right where it is, attached to my neck.

Middle Earth, after the return of the King sounds best. Rivendell is tempting but the Shire gets my vote: ale, willing barmaids, lots of books to read, maps to study.

[Werthead]

Someone made a post a few months back about how would you actually go about living in Westeros and someone replied about having a few automatic rifles and shitloads of ammo, plus a flamethrower (in case the Others turn up) and a heat-seeking missile-equipped AA battery (in case Dany and her dragons turn up).

[Baeraad]

It's more sf than fantasy, but I've always liked Moorcock's Dancers at the End of Time world. Spending eternity turning yourself into various bizarre works of art? What's not to like?

Failing that, being a wizard at Unseen University sounds nice. All they seem to do is loaf about all day, eat big dinners and try to avoid a) the students and Ridcully. And they live to be 120, too. They're just like hobbits, only without the annoying wholesomeness.

[williamjm]

One of Peter F. Hamilton's worlds (presumably one that doesn't get nuked, incinerated in a solar flare or engulfed by a nova) would be cool to live on: good standard of living, interesting philosophical discussions in the midst of genocidal crises and an implasuibly large number of attractive women who like blokes for their personalities first and foremost. What's not to like?

It does depend a bit on who you are in the Hamiltonverses. There does tend to be a significant underclass (as well as some planets with very odd ways of life). I think to take full advantage you have to have lots of money. I did hear a description of Hamilton's SF worldbuilding as being "The universe it controlled by immortal rich people"

That said, I can't really see much downside to being an Edenist in the Night's Dawn universe.

And if we include science fiction, then I'd buy a condo in the nearest Culture GSV right this instance.

The Culture may be a utopia but judging by Banks' books all the 'human' residents of the culture (not including the drones/minds or the 'helpers' like Zakalwe they recruit from other err cultures) seem to be extremely irritating and more than a little bit spoiled.

Alternatively, the World of Sky from the Death Gate Cycle

Thimhallan, from another W+H series (The Darksword Trilogy) could be quite good fun - a world where everyone has magic must have some pretty interesting sights to see.

[Alwyn]

It probably doesn't count as genuine fantasy but why not pick any one of those worlds/magical parallels of earth depicted in classic fairy tlaes like Cinderella or Snow White.

I mean the more kiddy modern versions of those worlds of course, not the brother's grimm version where the prince in Rapunzel gets his eyes gouged out.

Those places all seem pretty safe if non death sitautions is what we're looking for.

Of course if you're ugly you're screwed because ugly people always end up badly in those stories, and I'm not sure I want to be married at 16 living in one of those worlds, but heck, you can't beat them for cuteseyness of those places.

[Dornishman]

Purey fantasy... eh, no, they all suck to live in, insufficient technology, an dthus insufficient stadnard of living.

Including Sci-Fi...

Well, Banks culture, or one of the nanotopias of Orion's Arm, maybe. Far, far future, with everything at your disposal.

[Mentat]

I'd go for the Culture too.

Humanity has finally managed to build AIs that are much cleverer than it is. So management of all important issues has been passed over to them. Being so clever they have solved all existing human problems (so there are more than enough resources of every kind for everyone, illnesses are no more, rejuvenating treatments have been perfectioned to provide quasi-immortality...). I also like the fact that the body has stopped being important at all, biology is so advanced under the IAs that you can completely alter your appearance, age or sex with a simple operation.

And if you get bored with this utopia (where yes, human beings are constantly spoilt) you can enlist in Contact and pose as a member of a low-technology level alien society while you collect data for the Culture (I recommend the novel "Excessions", where two members of the Culture pose as a bodyguard and a doctor in two quite different medievalesque settings, it will appeal to both the fantasy and the sci-fi fans).

mentat

[Dornishman]

Actually... cross the Culture. Ill say definitly an Irons Arm nanotopia. Maybe Solarian Dominion, or MPA... for one reason: In the culture, people still die regularily.

I mean, wtf? Surely the technology is there to have one be immortal. The Culture is THE uber-cvilisation, so advanced biotech should be a nobrainer. But, no, apapently people still die to prevent overpopulation. Okay, hmhm.... why then do robots live forever? That makes no sense whatsoever. if people can get immortal, they will push for immportality, and, IMHO, that is the highest, the ultimate gain out there.

So, yes, Orions Arm, somewhere in the Inner Sphere where Blights are so unlikely.

[Mentat]

I mean, wtf? Surely the technology is there to have one be immortal. The Culture is THE uber-cvilisation, so advanced biotech should be a nobrainer. But, no, apapently people still die to prevent overpopulation.

Where did that come from? Why would overpopulation be a problem when you can pack millions in a GSV and most anything you can think of (food, air...) can be mass-produced?. People only die in the Culture when they decide to (or if they have their brains destroyed in some freak accident).

What setting are these nanotopias from? I've never heard of them.

mentat

[The Marquis de Leech]

Either Zelazny's Amber, Tolkien's (pre-Sauron) Numenor, or Donaldson's (pre-Ritual of Desecration) Land would be my sensible choice. My non-sensible choice would be Clark Ashton Smith's Zothique (yay, necromancy run riot!).