12/24/2020 Worldbuilding - Wikipedia

Worldbuilding
Worldbuilding is the process of constructing an imaginary world, sometimes associated with a whole fictional universe.[1] Developing an
imaginary setting with coherent qualities such as a history, geography, and ecology is a key task for many science fiction or fantasy writers.[2]
Worldbuilding often involves the creation of maps, a backstory, and races (If you are writing speculative fiction), including social customs and, in
some cases, an invented language for the world.[3][4][5][6][7]

World building exists in novels, role-playing games, and visual media such as films, video games and comics.[8][9][10][11][12] Some authors of fiction
set multiple works in the same world. This is known as a fictional universe.[13] For example, science fiction writer Jack Vance set a number of his
novels in the Gaean Reach, a fictional region of space.[14] A fictional universe with works by multiple authors is known as a shared world. One
example of such is the Star Wars Expanded Universe.[15]

Contents
Etymology
History
Methods
Elements
Physics
Cosmology
Geography
Culture
Types of constructed worlds
See also
References

Etymology
The term "world-building" was first used in the Edinburgh Review in December 1820[16] and appeared in A.S. Eddington's Space Time and
Gravitation: An Outline of the General Relativity Theory (1920) to describe the thinking out of hypothetical worlds with different physical laws.[17]
The term has been used in science fiction and fantasy criticism since appearing in R.A. Lupoff's Edgar Rice Burroughs: Master of Adventure
(1965).[18]

History
The creation of literary fictional worlds was first examined by fantasy authors such as George MacDonald, J. R. R. Tolkien, Dorothy L. Sayers, and C.
S. Lewis.[19] Tolkien addressed the issue in his essay On Fairy Stories, where he stated that the "Secondary World" or "Sub-Creation" (the
constructed world) is substantially different from the art of play-writing: "Very little about trees as trees can be got into a play."[20] Constructed
worlds shift away from storytelling, narrative, characters and figures, and may explore "trees as trees" or aspects of the world in-and-of-themselves.

Later analysis of fantasy worlds in the 1960s contextualized them in the medium or the narrative of the works, offering an analysis of the stories in
the world, but not the world itself. Media franchises are similar to constructed worlds but do not necessarily rely on them; for example a media
franchise such as Star Wars has a constructed world, while The Beatles, as a franchise, does not. In the 2000s, worldbuilding in film has increased
in popularity. When before, writers sought to create a character that could sustain multiple stories, now they create a world that can sustain multiple
characters and stories.[19]

Methods
Worldbuilding can be designed from the top down or the bottom up, or by a combination of these approaches. The
official worldbuilding guidelines for Dungeons and Dragons refer to these terms as "outside-in" and "inside-out",
respectively.[21] In the top-down approach, the designer first creates a general overview of the world, determining
broad characteristics such as the world's inhabitants, technology level, major geographic features, climate, and
history. From there, they develop the rest of the world in increasing detail. This approach might involve creation of
the world's basics, followed by levels such as continents, civilizations, nations, cities, and towns. A world
constructed from the top down tends to be well-integrated, with individual components fitting together
appropriately. It can, however, require considerable work before enough detail is completed for the setting to be
useful, such as in the setting of a story.

With the bottom-up approach, the designer focuses on a small part of the world needed for his or her purposes.
This location is given considerable detail, such as local geography, culture, social structure, government, politics, A rendered constructed world as
commerce, and history. Prominent local individuals may be described, including their relationships to each other. seen from outer space
The surrounding areas are then described in a lower level of detail, with description growing more general with
increasing distance from the initial location. The designer can subsequently enhance the description of other areas
in the world. For example, an author may create fictional currencies and refer to fictional books to add detail to their world.

With the bottom-up approach, the designer focuses on a small part of the world needed for his or her purposes. Terry Pratchett says "You had to
start wondering how the fresh water got in and the sewage got out... World building from the bottom up, to use a happy phrase, is more fruitful than
world building from top-down."[22]

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This approach provides for almost immediate applicability of the setting, with details pertinent to a certain story or situation. The approach can
yield a world plagued with inconsistencies, however. By combining the top-down and bottom-up approaches, a designer can enjoy the benefits of
both. This is very hard to accomplish, however, because the need to start from both sides creates twice as much work, which may delay the desired
product.

Despite requiring considerable work to develop enough detail for a setting to be useful, not every aspect of a setting can be explored, and instead an
approach called inferred worldbuilding is often used. Inferred worldbuilding is when the author provides enough detail about the various parts of a
setting that readers can extrapolate on what is written to come to their own conclusions regarding specific details that weren't provided. This is
especially useful for roleplaying game settings, as individual games may require certain details to be created on a case-by-case basis for the RPG's
story to function.

Elements
From a game-design perspective, the goal of worldbuilding is to create the context for a story. Consistency is an important element, since the world
provides a foundation for the action of a story.[23] However, J. R. R. Tolkien described the goal of worldbuilding as creating immersion, or
"enchantment" as he put it, and descriptions of the world can be wholly disconnected from the story and narrative.[20]

An uninhabited world can be useful for certain purposes, especially in science fiction, but the majority of constructed worlds have one or more
sentient species. These species can have constructed cultures and constructed languages. Designers in hard science fiction may design flora and
fauna towards the end of the worldbuilding process, thus creating lifeforms with environmental adaptations to scientifically novel situations.

Physics

Perhaps the most basic consideration of worldbuilding is to what degree a fictional world will be based on real-world physics compared to magic.[24]
While magic is a more common element of fantasy settings, science fiction worlds can contain magic or technological equivalents of it. For example,
the Biotics in the science fiction video game series Mass Effect have abilities, described scientifically in-game, which mirror those of mages in
fantasy games. In the science fiction novel Midnight at the Well of Souls, magic exists, but is explained scientifically.

Some fictional worlds modify the real-world laws of physics; faster-than-light travel is a common factor in much science fiction. Worldbuilding may
combine physics and magic, such as in the Dark Tower series and the Star Wars franchise. One subgenre of science fiction, mundane science
fiction, calls for writers to depict only scientifically plausible technology; as such, fictional faster-than-light travel is not depicted in these works.

Cosmology

Constructed worlds often have cosmologies, both in the scientific and metaphysical senses of the
word. Design of science fiction worlds, especially those with spacefaring societies, usually entails
creation of a star system and planets. If the designer wishes to apply real-life principles of
astronomy, they may develop detailed astronomical measures for the orbit of the world, and to
define the physical characteristics of the other bodies in the same system; this establishes Diagram of the fictional "Starbase 11 Star
chronological parameters, such as the length of a day and the durations of seasons.[25] Some systems System" in the original Star Trek TV series.
are intentionally bizarre. For Larry Niven's novels The Integral Trees and The Smoke Ring, Niven
designed a "freefall" environment, a gas torus ring of habitable pressure, temperature, and
composition, around a neutron star.

Fantasy worlds can also involve unique cosmologies. In Dungeons and Dragons, the physical world is referred to as the Prime Material Plane, but
other planes of existence devoted to moral or elemental concepts are available for play, such as the Spelljammer setting, which provides an entirely
novel fantasy astrophysical system. Some fantasy worlds feature religions. The Elder Scrolls series, for example, contains a variety of religions
practiced by its world's various races. The world of the 2000 video game Summoner has a well-developed cosmology, including a creation myth.

Geography

Construction of a fictional map is often one of the first tasks of worldbuilding. Maps can lay out a world's basic
terrain features and significant civilizations present. A clear, concise map that displays the locations of key points
in the story can be a helpful tool for developers and audiences alike. Finished creative products, such as books, may
contain published versions of development maps; many editions of The Lord of the Rings, for example, include
maps of Middle-earth. Cartography of fictional worlds is sometimes called geofiction.[26]

The physical geography of a fictional world is important in designing weather patterns and biomes such as deserts,
wetlands, mountains, and forests. These physical features also affect the growth and interaction of the various
societies, such as the establishment of trade routes and locations of important cities.[27] Desire for control of
natural resources in a fictional world may lead to war among its people. Geography can also define ecosystems for
each biome. Often, Earth-like ecology is assumed, but designers can vary drastically from this trend. For example,
Isaac Asimov's short story "The Talking Stone" features a life form based on silicon, rather than carbon.[28]

Some software programs can create random terrain using fractal algorithms. Sophisticated programs can apply
geologic effects such as tectonic plate movement and erosion; the resulting world can be rendered in great detail,
providing a degree of realism to the result. A map of the fictional kingdom of
Aredia, which is used in a
Medieval role-playing game.
Culture

Constructed cultures, or concultures, are a typical element of worldbuilding. Worldbuilders sometimes employ past human civilizations as a model
for fictional societies. The 1990 video game Worlds of Ultima: The Savage Empire, for example, takes place in a world full of tribes based on
civilizations in early Mesoamerica and Africa. This method can make a fictional world more accessible for an audience. Simon Provencher has stated
as a 'Golden Rule' of worldbuilding that "... unless specified otherwise, everything inside your world is assumed to behave exactly as it would in the

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real world."[29] Another example is Steven S. Long, a representative of the Champions role-playing game, who stated that "Everything that
happened in the real world has also unfolded in the exact same way in the Champions Universe." This means any past wars, elections, and
technological advancements in our world occurred the same way in the Champions Universe unless explained otherwise.

Creating a cohesive alien culture can be a distinct challenge. Some designers have also looked to human civilizations for inspiration in doing so, such
as Star Trek's Romulans, whose society resembles that of ancient Rome. The fictional world's history can explain past and present relationships
between different societies, which can introduce a story's action. A past war, for example, functions as a key plot point in the Shannara and
Belgariad series.

Types of constructed worlds

Examples of constructed worlds include Terry Pratchett's Discworld, the pseudo-Earth Hyborian Age in the Conan series, the planet Arrakis in the
Dune series, the continent of Tamriel in the Elder Scrolls series of games, Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea universe and Gethen, the Subcontinent of
Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and Arda, the location of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, in The Lord of the Rings.

Constructed worlds are not always limited to one type of story. Lawrence Watt-Evans and Steven Brust created Ethshar and Dragaera, respectively,
for role-playing games before using them as settings for novels. M. A. R. Barker originally designed Tékumel well before the advent of role-playing
games, but many gamers, including Barker himself, have used it as a setting for such games.

A shared universe is a fictional universe that can be used by different authors. Examples of shared universes include the Star Wars expanded
universe and campaign setting developed specifically for role-playing games. One of the oldest of these is Oerth, developed for the Dungeons and
Dragons Greyhawk setting. Forgotten Realms is another such D&D setting, originally a homebrew campaign world by Ed Greenwood.

See also
Fantasy world Narnia (world)
List of fictional universes Paracosm
Mythopoeia Planets in science fiction

References
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