Fantasy Lovers discussion
What is the best setting in a fantasy book you have ever encountered?
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Michelle
(last edited Aug 25, 2016 01:50PM)
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Nov 19, 2007 08:13AM
Most of my favorite settings are in Science Fiction Books.
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That's a great question, but even after thinking about it for a while I know I'll still forget one! You're right that science fiction gets more unique settings - fantasy can be a bit disappointing like that - which one do you like in particular?I absolutely love the watery world with its vastly different islands in Isobelle Carmody's Legendsong Trilogy, and Chaz Brenchley's djinn-populated desert was very vivid in his Outremer trilogy.
If I think of any others, I'll mention them. Otherwise, I loved the sci-fi/fantasy world in Eric van Lustbader's Pearl Saga.
I really think that the setting in the trilogy by Monica Furlong (Wise Child, Coleman, and Juniper) is excellent... the was the author describes in such vivid detail all of the shabby village houses, the tall, white stone house of Juniper and all the other places Wise Child encounters. An super good books as well!
I guess my favorite Fantasy book setting is from the chronicles of Narnia, especially the Horse and his boy and the Magician's Nephew. I also love the setting of Gossamer by Lois Lowery. I love the setting of the "Among the" series by Margeret Peterson Haddix and the setting of Philip Pullman's Golden Compass, but I consider those Science Fiction. The settings of the Giver and Feed are also great. I feel like I am missing a few so I will post later if I remember them.
I tend to find a lot of Fantasy books with classic middle ages settings (i.e. dragons, castles, princesses, witches). I like it when the author comes up with a more original setting.
The Harry Potter books have an excellent setting, also.
Oh yes, Potter! How could I forget Potter? :) Those books have great atmosphere!
Definitely! I love Harry! Also, I love the setting in the book The Sacrifice, which is historical fiction, not fantasy, but still super good!!!
I also like the setting in Howl's Moving Castle. I like everything about that book :). The setting in Howl's Moving Castle almost reminds me of the setting in the Golden Compass- not really though.
Ah, the Golden Compass. I actually never liked those books - though the setting was vividly described.
I loved the setting in The Amber Spyglass, in the world with the creatures with trunks and triangular spines and the giant trees. That was a really interesting and visually rich setting in particular, I thought.I loved Howl's Moving Castle as well, great landscape!
I've read the Golden Compass and the Subtle Knife, but I haven't read the Amber Spyglass yet. I hope I will be getting around to it soon. It sounds good. The setting in the House of Stairs is really amazing, and sort of creepy. But I consider the House of Stairs Science Fiction.
Has anyone else read the House of Stairs? I'm going to reread it soon.
Tough question actually - it takes awhile to really develop a settings, so anything outside of a series is at a huge disadvantage here. I would tend to break this up into dark fantasy and light fantasy because I look for completely different charactistics for each. On the dark side ... I know several people to claim that the setting in the Thomas Convenant by Stephen R. Donaldson was the ONLY thing that kept them reading the series; unfortunately I really hated the protagonist and couldn't get past the first book, so I can really push that world. That would leave the setting created by Glen Cook for the Black Company series as my favorite.
On the light side ... I like the Dragon Riders of Pern setting by Anne McCaffrey and the Wheel of Time setting by Robert Jordan. Pern is just a lot of fun, while the WoT setting has some of the best components of existing mythology that I have encountered in popular fantasy ... it was what kept me reading the series after Jordon's plot started to drift.
OH OH!! I am totally with you Steve!! R.A. Salvatore is most definitely series person ever!!! :D
My favorite fantasy setting is Charles de Lint's Newford. It's a modern city with a magic underworld.
Kristjan, I don't know if I agree with you about Pern! Yes, it's a cool place. But extremely dangerous (Thread! ugh!) and I wouldn't want to live there ;)I agree with Potterworld... I have a friend's sister who's still waiting for her welcome letter by owl. (She's like, 29 years old.)
My favorite right now is the Study world by Maria V. Snyder, because I'm more than a little obsessed and both parts of it (Ixia and Sitia) appeal to me. I think I would prefer it in Ixia, which is more orderly and a bit like Canada. But then, we always want what we can't have, right?
