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Your favourite fantasy world?

  • Mr.
    • 763 posts
    September 20, 2015 1:46 PM EDT

     Hey all,

     I'm sure everyone here has already come across this question. But it's always fun to discuss it, and there are quite a few new folks around here to incite some fresh debate. So this discussion seeks your take on what you consider the best, or at least your personal favourite fantasy setting.

     From the Known World in A Song of Ice and Fire/GOT to the dark setting of Warhammer, we all have a little something that makes us like more one or another. So tell us...

           What's your favourite fantasy world? Why?

       This is for fantasy only. I will eventually make a discussion on sci-fi.

    • 133 posts
    September 20, 2015 1:58 PM EDT
    This is a hard one. The elder scrolls and Tolkiens Middle earth are definately at the top.
    • 411 posts
    September 20, 2015 1:59 PM EDT

    Nirn The world of the Elder scrolls best thing ever in my opinion

    • 26 posts
    September 20, 2015 2:14 PM EDT

    Narnia, the world of my childhood. 

    More gaming based, probably Sanctuary.

  • Mr.
    • 763 posts
    September 20, 2015 2:15 PM EDT

     I have recently started to delve into the Warhammer world in preparation to the upcoming Total War: Warhammer, and I'm loving it. It's so dark and gritty, and each race is really unique and everything is a lot different from other fantasy settings. It's a nice mix of your usual fantasy with some innovative stuff like the dwarves' steampunk style, the gothic style of the Empire somewhat mirroring the Rennaisance and other historical periods... And I have really just scratched the surface of this great series.

     Other than that, there's ASOIAF's world, which is likely my favourite but that is largely due to GOT's story rather than the setting itself, and that position belongs to TES's Nirn. It is a compelling place, with distinguished races and an intriguing lore.

  • Mr.
    • 763 posts
    September 20, 2015 2:18 PM EDT

     It's been quite some time since I heard of Narnia. It does bring back some memories. I remember that I liked the world, but the story didn't capture me that much.

    • 26 posts
    September 20, 2015 2:29 PM EDT

    Oh, the story was bloody awful. I just loved that scene with the lantern. Every time I see this discussion, I think of that :)

    • 1217 posts
    September 20, 2015 2:39 PM EDT

    Narnia'd be mine as well, stories included.

    The Elder Scrolls is a solid second.

    Warhammer would have place, too, if they didn't keep shunting aside interesting races in favor of more tired "Human v Elves v Dwarves v Orcs".

    • 95 posts
    September 20, 2015 3:08 PM EDT

    I'll let you guess what mine is.

    • 17 posts
    September 20, 2015 3:19 PM EDT

    I feel like I should say Middle Earth but there are so many out there.

    Probably the Ebberon D&D setting as it is very unique and almost alien to any other world I have played in before. Nirn is great because of its complexity in lore and I like how it has a nice balance between gritty realism and being very whimsical and high fantasy like at other times.

    • 26 posts
    September 20, 2015 3:42 PM EDT

    I also really like the setting of the Drenai novels (and Belgariads, but slightly less so), although I can't think of its name :P

    • 641 posts
    September 20, 2015 3:48 PM EDT

    Malazan Book of the Fallen is by far my favourite fantasy world. It's never actually named in the series but most people refer to it as Wu.

    • 149 posts
    September 20, 2015 4:00 PM EDT

    The Elder Scrolls is definitely up there, though I have two other favorites.

    The first would be Roshar, the world of Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archives. It's a worldbuilding show-horse unlike anything I've ever read.

    The second would be a childhood favorite of mine, Redwall by Brian Jacques (it's technically called Mossflower County). Yes, it's a world filled with cute anthropomorphic woodland creatures, but for me its a place of fond memories. 

    • 1217 posts
    September 20, 2015 4:06 PM EDT
    I loved Redwall as a kid! I always wished there was a dog character, though.
  • Mr.
    • 763 posts
    September 20, 2015 4:14 PM EDT

     I'm not familiar with that world. What is the book series about?

  • Mr.
    • 763 posts
    September 20, 2015 4:18 PM EDT

     I can see where you're coming from, but I like that worn concept, Warhammer made it somehow unique with the differences between the races and the Chaos wild card. At least from what I have seen until now.

    • 149 posts
    September 20, 2015 4:19 PM EDT

    Huh, you're right... There weren't any dogs, were there? I never noticed that.

    • 1217 posts
    September 20, 2015 4:31 PM EDT
    It's not inherently bad; it's part of the universe. But they've also built in a wealth of other races with their own dynamics: the Tomb Kings, Skaven, Lizardmen, and Wood Elves. They could literally double the depth of the universe by utilizing them, but instead, they put out the obligatory rule book and updated models for each and never talk about them again.
    • 641 posts
    September 20, 2015 4:35 PM EDT

    Jeez where to begin. I wrote a post over on Comic Vine a while back called Why Malazan Is The Best High Fantasy of The Last 2 Decades. It's probably easier linking to that rather than trying to write it out again.

    • 177 posts
    September 20, 2015 4:36 PM EDT

    Did I even really have to answer? I also like Calabria a lot. 

    • 739 posts
    September 20, 2015 5:23 PM EDT

    One of my clients was friends with Brian Jacques, I remember her being very cut-up about him dying a few years ago.

    I read most of his books when I was younger, I think Mossflower remains my favorite.

    Brian Jacques and Terry Pratchett are both gone. Its been a pretty hard blow to english literature over the past few years...

    On topic: I am very fond of pratchetts discworld but overall I much prefer my fantasy lands devoid of any comedy...

    I remember reading Michael Moorcocks 'Eternal Champion' (Hawkmoon) books when I was younger and I remember those being very good. I should probably try reading more of his work...

    • 1217 posts
    September 20, 2015 5:28 PM EDT

    Too true.

    • 739 posts
    September 20, 2015 5:34 PM EDT

    Oh! And lets not forget Lloyd Alexander...

    Prydain sounds like an amazing place, lots of doom and gloom, mist and fog, and many evil fuckers...

    Very like Skyrim...

    • 159 posts
    September 20, 2015 6:00 PM EDT

    The world of the Witcher is very interesting. I also loved  Tolkiens middle earth. Dishonored I think would be considered fantasy I think! And finally dragon age! Mostly because of qunari (For ME) .      

  • Mr.
    • 763 posts
    September 20, 2015 6:13 PM EDT

    It's certainly an interesting premise, I'll add it to my read list. Though what is it that differentiates Malazan's races from humans and each other?