Fantasy worlds you'd want to visit

[HareBrain]

Granted, I was much younger at the time, but when I read about Middle Earth, Narnia, The Land and whatever Tad Williams's MST world was called, I felt a strong desire to experience those places for myself -- not to meet the characters or get involved in the plot as such, but just because the landscape, architecture, magic etc had a sense of true beauty and/or wonder about them. When I think of the word "escapism" I think of those stories and that feeling.

Has writing that kind of stuff now fallen out of fashion? I don't think I've read any recent SFF that made me want to go and visit those places for real. I think A Song of Ice and Fire is a brilliant read, and the Malazan books incredibly inventive, but I wouldn't want to go and visit those worlds.

Is it my (relatively) advanced years, or has something changed about what readers are believed to want from fantasy these days? And can others think of examples of "fantasy tourist hotspots" that I've missed out?

 

[biodroid]

Midkemia would be a nice choice from what I can remember. Middle-Earth would be nice too but it's too dreary, only after Saurons destruction would it be more touristy.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Well, I haven't read nearly as many Fantasy novels as some of you, so I guess my choices are limited.

Of the ones I have read, Middle-Earth is the only one that I can really say I'd want to visit. I guess the world of The Wheel of Time isn't too bad either, though.

I agree with what HareBrain said about modern fantasy worlds. I love Abercrombie's books, and he's definitely my favourite author right now. But there's no way I'd really want to visit his (nameless) world. It just doesn't seem like... a nice place to be.

 

[nixie]

Have to agree, Middle Earth, Narnia, Midkemia, The Faraway Tree, Landover all places I'd love to visit but as much as I love Erkison, Abercrombie etc I don't think I'd be keen on paying their worlds a visit although I think Amber would be cool.

 

[Mouse]

What's Robin Hobb's one? The Duchies? That'd be quite good. Everything else is too much like our own world.

 

[alchemist]

The Shire seems like a pleasant place to retire to, but otherwise, fantasy worlds seem inherently wet and dangerous. They also look suspiciously like New Zealand, and I've already been there (it comes recommended).

In SF on the other hand, I've always wanted to visit PFHamilton's Illuminatus, a planet covered in bioluminescent vegetation.

 

[Metryq]

"GayBounce!"

In Heinlein's The Number of the Beast the Burroughs continua device allows the crew of Gay Deceiver to visit "fictional" worlds. They later learn that their own "home" universe is fiction to someone else.

 

[Chaoticheart]

Personally I'd love to visit either the world in the Malazan books or the world in Sara Douglass' Axis series. Whilst middle-earth is great, for some reason it doesn't really appeal to me as a 'place to visit'.

 

[Hypnos164]

Being somewhat renascence influenced Steven Brust's Dragaera has more amenities than the run of the mill feudal peasantry on offer in many fantasy worlds.

Attractions include teleportation, flying castle(s) and a lot of great sounding food and drink (being human would be something of a disadvantage however).

The “wide green world” of Lois McMaster Bujold’s sharing knife books also sounds a pleasant place to visit especially the life on the river boats.

 

[GOLLUM]

I'll go for Vance's Dying Earth, Mieville's Bas-Lag and in particular New Crobuzon, Erikson's Malazan, M John Harrison's Virconium, Vandermeer's City Of Ambergis, Zelazny's Amber, Gene Wolfe's City of Nessus (Book of the New Sun) and Tolkien's Rivendell and City of Minas Tirith.

 

[woodsman]

I've been to Middle Earth (NZ) and everyone should go at least once - best veiwed whilst accelerating downwards from 15,000 feet.

I always thought the shire was my perfect home, maybe leaving to talk to trees and Ents every once in a while. If I visited I'm not sure I'd leave. The wall on Westeros would be amazing to see and the something (tyrant??) of Bravos. I'd kinda like to visit highgarden as well. Midkemia wouldn't be too bad I suppose although it's pretty generic really. Mieville's crazy place would be amazing, no doubt about that.

Erm, not too sure otherwise, nothing really springs to mind. I get the feeling Tar Valon would be interesting but not sure I could deal with the frowns and braid pulling.


Oh and Redwall abbey for the food and general coolness of talking animals. Candied chestnuts MMmmm.

 

[Daisy-Boo]

I know exactly which fantasy world I'd like to visit: The Discworld!

I want to walk the streets of Ankh-Morpork (and get mugged by a licenced thief). I want to visit the Unseen University and have tea with the Librarian and the wizards. Then pop in at Pseudopolis Yard and meet all the Watch members. I'll ask Detritus to demonstrate the Piecemaker (while I stand a safe distance away). Then off for a visit with Sybil Vimes at The Sunshine Sanctuary for Sick Dragons.

After spending some time in Ankh-Morpork I'll set off for Lancre, to meet Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, Agnes Nitt and Magrat Garlick.

Of course, I can't miss out on a trip to Uberwald so that I can meet Igor's family. I doubt I'll visit Angua's family though.

After a jaunt to a few other places, I'll visit the ultimate tourist destination: Death's Domain. I'll feed sugar cubes to Binky, have a bite to eat with Albert and then Death and I will talk about cats and I'll show him pictures of my two kitties.

 

[cornelius]

The world from Malazan Empire seems tricky. You have a big chance of being mauled down by a force of nature, there are wars everywhere and the Gods themselves are coming into play. But then again, you have a big chance of ascending.

I've always wondered what it would be like being a farmer on a fantasy world, especially a farmer that doesn't get dragged into war. You're just out there, minding your own business, and then you hear these stories of heroes fighting forces of Evil that you may not even know existed.

"Hmm? We have a new King? The previous one was an evil warlock who threatened to enslave us all? That's fine, dear wife, let me get back to my taters now."

Or what if you DID know about all the forces of evil? Would you still put in efforts to grow vegetables if you knew the "Demon King of K'charchlornos" was causing trouble?

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

For me, for its beauty, The Land from Thomas Covenant, for fun, it'd be Xanth a world full of puns and the only one where a horse could actually be considered a wingless pegusis. Ankh-Morpork would come in a close third though.

Cheers.

 

[Chaoticheart]

Just occurred to me, another fantasy world I'd love to visit, probable even more so than the Malazan world, is the World of Recluce (particularly during the time when Lorn became/was Emperor of Cyador.)

 

[Stephen Palmer]

I would definitely want a retirement home in The Shire...

 

[HareBrain]

I'm surprised so many people have mentioned The Shire -- though maybe that's because I'm lucky enough to live near countryside so similar that it doesn't have quite the same exotic quality. With Middle Earth, I was thinking of Khazad-Dum, Fangorn Forest, Helm's Deep etc -- places to marvel at, not necessarily safe and comfortable ones.

Part of it must be that some of the authors I used as examples have a love of rich, descriptive language, which does seem to have declined in importance recently. Even though I didn't get on very well with Patricia McKillip's Riddle-Master trilogy, it did feel like a world I'd like to have a look around, probably because of this quality of her writing.

 

[Mouse]

I'm surprised so many people have mentioned The Shire -- though maybe that's because I'm lucky enough to live near countryside so similar that it doesn't have quite the same exotic quality.

Same, HB. I actually thought the Shire was based on the westcountry in the UK (hence Sean Astin and Dom Mon's accents in the films) though I've just done a quick Google and can't see anything that says that.

So while I'd love to go to Matamata to see the set of Hobbiton, I'd not be all that interested in going to the Shire in the actual books.

 

[HareBrain]

Same, HB. I actually thought the Shire was based on the westcountry in the UK (hence Sean Astin and Dom Mon's accents in the films) though I've just done a quick Google and can't see anything that says that.

I think it was more influenced by the rural area near Birmingham (where Tolkien grew up) and Oxfordshire (where he wrote the books).

But IIRC, you live near Crewkerne? I know that part of the world reasonably well, and I agree it is very Shire-like, perhaps even more than where I live. I bet Hobbits would love all those deep-sunken lanes, with their banks to make holes in.

 

[Mouse]

I swear I read it somewhere but yes, you're probably right. Tolkien's more likely to have based it off those areas he knew best.

And yep, I work in Crewkerne and live 15 mins away.