Top 5 Wednesday – Settings You Want to See More Of

Oooh, this is a good topic. Do you realize that most fantasy books are set in quite a similar world? Oh yes, there might be different monsters, names, views, but most of the time you’ve got the feel of old-time Europe. Why is that? Is it because that’s what we’re used to? Maybe the time had come to add some variety to the settings, culture, religions in our “fantasy” books. After all changing a name won’t get you far.

Today I’m choosing five setting that I’d wish to see more of, not by a certain book I’ve read, but rather by places and times inspired by our world that I find interesting. I wish to read fantasy or maybe science fiction novels with these types of settings. And why fantasy and sci-fi? Because I like these more :D. I might’ve read some contemporary reads and liked them, but I’ll always be faithful to fantasy. This is my genre of choice.

And if you know a book that fits some of these settings – let me know! I’d love to check it out :).

5

Oceania, or pretty much any set of islands that is not Caribbean ;). Well, they might be similar I guess but you get my drift – plenty of islands, not that many people, maybe even a whole planet that’s just filled with islands and no bigger continents? Floating cities created over water. And pirates? Yes sure, but not a must. Usually, when you think about this type of setting you also get a story about pirates, but do they have to go together?

And I don’t mean a post-apocalyptic world that was drowned due to some catastrophe and only some islands left. I’m talking about a naturally developed environment.

Imagine all the sea battles…
And the flying machines, maybe even a flying city? Oh but these already exist 😉

4

And something that you could call a typical sci-fi, a setting that I loved since I first watched Battlestar Galactica and that was just as good in Illuminae – Space, the final frontier… oh wait, I’ve watched too much Star Trek lately ;). Anyway, a set of ships traveling through the universe, trying to survive or maybe simply searching for a new world to settle on because their own was destroyed. This has such a huge potential! From the simple action-based novels with plenty of space battles, through exploration-like novels and the ones that deal with politics, plotting, assassins, etc.

And yes, I know there are plenty books from Star Trek and Star Wars universe, somehow I never got into these. But if you know a book that has a similar feeling to Battlestar Galactica TV-Show or Illuminae (but maybe with more grown-ups) – let me know!

3

Ancient China – a world based on that curious culture either the actual, historical version or the more fantastic movie-like fantasy world filled with “flying” warriors, fantastic visuals and enchanting music. Well, at least described well enough to help me imagine it’s fantastic :D.

And dragons – there have to be Chinese dragons there :D.

2

A world with a culture and religions similar to the ones in India – the new and the old ones with all the good and bad gods, the jungles, the cities that are filled with life and color and with all the negative sides too. I know so little about this culture that I’d love to read a fantasy book with these settings. Or maybe a sci-fi novel when a planet like this that gets raided by some human-like aliens and have to defend itself?

1

And something I had a weakness for since I was a kid – Ancient Egypt. But not an actual historical novel. A whole world based on this culture, with all the strange gods that go with it, wars, desert-like environment and maybe even pyramids?

Imagine all the fantastic beasts that could hide under the sand, the oasis scattered all over the desert beings fought-over as the only mean to survive. Or maybe a group of people that decided to live under the desert to survive the harsh environment? Travelers who are always in danger to lose their way, or find themselves at a dried out well. All the illusions that the hot sun and sea of sand can throw at you. Or maybe a part of the desert that was cursed due to some ancient temple? All the ruins you can find among the sands. The sand-ships that use the wind to glide through the desert, or maybe sun-powered vehicles and flying machines?

So many possibilities…

Do you have any books to recommend me? 

How would your list look like? Comment or link it up 🙂