Sometimes you read a book where the setting is so rich, so beautifully described and original that you feel right there beside the characters. I believe that the setting can be as compelling as the characters, particularly in a series.
You know, that feeling when you itch to read the next book as much for the world setting as for the characters. My favourites include: Pern, Castle Gormenghast, The Shire, Mordor, Narnia, Leiber’s Lankhmar, Brust’s Adrilankha, the USS Enterprise.
In many cases, the setting grounds the hero. The two become synonymous. Batman wouldn’t be so sophisticated without his mansion and hi-tech bat cave; Han Solo would be just a scoundrel without the Falcon. When Bond visits Q, it isn’t Q that fascinates us, but his vault of secret and deadly devices. Moreover, no old-school horror story can exist without the mountainous, lightning-struck castle, or the ivy-covered abandoned house, or the midnight fog in the graveyard.
We should be inspired by the examples above, to bring an extra dimension to our worlds and locations, to make our characters react to their environment with the same emotional fervor as they would toward another character. The character should feel genuine fear, hatred, disgust or a sense of sanctuary, relief or relaxation. The setting enhances the characters. It’s damn spooky that we are led to believe that River becomes at-one with the Serenity in Firefly, but we do believe because the characters are so at home in that tiny ship. We would never look upon Picard, Data, Worf and Riker as a family if there were no Enterprise, no binding force to hold them together.
What are your favourite worlds and what measures do you take to turn your settings into another character?