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Road trippin'
For perhaps the first time, it occurred to me the other day that a large part of the reason I've always had a penchant for fantasy literature is that it's usually about travelling. Not that I don't also appreciate the fantastic creatures and the magic and the heroic battles -- I'd add something about romance, only I've honestly never cared for it that much in my reading; I don't mind if it's there, but I don't really miss it if it's not and I certainly don't want it to be the sole focus of the story. And because most fantasy stories involve a Quest, it's only natural for the show to get on the road, as it were. And I can understand a writer, after having spent so much time creating a universe, wanting to give the guided tour.
While it's true that any good story tells a journey, be it physical or internal, the allure of discovering new fantasy worlds never gets old for me. That being said, I'm rather uninterested in reading real-world travel memoirs. Not that I'd turn my nose up at any, should it come to hand, but I've never even thought of seeking one out. However, I greatly enjoy books that tell a story in which the location plays an important part, or when the author manages to draw me in with a strong sense of place*, making me want to visit. Good fantasy worlds do the same thing, the only drawback being that one can't actually do the tour afterwards, unless someone like Peter Jackson comes along and serves it up in cinematic form.
So without further ado, here are my (in no particular order and for some I've forgotten their proper name, or they don't have one, or I'm confused):
The many-coloured desert (The Neverending Story, Michael Ende): One of the things that stayed with me most about this book was the feeling of vastness it evoked, of huge, silent landscapes. The desert is described as having every dune a different colour and going on nearly forever. Imagine seeing that by night, riding on the the back of a lion as he carries you across it beneath the stars!
The island near the edge of the Eastern Sea (The Voyage of the Dawntreader, C.S. Lewis): This is the island where Prince Caspian & Co. find his father's friends sitting at a table, their hair and beards grown enough to cover them in the long years they've slept. I imagined it bathed in murky light, the air stale and the sound of the waves locked out of the chamber.
The in-between world (The Magician's Nephew, C.S. Lewis): A grassy, tree-lined avenue stretching endlessly into the darkness, rows of clear pools beneath the hushed branches. Imagine being able to access any world by simply stepping into a pool. Isn't that really the ultimate travel fantasy?
The world of the dying sun (The Magician's Nephew, C.S. Lewis): A dying world, the sun red and heavy, nearly spent. Crumbling buildings, nothing stirring in the warm, dry air. A room with row upon row of thrones, seating kings and queens of old. I think I'd refrain from sounding the silver bell, though.
Dream's house/mansion/palace (The Sandman, Neil Gaimain): What people one could meet there! A place where anything is possible.
Ankh-Morpork (the Discworld books, Terry Pratchett): Admit it, you'd like to browse the shelves of the Unseen University's library just as much as I would. And who could say no to a nice stroll along a river on which pretty much anything floats? I'd sign up for a tour of the various Guildhouses and spend an afternoon or two checking out all the temples, then maybe go see Dibbler about some meat. Onna stick!
The Wall (A Song of Ice and Fire series, George R.R. Martin): Cold and remote, it would be one of those places that are interesting to visit but nice to get away from. A border, a barrier, the last line of defense and an enormous one, at that.
The endless house (The City of Golden Shadow, Tad Williams): Among all the computer-generated worlds, this one intrigued me the most. A house that goes on and on, rooms and staircases and hallways forever, distinct cultures and societies living within its walls.
The Norn ice palace (either The Dragonbone Chair or The Stone of Farewell, can't remember which one, Tad Williams): Another place of silence, at least in my recollection of it, I was struck by the frozen blue atmosphere of it and could almost hear the crack of the ice.
Middle-Earth (J.R.R. Tolkien): Honestly, I coudn't pick just one or even a few places to visit. So many things to see! Reading The Lord of the Rings was a very important event in my life and I feel I know some of those places the same way I "know" Madrid or Cairo or other places I've heard much about but have never been.
Now, what are yours?
* I've just started Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil and it's making me think Savannah, Georgia, is a mighty interesting and alluring place.
While it's true that any good story tells a journey, be it physical or internal, the allure of discovering new fantasy worlds never gets old for me. That being said, I'm rather uninterested in reading real-world travel memoirs. Not that I'd turn my nose up at any, should it come to hand, but I've never even thought of seeking one out. However, I greatly enjoy books that tell a story in which the location plays an important part, or when the author manages to draw me in with a strong sense of place*, making me want to visit. Good fantasy worlds do the same thing, the only drawback being that one can't actually do the tour afterwards, unless someone like Peter Jackson comes along and serves it up in cinematic form.
So without further ado, here are my (in no particular order and for some I've forgotten their proper name, or they don't have one, or I'm confused):
The many-coloured desert (The Neverending Story, Michael Ende): One of the things that stayed with me most about this book was the feeling of vastness it evoked, of huge, silent landscapes. The desert is described as having every dune a different colour and going on nearly forever. Imagine seeing that by night, riding on the the back of a lion as he carries you across it beneath the stars!
The island near the edge of the Eastern Sea (The Voyage of the Dawntreader, C.S. Lewis): This is the island where Prince Caspian & Co. find his father's friends sitting at a table, their hair and beards grown enough to cover them in the long years they've slept. I imagined it bathed in murky light, the air stale and the sound of the waves locked out of the chamber.
The in-between world (The Magician's Nephew, C.S. Lewis): A grassy, tree-lined avenue stretching endlessly into the darkness, rows of clear pools beneath the hushed branches. Imagine being able to access any world by simply stepping into a pool. Isn't that really the ultimate travel fantasy?
The world of the dying sun (The Magician's Nephew, C.S. Lewis): A dying world, the sun red and heavy, nearly spent. Crumbling buildings, nothing stirring in the warm, dry air. A room with row upon row of thrones, seating kings and queens of old. I think I'd refrain from sounding the silver bell, though.
Dream's house/mansion/palace (The Sandman, Neil Gaimain): What people one could meet there! A place where anything is possible.
Ankh-Morpork (the Discworld books, Terry Pratchett): Admit it, you'd like to browse the shelves of the Unseen University's library just as much as I would. And who could say no to a nice stroll along a river on which pretty much anything floats? I'd sign up for a tour of the various Guildhouses and spend an afternoon or two checking out all the temples, then maybe go see Dibbler about some meat. Onna stick!
The Wall (A Song of Ice and Fire series, George R.R. Martin): Cold and remote, it would be one of those places that are interesting to visit but nice to get away from. A border, a barrier, the last line of defense and an enormous one, at that.
The endless house (The City of Golden Shadow, Tad Williams): Among all the computer-generated worlds, this one intrigued me the most. A house that goes on and on, rooms and staircases and hallways forever, distinct cultures and societies living within its walls.
The Norn ice palace (either The Dragonbone Chair or The Stone of Farewell, can't remember which one, Tad Williams): Another place of silence, at least in my recollection of it, I was struck by the frozen blue atmosphere of it and could almost hear the crack of the ice.
Middle-Earth (J.R.R. Tolkien): Honestly, I coudn't pick just one or even a few places to visit. So many things to see! Reading The Lord of the Rings was a very important event in my life and I feel I know some of those places the same way I "know" Madrid or Cairo or other places I've heard much about but have never been.
Now, what are yours?
* I've just started Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil and it's making me think Savannah, Georgia, is a mighty interesting and alluring place.