I was going to skip Book Chat this month, due to time, but at the last minute, decided to go ahead and record one based on a conversation I had on Goodreads recently, and a post I wrote to go along with it. So this month's chat is on what makes good world-building - and what can completely kill it; or, what I like to call "world-building vs. world-breaking.
To see the post that goes along with this chat, go
here. And link up your chats below!
Books I mentioned in this:
Dune
Daughter of the Forest
Vessel
Seraphina
The Chaos Walking series
The Daughter of Smoke and Bone series
Yep, well, I agree with that 100%. I'd also add The Forest of Hands and Teeth (which, through language, built the world very subtly), and The Kushiel's Dart series (which has moments of InfoDumping, but generally through the character interactions sets up the world).
ReplyDeleteBut I think Chaos Walking series is the best example of world building. For all the reasons you mention, and through the juxtaposition between Todd as representative of his world, and Viola as a representation of her/our world.
Ooh, Forest of Hands and Teeth is an excellent one. It feels really real and vital, since it builds on our own world. It really takes into account the psychology of the world and its effect on its people.
ReplyDeleteOriginally, I had mentioned Viola, too, but I was just going into it way too much and didn't want to a) give things away, and b) make the video looooonger, so I cut it. But yes. Agreed.