Worldbuilding

[1] Developing the world with coherent qualities such as a history, geography, culture and ecology is a key task for many science fiction or fantasy writers.

[2] Worldbuilding often involves the creation of geography, a backstory, flora, fauna, inhabitants, technology, and often if writing speculative fiction, different peoples.

[3][4][5][6]: PT103 The world could encompass different planets spanning vast distances of space or be limited in scope to a single small village.

[13] The term "world-building" was first used in the Edinburgh Review in December 1820[14] and appeared in Arthur Eddington's Space Time and Gravitation: An Outline of the General Relativity Theory (1920) to describe the thinking out of hypothetical worlds with different physical laws.

[15]: 160  The term has been used in science fiction and fantasy criticism since appearing in R.A. Lupoff's Edgar Rice Burroughs: Master of Adventure (1965).

[16] The creation of literary fictional worlds was first examined by fantasy authors such as George MacDonald, J. R. R. Tolkien, Lord Dunsany, Dorothy L. Sayers, and C. S.

This approach might involve creation of the world's basics, followed by levels such as continents, civilizations, nations, cities, and towns.

This location is given considerable detail, such as local geography, culture, social structure, government, politics, commerce, and history.

The surrounding areas are then described in a lower level of detail, with description growing more general with increasing distance from the initial location.

[22] However, J. R. R. Tolkien described the goal of worldbuilding as creating immersion, or "enchantment" as he put it, and descriptions of the world can be wholly disconnected from the story and narrative.

Perhaps the most basic consideration of worldbuilding is to what degree a fictional world will be based on real-world physics compared to magic.

The design of science fiction worlds, especially those with spacefaring societies, usually entails creation of a star system and planets.

If the designer wishes to apply real-life principles of astronomy, they may develop detailed astronomical measures for the orbit of the world, and to define the physical characteristics of the other bodies in the same system; this establishes chronological parameters, such as the length of a day and the durations of seasons.

A clear, concise map that displays the locations of key points in the story can be a helpful tool for developers and audiences alike.

[25] The physical geography of a fictional world is important in designing weather patterns and biomes such as deserts, wetlands, mountains, and forests.

These physical features also affect the growth and interaction of the various societies, such as the establishment of trade routes and locations of important cities.

For example, Isaac Asimov's short story "The Talking Stone" features a life form based on silicon, rather than carbon.

This means any past wars, elections, and technological advancements in our world occurred the same way in the Champions Universe unless explained otherwise.

Some designers have also looked to human civilizations for inspiration in doing so, such as Star Trek's Romulans, whose society resembles that of ancient Rome.

The fictional world's history can explain past and present relationships between different societies, which can introduce a story's action.