Welcome (back) to my unapologetically casual top-5 series. Follow the tag ‘Top 5 2023’ for more. There are no stars and no metrics. The only criteria is how much I enjoyed the book, and how well its strengths place it primarily in a given category. Yes, books can appear on more than one list if they fit. Oh, also, I am keeping the tag even though I am dropping the final 3 lists in 2024, because life is too short to edit tags.
Worldbuilding.
Woooooooorldbuilding.
It’s a word that gets thrown around in writer – especially fantasy and sci-fi writer – circles so often it has almost lost all meaning. Where does ‘worldbuilding’ end and plot begin? When are you just writing? When is worldbuilding not writing? What do we even mean when we say a book has excellent worldbuilding?
For our purpose, let’s talk about the importance of setting to speculative fiction. The fantastic genres are all about the ‘what ifs?’ Exploring an otherworldly place sharpens contrasts beyond what we experience in the real world, allowing authors to discuss weightly themes clearly and, accessibly. For many readers, reading about other worlds scratches that escapism itch in a way other genres just can’t. So, excellence in worldbuilding is all about bringing the setting to life in a way that emphasizes theme, deepens character, and inspires the imagination.
Top 5 Worldbuilding:
5. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell – JSAMN feels strangely true, oddly realistic in the way it depicts a world of lost magic returning. I see myself, my friends, and neighbors in the common responses to the supernatural miracles pioneered by England’s first practical magician in several centuries. It feels, at times, more like reading historical fiction than high fantasy.
4. Babel – The most unapologetically decolonized book I have ever read is also grounded in history. It asks the question, ‘what if the British Empire held a near monopoly on magic?’ and lets the ripple effect of that one change flow through every worldbuilding decision. Wonderfully, realistically detailed and fully realized, the fantasy Oxford of Babel is a character in its own right.
3. The Rage of Dragons – The world of The Burning is so harsh, stark, and fully realized. It’s African-infused fantasy, and a refreshing change from the standard pseudo-European fare. The characters feel very much of their world, and not modern real-life inserts in a fantasy world. The magic system is still one of the most well-realized, well-balanced I have ever read.
2. The Green Bone Saga – The world of Green Bones is rich and deep. I love that this series tackles a pseudo-modern setting analogous to the 1920’s or 30’s. It is not often that a fantasy epic tackles the intersection of magic and technology so comprehensively. How would the world change? How would the people caught up in that change react?
1.The Broken Earth series – Usually, I can summarize a fantasy setting as ‘like the real world, but different in this one way.’ The Broken Earth series creates an utterly alien world. Every aspect of the narrative from the attitudes of the characters to the types of societies which form flow from the key worldbuilding decision of The Stillness. It is an absolute masterclass of integrating setting with plot and plot with setting.
Honorable Mention – Lies of Locke Lamora – For my money, this series is the king of contrasts. While the setting itself is beautiful, magical, and otherworldly, the people in it are flawed, gritty, and realistic.
Happy reading, folks, and if you’re reading this the week it’s published, happy almost-Valentines-day.
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