Traveling through different worlds, other universes and parallel dimensions is very easy. It is enough to open a book and immerse yourself in reading - and now we are already falling out of the everyday routine to save Middle-earth along with brave hobbits, compete for power in Westeros, or even (well, why not?) frolic in Equestria with little ponies. There are many worlds, and everyone can make a pilgrimage to the universe that is closer to him.
Basic Law of Creation
There is no single recipe for creating universes. Each writer approaches this matter in their own way. So, Tolkien first developed languages (first of all - two Elvish, Quenya and Sindarin), and then built a house for these languages - by house, of course, Middle-earth is meant. Clive Staples Lewis acted differently - he simply collected all the mythical and fabulous creatures in a row in Narnia (he was often criticized for this - the same Tolkien called the world of Narnia undeveloped). Lee Bardugo, creating the Grisha universe, took elements of Russian culture as a basis.Sometimes one strong image becomes the impetus for the creation of the world - for example, the universe of A Song of Ice and Fire was born from a picture that came to George Martin's mind many years ago - in his imagination he saw a huge wolf dying in the snow.
The list of examples can be long. How many writers - so many different options. However, there is one immutable law that absolutely all fictional worlds obey. And if you want to create your own world, you must follow it.
This law consists in the requirement of consistency. In the universe invented by you, any events that are unthinkable in everyday life can take place. Let, for example, cloned cyborgs-hobbits fly to Pluto, riding radioactive cat dragons. Or something even more fantastic is happening - as long as your imagination is enough. The main thing is that the world should be integral and consistent. In other words, any event and phenomenon of this world must be consistent with the general logic of the created universe.
This is how, for example, Umberto Eco wrote about this in his book “The Role of the Reader. Studies on semiotics of the text":
When, reading the fairy tale about Little Red Riding Hood, we perceive as an “unreal” property of the heroine to remain alive after being swallowed by a wolf, this is because we realize (at least at the level of intuition) that such a property contradicts the second law of thermodynamics. But the second law of thermodynamics is part of our system of concepts, our semantic encyclopedia. It is worth changing the encyclopedia - and our perception will be different.
The writer, creating his own world, together with him “writes” (not in the literal sense, of course) an “encyclopedia” of this world. Reading a novel or watching a movie, we understand that what is happening is unreal (because we are firmly rooted in the “encyclopedia” of the real world), however, for a while we accept the rules of the game that the author suggests. It can be said that we allow ourselves to be deceived by believing in what we are told from the pages of a book or from the screen. This is the secret of the magic of art. Events taking place in Middle-earth or Westeros are real within their own universes, as they fit perfectly into the "semantic encyclopedias" of these worlds.
In addition to this law, another important limitation has been established. Whatever fantasy world a writer creates, this world will always be based on reality. A person is simply not able to conceive of a universe that is absolutely different from what we are used to. The difference between "reality" and "fiction" lies in the presence of fantastic assumptions, but fantasy is always based on the experience of the author, and this experience cannot be anything other than the experience of a human being. Of course, the writer is like a demiurge who creates the world, but the "clay" from which he molds his creation is given to him in advance - in knowledge about the real world and its laws.
By the way, Tolkien himself said that Middle-earth is not some kind of parallel, but our ordinary world. The events simply described take place in ancient times (literally prehistoric, since the history of people begins with the departure of the elves to the West). However, today we often hear the phrase "Tolkien's world", and this is perceived quite normally. World of Ice and Fire
At first glance, the world created by George Martin does not differ in originality. The main conflict is taken from European history (the parallel "Lannisters and Starks - Lancasters and Yorkies" is obvious). Dragons were also invented a long time ago. Well, white walkers are just a fantasy version of classic Hollywood zombies. However, millions of people around the world just fell in love with Martin's creation. What is the secret? There are three reasons for the wild popularity of books and series.
Reason one. Despite the fact that the action of the saga takes place in the conditional Middle Ages (in fact, everything is more complicated, but let's accept it that way), the motivation of each character is transparent and understandable to modern people. Lannisters, Starks and others behave as the inhabitants of the 21st century would behave in similar circumstances. In other words, A Song of Ice and Fire is contemporary, but in a fantasy setting.
The second reason is Martin's ruthlessness towards his heroes. Yes, we are talking about those most unexpected plot twists in which the heroes beloved by everyone suddenly die. Which, again, brings this work closer to real life.
The third reason is composition. George Martin's skill is to collect all the elements of the world and carefully fit them together so that a whole picture is obtained. Yes, we have already seen dragons in many places, as well as orphan princesses who have lost their kingdom. But all this, put together, gives an amazing combo effect.
The influence of the "Game of Thrones" on modern culture is so great that even those who do not like fantasy (or prefer a more "kind" version of this genre) should familiarize themselves with this work. The world created by George Martin dictates behavior and thinking patterns for thousands of people all over the planet today. "A Song of Ice and Fire" becomes a new global epic, which is included in the cultural codes of the inhabitants of the "global village" called Earth. Let's put forward a bold fantastic assumption: in a few years, a person who has not watched or read Game of Thrones simply will not understand what people around him are talking about. Star Wars
"A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." These words, which open every Star Wars episode, are familiar to millions, if not billions, of people on earth. A story that began with a bold cinematic experiment by George Lucas (whose success few believed) has grown to truly galactic proportions.
Now Star Wars is not only a series of films, but also cartoons, comics, games, as well as an incredible amount of licensed products - from figures of saga heroes and lightsabers to clothes with portraits of Darth Vader or Yoda. Marvel
If we strive for accuracy, then we should talk about not one, but many Marvel universes - Marvel Multiverse. In the 21st century, the dominant role in this cluster of worlds belongs to the “cinematic universe”.
Marvel has fully justified its name by performing a real miracle. Previously, superhero discourse was only legitimate in the geek subculture. Now, after the release of films about Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Guardians of the Galaxy and other rescuers of the world, almost everyone seems to watch such films. DC
The giant of the comic book industry that gave us Batman, Joker, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and many other superheroes and supervillains. The DC world is somewhat dark and serious. It is not surprising, because initially the abbreviation DC stood for Detective Comics, and the works published under this brand were close to such a direction as noir. Aliens
An attractive and at the same time frightening story about an absolutely hostile creature from the depths of the universe continues to develop. Viewers and readers love Aliens, because the works of the franchise hit on several fronts at once: here you have the atmosphere of a cold ruthless space, and philosophical and religious overtones (especially noticeable in Prometheus), and even a pro-feminist line, clearly indicated in the first three films.
And the monster, born of Giger's imagination, has now become a recognizable attribute of pop culture. Dune
The world that Frank Herbert created did not become super popular among the general reader - but maybe that's for the best. In any case, Dune has a lot of loyal fans. The saga of life on the sandy planet Arrakis is a detailed world in which there was a place for love and enmity, intrigue and politics. In terms of passions, this work is in many ways not inferior to A Song of Ice and Fire. Such a comparison is quite appropriate. "Dune", created long before the "Game of Thrones", in many ways anticipated it. For example, one of the central plots of Frank Herbert is the confrontation between the two Great Houses - the noble Atreides and the vile intriguers of the Harkonenns. Doesn't it remind you of anything? Lovecraft and his bestiary
The master of horror literature also designed his own world, in which there was a place for terrible ancient gods, mysterious cults and aliens from outer space. For more information about how wonderful the works of Howard Lovecraft are and what mark they left in culture, read our material. Universe Grisha
Compared to DC or Aliens, this universe is still a child, because it appeared relatively recently. But, despite her young age, she has already managed to acquire fans around the world. An interesting fact: the author of the story about Grishaverse, Lee Bardugo, was inspired by Slavic, and especially Russian, culture when creating her world.
Vivid characters, amazing dialogues, exciting adventures - all this you will find in the world that Leigh Bardugo built. equestria
The appearance of this item here may seem strange, but we are talking about fictional worlds, so why not say about this world too? Yes, the My Little Pony franchise is aimed at a very specific audience - basically, the core of the fan community is made up of little girls. But many adults also like to follow the adventures of the inhabitants of the magical land of Equestria.
The world described in cartoons, books and comics about little ponies can be called fantasy. He lives by his own rules, and judging by the popularity of the franchise, many people like these rules.
Most of us have seen movies, read books, or played games that featured interesting fictional universes that worked out so well that we fell in love with them forever. I recommend you take a look at some of them.
1 Star Wars - Creator: George Lucas
Star Wars is not just six feature films. The world invented by Lucas today is developing almost on its own - hundreds of books have been written about it, which describe the most distant corners of the universe, tell about all the heroes we saw in the films, and about many others that are not mentioned in the films . Comic books, video games, and cartoons have been created based on the classic Star Wars.
2. Forgotten Realms - Creator: Ed Greenwood
The Forgotten Realms is a fantasy world designed for the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop RPG. The universe is best known for its worldwide novels by Robert Salvatore and the video games Icewind Dale, Baldur's Gate, and Neverwinter Nights. The world is worked out almost to the smallest detail. Of course, you can find fault with many little things like the strange distribution of climatic zones on the planet, but this is just understandable - many authors worked on the project at the same time, each of whom took a small piece of the world for himself, and only then they were "glued" together.
3. Arda - creator: J. R. R. Tolkien
Tolkien created an original world that served as an inspiration for the creation of almost all fantasy universes. It was he who came up with the names for most fantasy races - orcs, elves, hobbits - the rest of the "creators of the worlds" simply remade them in their own way. Tolkien's world turned out to be alive: with its own history, features, key characters and, in some way, geography. By the way, the world often invented by Tolkien is called Middle-earth, but this is not true: in fact, its name is Arda. She appeared after the god Eru created amazing creatures - the Ainur, who literally sang the world.
4 Star Trek - Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Star Trek is a science fiction television series released in 1966 in the United States. It is important to remember that at that time mankind had not even made a flight to the moon, but only dreamed of space travel. So the moment was well chosen: Star Trek is a saga about the first human travelers who went to explore deep space, get to know the rest of the intelligent races inhabiting the galaxy and learn from them.
5. A Song of Ice and Fire - Creator: George Martin
The prototype for this universe was a real human history: the world of "PLIP" is comparable to our European Middle Ages - there is feudal fragmentation, the absence of gunpowder, the somewhat oppressed position of ordinary people and, of course, palace intrigues.
6 Marvel - Creator: Stan Lee
The Marvel Universe is heavily based on the real world. Earth in the Marvel Universe has all the features of the real one: the same countries, the same personalities (politicians, movie stars, etc.), the same historical events (World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, etc.) and so on. . However, it also contains many other fictional elements: countries such as Wakanda, Latveria, and Genosha, and organizations such as the spy agency SHIELD and its enemy HYDRA.
7. Universe "Patrols" - creator: Sergey Lukyanenko
In his novels "Watches" Sergey Lukyanenko created a fantastic reality, a world that exists parallel to ours. All actions in the novels take place in the ordinary world and in the twilight zone.
Fantasy is one of the most popular and sought-after offshoots of the science fiction genre. However, alas, too often, under this brand, readers fall into the hands of dull-similar works written according to verified templates and reused patterns. So noble warriors, bright magicians, multi-colored elves and stupidly insidious villains “the same in face” walk in endless rows from book to book. Fortunately, the Land of Fantasy is vast, rich, multifaceted and able to please any, even the most demanding reader.
Today we present to your attention ten truly extraordinary fantasy books. This list does not pretend to be comprehensive - but each of the mentioned authors managed to bring something of their own, truly original, to the genre.
Plot plot: At the hands of an assassin sent by the Parshendi savages, King Alethkar fell. For six years, his heir has been fighting the perpetrators of his father's death. And less and less time remains before a real danger falls on Roshar, capable of destroying the entire world.
What's the point? The world of Roshar differs from many others on the level of biology. The terrible Superstorms that have changed animals and plants are guilty of this. In order to adapt to this unusual atmospheric phenomenon, Roshar's organisms had to evolve significantly. The fauna, in order to withstand bad weather, has acquired chitinous shells and increased the number of limbs. Flora, when a storm or any other danger approaches, has learned to hide in the ground or even a rocky surface. And people have radically changed the principles of building their dwellings: the buildings here are stone, low, heavy, deployed at an acute angle to the hurricane and covered with thick, tarred wood. And no windows on the storm side!
The locals have also managed to use Stormlight - the energy that appears during a storm - as a source of illumination, magic, and even means of payment. Against this background, the rest of Roshar's features (spren - elementals who are attracted to human emotions; transducers - devices that can turn one matter into another; blades that cut stone like butter) look like only curious additions to the world.
Summary: Bright heroes, large-scale battles, exquisite intrigues and bizarre magic can boast of many fantasy epics. Sanderson also has enough of this, but the originality of his cycle lies precisely in the structure of the universe.
Jacek Dukaj "Other Songs"
Plot plot: going to the wilds of Africa, to the border of the terrible Change, Hieronymus Berbelek, once "the greatest strategos of our time", pursued exclusively mercenary goals - to find out if a certain Shulima Amitase belongs to the "rats" of the Warlock Kratistos, Berbelek's sworn enemy. But a trip to the habitats of cacomorphs, which, far from civilization, take absolutely monstrous forms, as a result, changed the fate of all mankind.
What's the point? In the world invented by the Polish writer, spirit, thought, will rule over the mortal body: “The body is just clothes for the mind” (greetings from Aristotle, who was the first to propose the doctrine of matter and form). A strong spirit is able to prolong his life and stay healthy for a long time. Weak, not possessing a steel will, accidentally getting out of the influence of kratistos (local god), may completely lose the human form. Physicians are able to correct or improve almost any physical handicap. And professional Ares warriors are able to influence the structure of matter during the battle, after which their slightest touch becomes deadly. The local "earthly gods", kratistos, change people and the world with one influence of their most powerful morph (the power of spirit and will). Not uncommon and physical changes in the body: the protagonist in the morph of a strategos is considerably taller than himself as a "merchant".
All the actions and motives of the characters at the same time stick out for everyone to see. There is no need for undercover games - just stand face to face, and after a couple of minutes it becomes clear to everyone around whose will is stronger and whose spirit is stronger. A kind of anchor, a "lifeline" for the reader, dumbfounded by the changes that have befallen the Earth with the light hand of Dukai.
Summary: Jacek Dukaj did not just come up with another alternative world. He created a universe based on the works of ancient Greek philosophers, which is radically different from the one familiar to the reader - and not only in religious, spiritual or political terms, but even at the level of physical and biological laws.
Plot plot: In Kabir, where most of the inhabitants are mainly concerned with swordsman tournaments, mysterious murders begin. Their investigation is taken by Dan Gyen, nicknamed the Unicorn, one of the Higher Meilan. He is smart, experienced, skillful, but completely unprepared for what he will face. By the way, the Unicorn is not a human at all.
What's the point? There are two intelligent races in this world - People and Shining: a variety of edged weapons that mentally affect their carriers, call them Appendages and perceive them as a kind of "smaller brothers". Like living beings, but brains like a butterfly. People, in turn, do not suspect that many of their actions are provoked by their own weapons. Only gradually, after a lot of ups and downs, these strange relationships turn into a real symbiosis.
It is also worth noting the magnificent view of duels as bloodless Conversations, showing not the desire to kill, but only the level of skill.
Summary: melee weapons have always evoked enthusiastic feelings in people. He was admired, he was sung, he was given names. But only Oldie took the next step, fully humanizing him.
Plot plot: New Crobuzon. A crazy city, a place where a variety of races, cultures and beliefs intertwined into a phantasmagoric tangle. For someone hell, for someone - a favorite home. But when something unprecedented and terribly dangerous breaks out onto the streets of New Crobuzon, representatives of these races begin to die.
What's the point? The city created by Mieville is inhabited by many different creatures: ordinary people, intelligent cacti, beetle-headed khepri, grotesque "remade", mermen with mermaids. Magic and stim technologies, social and racial problems, calculating machines and aerial monorails, Mad Gods and the embassy of the Underworld… There is nothing here!
It would seem that no one can cook an edible dish from this bizarre mixture. But Mieville, taking on a burden that was difficult for others to carry, coped with the task very worthily. And this disgustingly attractive journey at the junction of different genres will allow readers to reflect on many issues that are relevant to our lives.
Summary: the mixing of genres, popular in cinema, is not uncommon for fantastic literature. But few people managed to build such a vigorous cocktail as the master of the "new strange" came out with.
Jacek Piekara "Servant of God"
Plot plot: Jesus Christ did not die on the cross. Those who tried to bring death to Him perished. After all, the wrath of the Son of God was terrible ...
XV century. Europe has been hearing “Our Father” for more than one century in the variant: “Give us our daily bread today, and give us strength so that we do not forgive our offenders. And let us repel temptation, and let evil crawl in the dust at our feet.” Young Inquisitor Mordimer Madderdin takes on a seemingly routine murder case. However, everything turns out to be not so simple.
What's the point? The Christianity of Pekara, which began with the failed crucifixion, is seriously different from what we are used to. It is cruel, unmerciful and denies forgiveness. Even prayer to the Lord is accompanied by severe pain.
And in this world, it would never even occur to anyone to doubt the existence of God. At least because the Angels of the Lord are actively interfering in what is happening - extremely unpleasant types, by the way. Unbalanced, unstable and angry. Quite in the spirit of the Son of God himself, who brought to Calvary not peace, but a sword - in the literal sense of the word.
To match the celestials and their earthly followers. So the inquisitors have a lot of work to do here. Bonfires, heretics, witches, sorcerers - and real ones. The work is nervous. One consolation: after completing the case with the lascivious girl, somersaulting and condemning a bottle of wine or two. Celibacy, piety, the sin of gluttony? No, we haven't.
In general, welcome to a non-idealistic Christian world with unsympathetic protagonists, after meeting which you begin to appreciate the Jesus of "our assembly" more.
Summary: to choose the bifurcation point for the story about alternative Europe that happened on Golgotha? An extremely bold decision, especially for an author from Catholic Poland.
Susanna Clarke "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell"
Plot plot: 19th century. Foggy Albion. For more than two centuries, the magic that once overwhelmed the Isles has survived only as a theoretical discipline. The best scientific minds are arguing about the reasons for this with foam at the mouth. But there were two gentlemen who moved from words to deeds and decided to return magic to their homeland.
What's the point? The gentleman wizards bringing magic back to Britain aren't looking to enslave the Earth, tower over the living indefinitely, or do any of the other silliness of the typical fantasy sorcerer list. They fall in love, quarrel, get into trouble, put sticks in each other's wheels. In general, they simply live in their own world - harmonious, thought out to the smallest detail. And at the same time they represent different views on the acquisition and use of knowledge, on the interaction of the human and magical worlds. They express the spirit of good old England in different ways.
And, of course, they introduce the reader to the fairies closely. Creatures who brought magic to the human world long ago. Creatures who never thought to give up magic. Creatures unpredictable, like nature itself, and capable of many actions that do not fit with human morality.
Summary: a rare example of a novel with a capital letter, extremely atypical for modern fantasy. As if greetings conveyed to us from the golden literature of the 19th century.
Plot plot: an ordinary girl Jane once happened what almost all children dream of. She ended up in Wonderland. But Neverland turned out to be completely different from what little kids see. And even acquaintance with the old and grumpy dragon, which was supposed to save Jane from many problems, only brings her new troubles as a result.
What's the point? The gloomy Avalon of Swanwick is fundamentally different from the magical worlds created by more positive (or naive?) authors. Mechanical dragons with a nasty character are assembled here in factories, gnomes are making a revolution, ghouls resemble petty bandits, and the arrogance of the elves is comparable only to their contempt for others. Social challenges are intertwined with psychological sketches, a difficult story of growing up - with the study of social problems. Fairy country is interestingly thought out, well described and leaves a damn depressing impression. Perhaps because it is too reminiscent of our world. But is there any point in blaming the mirror?
Summary: one of the masters of cyberpunk, even playing on the fantasy field, did not want to abandon the elements of social science fiction.
Plot plot: a distant country, the "Wild West" of the Earth Circle. And what is a frontier without a gold rush? And so she came. Crowds of miners rushed to the West, who are waiting for the tribes of aboriginal spirit men, bloodthirsty bandits and the remnants of the recently defeated rebels. If you drive fast, will you die sooner? No matter how you drive, you won't run into problems. Especially if you, like Shai Sout, have to find a gang of thugs who kidnapped your family. A gang heading for the heart of the Far Country.
What's the point? Abercrombie swung at the classic western, except perhaps without the great invention of Colonel Colt. Accurate styling and authentic entourage. The characters are all in the spirit of the "frontier" genre beloved by Americans. Bandits, "cowboys", "Indians" ... Right Clint Eastwood breathed. That's just the blackish entourage of the local frontier is too pressing. Romance? Nobility? Loyalty? No, this is clearly not old Joe.
Summary: mixing fantasy with western, and even in its "spaghetti" version. The rarest rarity, especially in the performance of the apostle of "dark fantasy".
Plot plot: the only miracle left on earth on cloven hooves goes in search of its missing relatives. To a world that has lost magic and the memory of beauty. Into a world where scary stories are told about King Haggard and the creepy Red Bull.
What's the point? The main character of the book is not a man at all, but a real magical creature, moreover, capable of changing shape. By the way, the unicorn is by no means the only fairy tale character to be found in Beagle's novel.
In word-weaving, the author has achieved a truly outstanding skill. The text is filled with meaning to the limit, magically poetic, harmonious, exquisitely ironic, voluminous and very good in taste. Like a dish prepared by a mother and tasted in childhood, when the trees were large, and an unknown, but certainly beautiful life was just busy on the horizon.
However, the main advantage of the novel is that it returns to us a fairy tale that takes all the best from its children's colleagues, but does not deviate from the harsh truth of life. A fairy tale that is filled with magic, echoes of legends, a sense of the unusual. Which regrets the lost ability to see the magical side of being. Which keeps faith in people and in the happy outcome of any hopeless enterprise.
Summary: one of the most famous fantasy works. Of this top, it is closest to the classic representatives of the Land of Fantasy.
Plot plot: a guy named Shadow, after leaving prison, instead of the hugs of a loving wife and a measured life, he gets a job from the mysterious Mr. Wednesday. And soon the Shadows will have to get acquainted with very strange creatures and radically reconsider their ideas about reality.
What's the point? United States of America - a land without gods (not counting His Majesty the Dollar)? A deserted place devoid of mythostory? No matter how! America, according to Gaiman, is overflowing with higher beings, which immigrants from different parts of the world took with them. Each god is elegantly described and carries a national-ideological layer. The gods quarrel, make friends, love and die. And sometimes they seem more real than most of our housemates.
The novel can serve as an excellent guide to the study of ancient cults. It is also an ironic detective story with a fair amount of suspense, lively language, moral lessons and philosophical reflections.
Summary: This novel has collected virtually all the awards that it could reach. And this is that infrequent case when a book is completely worthy of all the praise that fell upon it. A novel that allows you to get to know America more deeply and look at its history from a different angle.
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Stunning worlds. Gorgeous fantastic assumptions. Rich and non-trivial ideas. Great language and gripping storylines. Nutritious and delicious brain food. This is what distinguishes the truly bright, significant and original inhabitants of the Land of Fantasy. A country whose doors are open to everyone.
There is an opinion that a person is not truly free in anything other than creativity, whether this is true or not is a moot point. But it is difficult to argue with the fact that people are mostly creators. Of course, we are not yet able to create a planet like ours, where people with free will will live, but the human imagination, nevertheless, creates amazing new worlds through books and movies.
Some fictional universes turn out to be so successful and interesting that they acquire thousands of fans. We invite you to read about five such fictional worlds.
1 Star Wars
Creator - George Lucas
Star Wars is not just six feature films. The world invented by Lucas today is developing almost on its own - hundreds of books have been written about it, which describe the most distant corners of the universe, tell about all the heroes we saw in the films, and about many others that are not mentioned in the films . Comic books, video games, and cartoons have been created based on the classic Star Wars.
George Lucas
The plot-forming link is the Order of the Jedi - knights who defend high ideals, peace and order and who own the Force. Those who succumbed to their dark beginning and switched to the Dark Side of the Force were called Sith. They are the main protagonists of the universe, and there is a constant confrontation between the two orders.
Few people know that before the events shown in The Phantom Menace, the Galactic Republic enjoyed peace and order for almost 1000 years - it was a kind of golden age. However, this 1000 years is almost nowhere described, and we can observe the development of the universe just from the events that occurred a few years before the "Phantom Menace".
After the fall of the Jedi Order, only one knight remained - Luke Skywalker, and this is where the sixth film ends. However, the universe continues to evolve - as a result, the Republic is reborn from the wreckage, the Jedi Order reappears on the political arena, then the war begins again, as almost half of Luke's students went over to the dark side ... In fact, Star Wars is a story that you can go on endlessly, so that more and more new books “based on” are published.
The universe does not develop randomly: a special council headed by Lucas followed the development of history, and now Walt Disney Studios will probably do this. And yes, a little spoiler if you didn't know - in one of the books, the decision was made to kill Chewbacca.
2. Forgotten Realms
Creator - Ed Greenwood
The Forgotten Realms is a fantasy world designed for the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop RPG. The universe is best known for its worldwide novels by Robert Salvatore and the video games Icewind Dale, Baldur's Gate, and Neverwinter Nights. Most of the action takes place on Fairun - part of the largest continent of the planet Abeir-Toril.
Ed Greenwood
The world is worked out almost to the smallest detail. Of course, you can find fault with many little things like the strange distribution of climatic zones on the planet, but this is just understandable - many authors worked on the project at the same time, each of whom took a small piece of the world for himself, and only then they were "glued" together. But that's not the point.
The planet is inhabited by many classic races - there are several varieties and factions of elves, dwarves, orcs and, of course, a huge number of human settlements. There are also completely different races like illithids - anthropomorphic octopuses that capture the minds of other intelligent creatures and thus turn them into their slaves.
In addition to Fairun, there are several other parts of the world on the planet - Zakhara (an analogue of the Middle East), Kara-Tur (an analogue of India and Indochina), Maztika (an analogue of the territory of the American Indians like the Mayans or Incas) and Evermeet (the legendary land of the elves). Since Abeir-Toril is a large planet, and advanced technologies in the classic fantasy genre are not too honored, many continents on the planet have not yet been discovered, so there is room for the imagination to roam. The FORGOTTEN REALMS has been haunting fans since the early 1990s, and has been a constant work in progress over the years. An interesting fact is that only Fairun has been detailed by the developers so far.
Interestingly, there are practically no kingdoms as such in the Forgotten Realms: the main administrative unit is the city-state, among the most famous are Neverwinter, Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep.
The gods play a very important role in this world. They were invented not only to worship and enslave the masses, they are very real entities that give their adherents strength, abilities and opportunities, who love to actively interfere in the affairs of mortals. The gods are divided into "fractions": trade, love, darkness, and so on - everything you can imagine. In addition, the gods have a kind of career ladder - you can grow from a demigod to an Elder God, who will be worshiped by millions of admirers from all over the world.
3. Arda (Arda)
Created by J. R. R. Tolkien
Tolkien created an original world that served as an inspiration for the creation of almost all fantasy universes. It was he who came up with the names for most fantasy races - orcs, elves, hobbits - the rest of the "creators of the worlds" simply remade them in their own way.
J. R. R. Tolkien
But the master is the master - the world he invented turned out to be alive: with its own history, features, key characters and, in some way, geography. By the way, the world often invented by Tolkien is called Middle-earth, but this is not true: in fact, its name is Arda. She appeared after the god Eru created amazing creatures - the Ainur, who literally sang the world.
It is worth saying here that Tolkien himself repeatedly said that the action of his novels does not take place on any other planet and not in a parallel world, but on our Earth. According to the master, Middle-earth existed on our planet in the distant past. Well, he has a right. In addition, if you compare the map of the same Middle-earth with the map of Europe, you can really notice the similarity.
The most numerous race in Middle-earth are, of course, people: it is they who inhabit most of the region. They differ from the elves, in fact, in that they live for tens, not thousands of years, and, accordingly, their states change, and the elves remain practically unchanged for generations. Moreover, the soul of the elves forever after death remains in Arda in a special place called the Gardens of Mandos, and the human soul leaves the world.
Magic in Tolkien's world differs from later invented combat magic - here it is rather a creative act, and not a series of clearly regulated actions and rules. A creature endowed with will can do magic - the stronger the will, the more impressive magical deeds the hero is capable of. However, magic is not a decisive argument - the will is needed, for example, also then, in order to resist the power of the Ring of Omnipotence. In addition, over time, magic leaves Arda, and it becomes less and less. In the free continuation of The Lord of the Rings, written by Nick Perumov, there is practically no magic left.
One way or another, the world is famous for its recognizable living characters, detailed elaboration and unusual history. No wonder he has so many admirers.
4. Star Trek
Creator - Gene Roddenberry
Star Trek is a science fiction television series released in 1966 in the United States. It is important to remember that at that time mankind had not even made a flight to the moon, but only dreamed of space travel. So the moment was well chosen: Star Trek is a saga about the first human travelers who went to explore deep space, get to know the rest of the intelligent races inhabiting the galaxy and learn from them.
Gene Roddenberry
It all started with the fact that at the beginning of the 21st century, NASA made an attempt to go into space on primitive ships. Then, in 2053, the Third World War broke out on Earth, after which humanity recovered within ten years. But in 2063, the first spacecraft with a warp engine (a technology that allows exceeding the speed of light) was launched, and so humanity first met another intelligent race - the Vulcans from the planet Vulcan.
The Vulcans turned out to be much more advanced in terms of technology, so diplomatic relations were built slowly, since the Vulcans did not really want to share technology with unpredictable people who had recently staged a massacre on their own planet.
Earthlings managed to build their own full-fledged starship - the Enterprise - only in 2151. Then the United Federation of Planets was created - a union of different intelligent races, united for the joint development and exploration of space. It should be noted that there are a huge number of races in this universe, and not all of them are benevolent. So, there are, for example, the Klingons, who were previously skilled diplomats and peacekeepers, but under the influence of politicians, they rolled down to warlike barbarians and, in their opinion, are now professing the philosophy of real warriors.
The history of Star Trek is written in detail up to the 24th century, and each milestone in this history is marked by global upheavals - for example, bloody warriors with other races like the Xindi, whose philosophy is extremely far from human. And, surprisingly, humanity with dignity (precisely with dignity!) came out of any alteration.
It should be noted that the action in this saga plays a secondary role - basically it tells about universal values. Moral issues are touched upon in almost every episode: for example, the viewer is invited to think about the consequences of the complete extinction of a biological species and the like. In other words, the Star Trek universe teaches in a fascinating way the lesson of how important it is for people to remain human in any situation.
5. Song of Ice and Fire
Creator - George Martin
The prototype for this universe was a real human history: the world of "PLIP" is comparable to our European Middle Ages - there is feudal fragmentation, the absence of gunpowder, the somewhat oppressed position of ordinary people and, of course, palace intrigues.
George Martin
It should be noted that a detailed map of the world does not exist, as well as an official name for it. Westeros, for example, is only a separate continent about the size of South America, it is in Westeros that the vast majority of the events of the described era take place. There is another continent where peoples live, comparable to the peoples of our East, and practically nothing is known about the western lands.
However, Martin took the trouble to come up with a complete chronicle for his world. Westeros was originally inhabited by the mysterious Children of the Forest, who later disappeared. Then the First People came there, displacing the Children of the Forest, who were gradually forgotten: the memory of them was preserved only in legends and fairy tales. Then they were replaced by the conquering Andals, who conquered these lands and brought with them the religion of the Seven Gods. A little later, the east of the mainland was captured by the Roynars, who assimilated with the Andals and became almost a single people.
In the east, meanwhile, the Valyrian Empire gained strength, from where the Targaryens flew to Westeros on dragons. Thanks to the dragons, they seized power, but after 300 years, the dragons degenerated, and the Targaryens went mad - in many ways, perhaps due to closely related marriages. Then they were overthrown by Robert Baratheon, who later became king. And the rest of the story is known to those who watched the Game of Thrones series, based on Martin's novels, or read the novels themselves.
Religion and magic, which is typical for fantasy, play an important role in Martin's world. Westeros officially professes the Seven Gods - the septons (the so-called local priests) from the point of view of magic cannot do anything at all, and they do not have much influence on politics. In fact, this is just a formal cult.
But there is another religion that is widespread just in the East - the cult of the fiery deity R'hllor, whose priests are subject to the magic of fire: they work the main miracles. The fiery god gives some of his adepts the opportunity to resurrect from the dead over and over again or to see the events of the past and future in the flame. Fire is opposed by Others - mysterious creatures that appeared from behind the Wall on the edge of the Seven Kingdoms - they personify ice. As the novels go on, magical powers, which the inhabitants of the world have already forgotten to think about, are gradually awakening, and how it will all end is unknown. It remains to wait for the release of the sixth and seventh volumes.
: https://www.publy.ru/post/6238
Shared universes are probably the hottest trend right now. Every movie studio, in pursuit of the long dollar, wants to push all of its heroes together at the same time. As a rule, such experiments end in success - and a very decent box office. However, long before cinema, theories of the interpenetration of worlds were promoted in the field of gaming - if not by the developers themselves, then at least by fans of conspiracy theories. Gmbox presents you the 7 most logical hypotheses that may well turn out to be true.
7 Bethesda Universe
Nearly all of Bethesda's games allegedly take place in the same universe. William Blaskowitz of Wolfenstein is a distant ancestor of the unnamed Marine from Doom, and the Nirnroot plant is found in both The Elder Scrolls world and Fallout 4 (only it's called NRT there). Moreover, in the leaked documents on the space Starfield there is something like a prescription: to unite all three (!!!) worlds.
Moreover, regarding the timeline, there is an interesting theory: TES is the future of Fallout, and not vice versa. Over time, the radioactive wastelands gave way to such anomalies as magic, intelligent cats, and no less intelligent lizards. The only problem is explaining the presence of Daedric deities in the distant future of Earth Bethesda is tormented.
6 Soulsborne Theory
This theory is most likely 100% true. Why? The proof can be a specific quest from The Ringed City - DLC for Dark Souls 3. A certain NPC asks to get him a Dark Soul, with which he could draw a new world for people. You manage to get only the Blood of the Dark Soul, and the painter has to operate with what he has. Well, in Yharnam, everything is based just on blood, and not on souls.
Also, in the first Dark Souls there is a strange NPC, Chester, whose outfit is more reminiscent of early steampunk than classic medieval dark fantasy. He pronounces the following phrase: “Let me guess… You, too, were grabbed by a shadow hand and dragged into the distant past?”. In our opinion, everything converges, do not go to a fortune teller.
5. Hitman, Kane & Lynch - one world of cold-blooded killers
By temperament, Agent 47 and the “sweet couple” are direct opposites, two poles, ice and fire. However, in terms of cruelty and the number of murders, they are about the same. So it's not surprising that IO Interactive has thought about crossover more than once. In several parts of Hitman, the "exploits" of Kane and Lynch are described in detail in newspaper clippings, with fans immediately recognizing the completed missions.
Not only that, in the Birdie's Gift quest in Hitman Absolution, both Kane and Lynch can be found at the shooting range. Interaction with them is zero - neither kill nor talk. But these “beautiful” colorful faces are instantly recognizable, it is not possible to confuse them with anyone. Unfortunately, IO subsequently had serious financial problems, and now it is more about the survival of the 47th than about creating some kind of crossovers.
4 Shared Rockstar Universe
Rockstar always wants to “be bigger” and with the incredible success of movie studios, the company will most likely end up officially merging all of its games into one universe. Moreover, this has been happening for a long time - through small but irrefutable cross-links. Michael boasts in GTA V: "In '88 he took a small office in Carcer City, 10 thousand bucks." Carcer City is the setting for Manhunt.
In one of the hideouts in GTA IV, you can see a TV ad for Bulworth Academy, a private school from Bully. Well, in the original GTA Online build, you could choose John Marston himself as one of your ancestors. So GTA, Manhunt, Bully and even Red Dead Redemption are already connected - all that's left for Rockstar is to officially admit it, and try to make something sensible and creative out of it.
3. Valve United Worlds
The connection between Half-Life and Portal has already been confirmed no less than the Illuminati. GLaDOS mentions the closed Black Mesa facility in her famous ditty at the end of the first Portal. At the same time, in Half-Life there is a lost Borealis ship, which was not designed somewhere there, but in the Aperture Science Laboratories itself. Scientific interaction can be traced, and it cannot be denied.
But fans go even further. They think that Left 4 Dead and Counter-Strike is attention! - entertainment television series in the Half-Life/Portal universe. Evil tongues claim that Valve uses the same assets and room configurations in two such different games just to save energy, but supporters of the theory present a weighty counterargument: these are modified scenery in one large film studio.
2. Yes, and Nintendo - there too
In fact, the Japanese company can safely be called a pioneer in the field of united worlds in gaming. Mario, Yoshi and Donkey Kong are all one arcade universe. The pillow-like (similar?) Kirby can be attributed there too, which should not surprise anyone either. Samus Aran and Link are a completely different matter. But they are also part of the Nintendo world.
Both the fairy elf and the space explorer can be found in Super Mario RPG. Both characters are non-interactive, but Samus still responds through her sleep that she is resting before the battle with Mother Brain, which leaves no doubt. And in Zelda: Ocarina of Time, you can find Mario posters. And to build on the success: in Kirby's Dreamland, Kirby clears out a nest of evil metroids, for which Samus Aran personally thanks him (her?). Interpenetration 100%
1. Ubiverse, or the Ubisoft universe
The French (and Canadians) are perhaps the hardest hit in terms of unifying their universes. Far Cry, Assassin's Creed and Watch Dogs are definitely the same world, and there is a lot of evidence. The Abstergo company symbol can be found in Far Cry 3. The mission to kill the CEO of Abstergo Entertainment is in Watch Dogs. Not only that: exactly the same events are mentioned in Assassin's Creed Rogue.
Let's go further. The ability to control animals in Far Cry Primal is the prototype of the eagle eye of the assassins, so it is the protagonist Primal (and not Bayek from Origins) who is the very first assassin in history. Fans are also trying to tie Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell to the same universe, but so far it's not working out very well. However, given the general trend towards shared universes and the fact that the publisher has already linked Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon, it is worth believing that over time this bundle will be officially added to the Assassin's Creed/Far Cry/Watch Dogs combination.
