How do you create a fictional world with science fiction and fantasy elements?

[The Supreme One 4]

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Hello everyone it is Vlad here!

I am just sharing an old post I wrote for someone that was looking for tips; in hopes it may help others as well.

 

 

Have you ever truly explored trying to 'create a fictional world with science fiction and fantasy elements?'

In order to write a good story, or create a fictional world based on whatever interests you have, you need to learn as much as you can about them.

 

Science Fiction is a broad variation of things and there are many fantasy aspects already embedded in the genre.

Science ‘Fiction’ – The word Fiction dictates that it is imaginary or a ‘fantasy’ in a sense. So you already have a story with fantasy elements and science fiction elements. Now it really depends on where you wish to go with your fictional world.

What kind of creatures, people, and items are there in your fantasy world? Is your world filled with Supernatural beings, is it a world based on the real world, with a few ‘fictional’ or fantasy aspects? How much of fantasy do you want and how realistic do you want it to turn out?

There are so many ways to answer this question as it all depends on you and what you want your reader to know, see, feel, taste, etc.

Some of the best fantasy novels have their roots in science, because it takes science to create a viable and believable fantasy world. Science serves as a base to anchor the whimsical elements.

Even with its analytical nature, science can only takes us so far.

There is just so much out there we don’t know. We’re still discovering uncategorized animals and plant species, and there’s an ongoing debate over whether time is infinite. No matter how analytical science becomes, there is always room for imagination.

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I’m convinced that the best fantasy worlds are most like earth. That makes sense when you think about it. Each reader enters a fictional world as a stranger who needs to acclimate. The shorter that process, the better. It is the story, and not the special effects, that will captivate most of your readers.

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Build a world with geology, weather, flora, and fauna that all make sense, then from that springboard jump off into fanciful areas. Introduce them as a parallel reality and you won’t have to explain them as part of your world’s natural laws. Or the fantasy elements in your roleplay or novel can disrupt the logical order, putting your world out of balance in a way that needs to be corrected.

Feel free to discuss further on this subject if you have more thought or opinions.

 

 

[Rem 6]

"I’m convinced that the best fantasy worlds are most like earth. That makes sense when you think about it. Each reader enters a fictional world as a stranger who needs to acclimate. The shorter that process, the better."

I think that is really true with fantasy and sci-fi worlds, namely where it concerns text.
With tv shows and movies, you can world-build in seconds because things are conveyed visually.
But with writing and roleplaying in those same worlds, there's only so much you can "concisely" convey through text explanation.

[The Supreme One 4]

4 hours ago, Rem said:

With tv shows and movies, you can world-build in seconds because things are conveyed visually.
But with writing and roleplaying in those same worlds, there's only so much you can "concisely" convey through text explanation.

 

This is very true. Words can only do so much to spark the imagination, and vividly paint a picture for all 'readers' to accurately 'fantasize.' Even adding descriptive words, music, and pictures can only do so much to add to the scenery and make it more immersive.

 

Each person's mind will also play a factor in building the scenes and not everyone is always on the same page. So mixups will tend to happen, and that's where building a world or scene where more common things and stuff that people can easily relate to makes the most sense; and will likely result in the least mess ups. 

[Reaper 3]

Oh this is one of my favs! I'm all about world building and lore crafting! Actually this reminds me of a story I had started many many moons ago. About a political clash in outer space with fantasy elements. I love Sci Fi, with worlds so unlike our own. I equally love old lore about supernatural creatures and combining the two is fun. Just need a political issue or hostile faction to make is really interesting. "Werewolves in space, fighting against the intergalactic police force. Futuristic pirates, if you will."

[The Supreme One 4]

19 hours ago, Reaper said:

"Just need a political issue or hostile faction to make is really interesting. "Werewolves in space, fighting against the intergalactic police force. Futuristic pirates, if you will."

 

YES! Political conflict and waging factions are great ways to draw intrigue into the story and build real powerful action storylines that connect multiple people and multiple possibilities. 

[deimosphoibus 0]

I love creating worlds because I have a fascination with biology and geography. In fact, I think coming up with maps might be my favorite part of worldbuilding... I'm the type who always gets excited when I open a book and I am greeted with a map, to me it makes the world feel more grounded. Especially when the map contains strange and impossible structures (think of Discworld, for example.)

 

And of course, I also like to think of animals and other lifeforms that might live in it. In this aspect I agree with you that the best fantasy worlds are most like Earth, but that's only because the Earth has an incredible variety of lifeforms. Honestly, I think most alien species that show up in movies and games have nothing on the actual creatures that roam our world. There are so many strange and wonderful things out there for those who know to look for it!