Worldbuilding has become a topic of interest in many fields. Literature, media studies, game studies are addressing it as a creative process. Social sciences are reflecting on how it relates to the construction of political possibilities. In your opinion, what are the best works bridging these two perspectives on Worldbuilding?
Dibakar, I'm afraid links you posted don't work. This may be because they are incomplete. I did a search on the writersdigest site and have pasted a link to a page of world building tips entries, including the one you cited. Hope that's a help. The other pages can probably be found by similar means.
http://www.writersdigest.com/?s=world+building&submit=
A lot of modern Fantasy writers openly acknowledge a background in role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons. Good examples include Raymond Feist and George R R Martin. I've also used my background here in my own creative fiction. Many of the rule books, such as the Dungeon Masters Guide offer a lot of advice on world-building. But there was also a lot of other material provided by fans and fan groups in magazines and independent publications that helped Dungeon Masters flesh-out their own campaign maps. Much of the older material is now starting to appear on line (often in breach of copyright so I can’t give you any links). One of the best was Judges’ Guild, which is still publishing, though their range has shrunken to only Fantasy, but you may still find it helpful to see what they have to offer: http://judgesguild.org/ There is also a lot of software, some free, available on line to help people with world building. For instance: Cityographer: http://cityographer.com/download/ Hexographer: http://www.hexographer.com/ and Campaign Cartographer - https://www.profantasy.com/products/cc3.asp
Hi,
In case read Spanish: This book by Fabrizzio Guerrro McManus explores the linkages between critical ecologies and science fiction.
https://books.google.com.mx/books?id=XfITDQAAQBAJ&pg=PP1&dq=fabrizzio+guerrero+mcmanus&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwipuNqZoe7XAhXDg1QKHUJoDdEQ6AEINDAC#v=onepage&q=fabrizzio%20guerrero%20mcmanus&f=false
Thank you José, I do read Spanish and didn’t know about this book. I’ll certainly check it out.
Hi. I’m not really sure I understand the question. If by worldbuilding you mean building a coherent diegetic world more or less independent of an output format, be it literature, film, video games, etc, you may find some valuable insights in Umberto Eco’s Postille a il nome della rosa. On the other hand, if you want something that bridges the gap between fictional worldbuilding and political thought, I don’t think there’s anything that explicitly addresses both topics at the same time. However, some current reflections about literary dystopias emphasize the fictional but plausible nature of dystopian worlds. That is, their systematic consistency with tendencies from the actual world. I’d suggest Lorenzo’s Cities at the End of the World (2014), Huxley’s Brave New World Revisited (1958), and maybe you can take a look at Gerald Farka’s work on dystopia and videogames (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gerald_Farca).
Hi Cesar. Thank you for the references. Indeed, there aren't many studies bridging the gap between the two forms of worldbuilding you mention in your comment. Dan Hassler-Forest has tried to do this in his 2016 book titled "Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Politics: transmedia world-building beyond capitalism". My question seeks to identify other authors that might have explored the articulation between the two forms of worldbuilding you highlight in your answer.
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