The Fantastic City: The Importance of Setting Becoming a Character in Writing

“A city like Ankh-Morpork was only two meals away from chaos at the best of times.” -Terry Pratchett, Night Watch.

The greatest fiction is built upon scene and setting. When the landscape has a personality that the reader can feel, it breathes life into the story. Personally, when I think about some of the fantasy and science fiction I grew up with, I have a hard time remembering characters’ names and traits. But I can easily remember the towering colossus of Gondor from Lord of the Rings, or the technological hellscape of the Sprawl from Neuromancer. Why do these places draw us in so completely, and how do they come to life? And more importantly, how can we as writers create settings that inspire these feelings in our readers?

Fernweh & Anemoia: Feelings of Longing

The German word fernweh means wanderlust, and refers to a feeling of nostalgia for a place you’ve never been or can never go to. It is also called farsickness; it is a yearning to explore the world. When we read about such fantastical places as Earthsea or Westeros, we are filled with a similar longing. Places we cannot go to represent adventure, a release from boredom or responsibility. And perhaps the fact that these places do not exist and will forever be away from our grasp only makes us long for…