An Asylum for Writers of Speculative Fiction

So we're onto the questions about magic now. This should be fun. It's another long one so I'm splitting it up.

( Worldbuilding Project - Olestria - Part Four A )

Feedback?

Nertha is the putative name of the world Olestria is part of. Yep I cribbed the name from Germanic myth... it fits. This map was made in fractal terrains pro trial version. This saves in a silly low res (because it's a trial version) but I used the power of print screen and paste into graphics program to bring it to you. It's still lowish res but you can see it. I do intend to buy the full version either this month or next.

Looking at it I think Olestria will be the large southern continent as it has all the climates I need. If you can't see the whole map click on the link link at the bottom to open the entry... the layout has cut it off. :-( (Never thought the fact I can't affort to renew the paid status of the asylum until i get paid might be a good thing.

I'm never quite sure if rampant silence means a: no one is reading this, b: it's good so I'm not going to criticise, c: it's bad and I don't want to hurt your feelings.

In otherwords please give me feedback or tell me to shut up.

( Worldbuilding Project - Olestria -Part Three B )

Question - should I change the continent name to Alestria to avoid the fake fat (Olestra) problem. Being British I'd never heard of Olestra until someone mentioned it.

Also the history section is really long so I'm breaking it down into smaller pieces to answer.

( Worldbuilding Project - Olestria -Part Three A )

Feedback Please

Well I'm using the first half of the second page of fantasy worldbuilding questions today (That's Physical Features. I'll do Historical Features tomorrow) but I've ended up with a load of theological stuff. The religion section is going to be very interesting. And I find Olestria is doing an Athena on me and coming out of my head fully formed. As soon as I think about it I know this stuff. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not.

I'm still looking for constructive feedback on what I have so far.

( Worldbuilding Project - Olestria -Part Two )

Feedback please.

This is the start of my attempt at a fantasy world with modern technology. I'm using the questions from here to form the basis of this. I'll use each of the sections for one or two short essays (depending on the number of questions). With luck they'll give me a firm grounding in if it's a feasible concept. The essays (if that's the right word) will be thrown together quickly so don't expect copious detail and forgive the rough edges.

( Worldbuilding Project - Olestria - Part One )

I'll crosspost this to my worldbuilding blog tomorrow but for now I need to get to bed.
Can I have feedback please? Oh and does this continent name you think of 'fake fat'?

So here's one for you all - hopefully it'll inspire some of you.

Imagine for one minute that Earth (or an earth-like world) had a Steampunk revolution in its Victorian Era (or equivalent).

Imagine it - hold it in your head and roll forward over a hundred years to its early 21st century.

What would that world be like? The aesthetic (after all our modern aesthetic is not very Victorian so there's no reason the post-steampunk world would be), the technology, the science, the culture...

What would the Post-Steampunk era world be like?

Discuss.

You know how you have fantasy novels that are set in worlds that are explicitly *not* Earth but have a roughly equivalent climate and biosphere, and human society and technology at some historical level (usually medieval but I've seen later periods).

However once you reach the Industrial Revolution level this stops. From the Victorian Era onwards all Fantasy seems to fall into the Alternative Earth or Hidden Magic varients. Or at least I've never seen it.

And don't get me wrong I love a good contemporary fantasy novel with a hidden magical society and most people blissfully unaware of the magical world, but I'd like to see something different.

And presumably a typical medieval level fantasy world will eventually develop higher tech levels because you know it's inhabited by intelligent people - most of whom can't use magic - who will be looking for ways to make their lives easier.

The worldbuilding project that petered out when I got flu was roughly renaissance level with hints of clock and steampunk and would certainly reach 21st Century technology eventually without losing sight of the fact that dragons, fee, magic and the gods are all real. I will go back to it eventually but at the moment I'm focused on the fact November is less than 2 months away.

Nano is a great time to experiment, and so I'm thinking of using this idea as my setting. Then I realise why no one has ever done it. It wouldn't be easy to create such a world. Then again worthwhile things are rarely easy.

So what do you think? Other world contemporary fantasy - possible or not? And if you actually know of stories where this has been done tell me.

( Long ramble about my WIP cut for courtesy to member's friends' pages )