Fictional universe

A fictional universe (also fictional world, fictional place or fantasy world, English fictional universe, fictional world) is a fictional reality that differs by more or less large deviations from reality or as a description in the respective (nth) reality. These deviations can be limited to the mere existence of fantasy characters such as Sherlock Holmes, or can extend to fundamentally different worlds such as Discworld or Narnia, in which magic exists or the laws of nature are suspended or varied in other ways. In the broadest sense, every television series, feature film, novel, comic book, etc. is set in a fictional universe, which in the case of television series is also called a series universe. In a narrower understanding, however, it is primarily fictional universes that deviate extensively from reality that are perceived as such. Such a fictional universe can comprise a multitude of fictional places, but can also consist of only one or no fictional place at all. The invention of fictional universes or fictional worlds is a popular element not only in science fiction, fantasy and utopian works, but also in political philosophy.

In role-playing games, especially in pen & paper role-playing games, fictional worlds form a central point. Such a fictional game world serves as the background and place of action of a game. The term is mainly used in pen & paper role-playing games and computer games. In principle, a fictional game world contains the description of all aspects that the real world also has, i.e. the geographical, sociological, political, economic and climatic conditions, among others. Since fantasy and science fiction are among the most popular genres for game worlds, cosmology, religion, and magic are often added as well. Some roleplaying worlds are so extensively developed that describing them is beyond the scope of the base game. Additional publications describing the world are called sourcebooks. Fictional worlds from literature or other media are often adopted as game worlds.

It is similar with computer game worlds. However, these are usually only described implicitly through the events in the game, but sometimes there is extensive information about computer game worlds, for example through novels about the game or detailed texts that can be discovered in the game.

The activity of inventing such fictional universes or places and worlds is also called world-building.

Term History

The term was first defined by comics historian Don Markstein in a 1970 article in "CAPA-alpha," one of the first Amateur Press Associations.

Connection to the real world

Fictional worlds do not have to differ significantly from reality. In principle, each plot location of fiction corresponds to an independent reality. However, especially in science fiction and fantasy, supernatural elements are often woven in. Fantasy is often set in a mythologized past. Fairy tales, sagas and myths also fall into this category, as do modern adaptations of them (The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley or the Winter Solstice cycle by Susan Cooper). In addition, there are equally worlds that are reached by a transition in a reality that mimics reality. A classic example of this is Alice in Wonderland.

However, many fantasy worlds are independent. The forerunner of fantasy literature is Middle-earth, penned by J. R. R. Tolkien, on which many later fantasy worlds and role-playing games have been based. Tolkien also wrote on the process of inventing a fantasy world, world-building, which he called subcreation.