I’ve never really felt like I belonged in this world. From early childhood independent play to building out entire backstories for my Lego creations, I dreamt of other worlds. As I grew, that developed into a love of history, mythology, philosophy, and the other components of worldbuilding. And being naturally inclined to ask, “What if,” there’s nothing I love more than exploring these alien worlds. What if there was a world with a dozen sentient species? What if humans didn’t even exist in that world? What if that world was overflowing with magic? It’s these sorts of questions I most enjoy pondering.
Though this book was not my first exposure to Lewis’s world of Narnia, it holds a special place in my heart.
This story provides a thrilling adventure that captured my young mind. But more than that, I remember the pictures flying through my head as I read Aslan creating the world of Narnia, which would serve as the backdrop for so many other stories I love.
A beautiful paperback edition of The Magician's Nephew, book one in the classic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia. This edition is complete with cover and interior art by the original illustrator, Pauline Baynes.
On a daring quest to save a life, two friends are hurled into another world, where an evil sorceress seeks to enslave them. But then the lion Aslan's song weaves itself into the fabric of a new land, a land that will be known as Narnia. And in Narnia, all things are possible.
The Magician's Nephew is the first book in C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy…
I wouldn’t be the author I am today if I hadn’t read this book. Like with Narnia, my journey to Middle Earth didn’t start with this book. But when I think of vivid descriptions and complete worldbuilding, Tolkien is the first author to come to mind.
This book ignited my fire for reading and my love for the fantasy genre.
This brand-new unabridged audio book of The Fellowship of the Ring, the first part of J. R. R. Tolkien's epic adventure, The Lord of the Rings, is read by the BAFTA award-winning actor, director and author, Andy Serkis.
In a sleepy village in the Shire, a young hobbit is entrusted with an immense task. He must make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ruling Ring of Power - the only thing that prevents the Dark Lord Sauron's evil dominion.
Thus begins J. R. R. Tolkien's classic tale of adventure, which continues in…
Bright but unassuming Marilyn Jones has some grown-up decisions to make, especially after Mama goes to prison for drugs and larceny. With no one to take care of them, Marilyn and her younger, mentally challenged brother, Carol, get tossed into the foster care…
I was a big Magic the Gathering fan growing up and read quite a few of the various novel series. But if I’m thinking of worldbuilding specifically, I can’t help but consider the vibrant and original world of Ravnica and its many guilds.
Not to mention, the world is teaming with all manner of mythological creatures, which is a huge plus!
This book launches a new series set in the world of Magic: The Gathering.
This is the first title in an exciting trilogy dealing with the new Magic: The Gathering expansion sets. It will give players a sneak peek at the upcoming card releases.
I only recently read this book based on a friend’s recommendation (and because I wanted to read it before watching the movie). I was blown away by the depth and breadth of the world-building in Dune.
Though my general agreement with Herbert’s social philosophy might impact this pick, there’s no denying his prodigious world-building skills.
Before The Matrix, before Star Wars, before Ender's Game and Neuromancer, there was Dune: winner of the prestigious Hugo and Nebula awards, and widely considered one of the greatest science fiction novels ever written.
Melange, or 'spice', is the most valuable - and rarest - element in the universe; a drug that does everything from increasing a person's lifespan to making interstellar travel possible. And it can only be found on a single planet: the inhospitable desert world of Arrakis.
Whoever controls Arrakis controls the spice. And whoever controls the spice controls the universe.
4.5 billion years ago, Earth was forming - but nothing could have survived there…
From Cells to Ourselves is the incredible story of how life on earth started and how it gradually evolved from the first simple cells to the abundance of life around us today. Walk with dinosaurs, analyse…
As a proud Ravenclaw, I would be remiss if I didn’t include Harry Potter in this list. But why The Goblet of Fire? Honestly, because that was my favorite book in the series. Well, Order of the Phoenix could have had that title, but someone had to go and kill Sirius Black.
When the Quidditch World Cup is disrupted by Voldemort's rampaging supporters alongside the resurrection of the terrifying Dark Mark, it is obvious to Harry Potter that, far from weakening, Voldemort is getting stronger. Back at Hogwarts for his fourth year, Harry is astonished to be chosen by the Goblet of Fire to represent the school in the Triwizard Tournament. The competition is dangerous, the tasks terrifying, and true courage is no guarantee of survival - especially when the darkest forces are on the rise.
These adult editions with glorious jacket art by Andrew Davidson are now available in hardback for…
This book is a high fantasy adventure and the sweeping first book in the Evorath trilogy. This book introduces a medieval world bursting with magic and all manner of mythological creatures. In the first adventure set in the world of Evorath, readers meet Artimus and Savannah, a pair of elves investigating a recent string of kidnappings.
But as they lift the veil, they discover a threat much more dangerous than imagined. They are joined in their adventure by a motley crew of heroes, including felite (cat folk) and centaur warriors, and even an avatar of the creator goddess herself. Putting aside their own struggles and shortcomings, these unlikely heroes must fight to preserve the very survival of their world.
The 19th century women's rights movement and the rise of public education intertwine with one woman's story of struggle, perseverance, and love.
Alice Harris is pressed to marry a Civil War veteran twice her age when her family’s inn fails in 1882 in western North Carolina. She remakes herself by…
This book is set in Montauk, under looming threat from a warming climate and overdevelopment. Now outsider Clancy, a thirty-six-year-old claims adjuster scarred by his orphan childhood, has inherited an unexpected legacy: the power to decide the fate of Montauk’s last parcel of undeveloped land. Everyone in town has a…
