# Favourite Fictional Woods?



## Dawn Marshallsay (Nov 30, 2013)

The one thing I search for over everything else in a fantasy novel is great descriptions of woods. I want to walk through them without getting my feet muddy, breathe in the oxygen without getting my hair wet. The way the ivy winds round the branches, creating a lattice of tentacles. The way the invisible birds sing from somewhere overhead. It makes me feel at peace, mmm ...

My favourite fictional woodland have to be Robert Holdstock's Ryhope wood. I wish my local woods had a whole universe hidden within them!

What are your favourite fictional woods?

Dawn :smile:


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## Svrtnsse (Nov 30, 2013)

I'm a big fan of forests, but sad to say, I can't think of a favorite forest from literature. That said, the next best thing is probably the forests of Grizzly Hills in Northrend (World of Warcraft), as seen in this picture:






The landscaping there is really well done and the music that goes with it really fits the mood.

Nothing really beats a "real" forest though, like in this picture here: Forest by Toa on deviantART

Also, getting a bit scratched and dirty is part of the charm of being in the forest - it's how you know you're really there.


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## Svrtnsse (Nov 30, 2013)

An image like this will also tickle my imagination: Forest by Ardel2W on deviantART

Or a video like this one:


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## Ireth (Nov 30, 2013)

My top three, with a tie for the last one: 1) Faerie (which should surprise no one), 2) Lothlorien, and 3) The Western Woods of Narnia / The Wood Between the Worlds.


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## Svrtnsse (Nov 30, 2013)

I've been thinking (brace yourselves, this might hurt). I've read both LOTR and the Narnia books and it's been at least a decade since last so I could be wrong here. What I'm pondering are the forests. I remember liking the part about when the fellowship went into Lothlorien and met the elves there, but thinking back to it, I don't have much of an impression of what the forest was really like.
The same with the Narnia forest. I know it's there, I remember there were interesting things happening in it, but I don't have much of a feeling for the actual forest itself.

...and that's what I've been thinking about. 
I can't think of a single book I've read where I get the same feel for the forest as I do when out walking in it for real. The forest seems often to be just a backdrop to the events taking place in them. Perhaps that's just as well. For story purposes the forest is usually just a piece of scenery and it needn't be all that developed as far as character goes. 

Maybe it's something to try out somewhere down the line.


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## Quillstine (Nov 30, 2013)

Cool idea for a thread. As fantasy lovers I’m sure we all have a deep seated love of heavily wooded areas. Most of us out there probably have a particular forest we really love.
I agree with Svrtnsse…nothing beats the real thing. I grew up in the desert…desperate for tree’s and streams and rocks covered in Moss. When I could…I hightailed it to the upper-upper regions of a place called the Buckland Valley. Not fictional…but still my favorite woods in the world! 
As for real life fiction! I always loved the Gypsy Camp in fable…it was sort of forest like!
In Novels….favorites would be that near Ebon Rih below Ebon Askavi in Anne Bishops Black Jewel Trilogy. Don’t know why, just always stuck with me as being one of my favorite wooded areas.
Also Gods Grove in Dan Simmons Hyperion Saga. Tree’s you turn into space ships is awesome…and they were epic tree’s without that side to them!


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## buyjupiter (Nov 30, 2013)

Entwood. Because, Ents.

Otherwise I'd have to go with the forest in the Redwall series.

I'm actually having a hard time coming up with fantasy that does an in depth look at forests. Usually what I read casually mentions they have to go through a forest, but doesn't really describe beyond "there were a lot of trees".


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## Reaver (Nov 30, 2013)

I like all of the fictional forests mentioned above, but my all-time favorite goes way way back when I was known as Little Reaver.


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## Dawn Marshallsay (Dec 1, 2013)

Wow so many woods I'd forgotten about and ones I have yet to explore (in reality and fiction)! But I agree, nothing beats actually walking through them and breathing in the air, running your fingers over the bark mmm... One day I should try sitting in the woods whilst reading about them - now that would be 4-D experience!


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## Quillstine (Dec 1, 2013)

Dawn Marshallsay said:


> Wow so many woods I'd forgotten about and ones I have yet to explore (in reality and fiction)! But I agree, nothing beats actually walking through them and breathing in the air, running your fingers over the bark mmm... One day I should try sitting in the woods whilst reading about them - now that would be 4-D experience!



That's a fine idea. I'm off to the woods for the weekend folks. Taking my Anne Bishop Book and living the words!


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## Stare At Shadows (Dec 3, 2013)

Dawn Marshallsay said:


> My favourite fictional woodland have to be Robert Holdstock's Ryhope wood.



Curses! That was my first choice - Mythago Wood is probably the best fantasy novel of all time. I guess second place would have to go to Fangorn - must be the old goth in me.


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## CupofJoe (Dec 4, 2013)

Sort of cheating answer but...
My favourite fictional wood is the one behind the house where I grew up. I spent [far too] many days playing and hiding and imagining under the trees. The left hand side was Oaks and Beech trees whereas the right was pines and firs. behind them was a small hill covered by silver birch. In one afternoon I could travel from LothlÃ³rien to Mirkwood to the slopes of the lonely mountain in search of a dragon's gold... 
There were a million other adventures over the years. Luckily it is now the green-belt between two built up areas so is unlikely to get "developed" for a while at least.


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## Noma Galway (Dec 19, 2013)

Mirkwood, for sure, as it has the best description that I can remember. Second favorite though would have to be the forest Richard Cypher was in at the beginning of _Wizard's First Rule_.


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## Rinzei (Dec 22, 2013)

Valenwood, from the Elder Scrolls series. It's a country of massive trees, many of which MIGRATE, some containing cities within them. It also has a forest deity which has a deal with the wood elves called the Green Pact - this agreement requires them to not use any part of the forest and it's vegetation for buildings, clothing, food, etc. This means weapons must be made of bone, food must be animal/meat, and buildings must be made out of things like rock, bone and leather (or imported wood not of Valenwood's forest). C'mon, who can beat a forest that's protected by a diety that demands cannibalism instead of a garden salad?

I'm eager to finally see Valenwood when Elder Scrolls Online comes out. Not for the ritual cannibalism, but I really want to see how the migrating tree-cities are done.


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## Nagash (Dec 23, 2013)

Fangorn would definitely be in my top choices, but as far as fantasy goes, Duskwood from World of Warcraft is exceptionnaly grim. The astmosphere is incredibly well built. Grizzly hills are fantastic too though...


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