Mecha Design in a Space Fantasy Setting for nonhumans

[pmmg]

Thing is, worldbuilding is essential to fantasy. It is what makes fantasy into fantasy. Otherwise you can just write a story set into real world.

So I don't think you can say that worldbuilding is "wasted". You can have weak protagonists* and excellent worldbuilding (Tolkien), or well-developed protagonists* and weak worldbuilding (Martin).

*Ironically, George Martin's antagonists are overall much weaker than Tolkien's are. Too many of them are just generically evil, with nothing to really motivate them.

I don't believe I said world building was wasted. And...I will not go with 'its what makes fantasy into fantasy', it just part of the whole. But it can be left out entirely, and a fantasy can still be written. The illiad accomplishes this.

I did say my time was wasted. That was because Tolkien did not have the balance that would make me love his work. Coming in too heavy with world building, is a recipe for being out of balance was more my gist.

 

[Aldarion]

I don't believe I said world building was wasted. And...I will not go with 'its what makes fantasy into fantasy', it just part of the whole. But it can be left out entirely, and a fantasy can still be written. The illiad accomplishes this.

Illiad is mythology and not fantasy... and Illiad's worldbuilding (gods and heroes and so on) is rather extensive, though it is admittedly mostly just drawing onto wider Greek mythos.

In fact, it is mythological and Homer's worldbuilding that made Illiad into what it is. Otherwise it would be just a teenage angst story.

EDIT:

I did say my time was wasted. That was because Tolkien did not have the balance that would make me love his work. Coming in too heavy with world building, is a recipe for being out of balance was more my gist.

And I felt that e.g. Martin and Rowling wasted my time on irrelevant stuff that wasn't worldbuilding - and in case of Rowling was a direct consequence of her lack of worldbuilding.

Just because it isn't in the books doesn't mean it isn't helpful to have.

 

[pmmg]

Well...If you want that to be your definition of Fantasy, I am okay with it, but its not mine.

 

[SirenSon117]

Thing is, worldbuilding is essential to fantasy. It is what makes fantasy into fantasy. Otherwise you can just write a story set into real world.

So I don't think you can say that worldbuilding is "wasted". You can have weak protagonists* and excellent worldbuilding (Tolkien), or well-developed protagonists* and weak worldbuilding (Martin).

*Ironically, George Martin's antagonists are overall much weaker than Tolkien's are. Too many of them are just generically evil, with nothing to really motivate them.

never read Martin's stuff but duly noted