This companion provides a definitive and cutting-edge guide to the study of imaginary and virtual worlds across a range of media, including literature, television, film, and games. From the Star Trek universe, Thomas More’s classic Utopia, and J. R. R. Tolkien’s Arda, to elaborate, user-created game worlds like Minecraft, contributors present interdisciplinary perspectives on authorship, world structure/design, and narrative. The Routledge Companion to Imaginary Worlds offers new approaches to imaginary worlds as an art form and cultural phenomenon, explorations of the technical and creative dimensions of world-building, and studies of specific worlds and worldbuilders.
About the Contributors
Preface
Acknowledgments
Part 1 Content and Story
1. Locations and Borders Gerard Hynes
2. The Hero’s Journey Lily Alexander
3. Invented Languages Dimitra Fimi and Andrew Higgins
4. Invented Cultures Mark J. P. Wolf
5. Backstory Benjamin J. Robertson
6. Narrative Fabric Mark J. P. Wolf
7. Saviors Mark J. P. Wolf
8. Portals Jennifer Harwood-Smith
Part 2 Form and Structure
9. World Design Mark J. P. Wolf
10. Ontological Rules Marie-Laure Ryan
11. World Completeness Benjamin J. Robertson
12. World Consistency Rodrigo Lessa and João Araújo
13. Geography and Maps Gerard Hynes
14. History and Timelines Benjamin J. Robertson
15. Mythology Lily Alexander
16. Philosophy Edward Castronova
17. Transmediality Lars Konzack
18. World-Building Tools David Langdon
Part 3 Types of Worlds
19. Island Worlds Ian Kinane
20. Underground Worlds Peter Fitting
21. Planets Jennifer Harwood-Smith
22. Utopias and Dystopias Peter Sands
23. Uchronias, Alternate Histories, and Counterfactuals George Carstocea
24. Virtual Worlds Mark J. P. Wolf
25. Interactive and Participatory Worlds Matthew Freeman
Part 4 Authorship and Reception
26. Subcreation Lars Konzack
27. Authorship Jessica Aldred
28. Reboots and Retroactive Continuity William Proctor
29. Canonicity William Proctor
30. Escapism Lars Konzack
31. Genre Lily Alexander
Biography
Mark J. P. Wolf is a Full Professor in the Communication Department at Concordia University, Wisconsin, USA. His books include Abstracting Reality, The Medium of the Video Game, Virtual Morality, The Video Game Explosion, Myst and Riven: The World of the D'ni, Before the Crash, Encyclopedia of Video Games, Building Imaginary Worlds, The LEGO Studies Reader, Video Games Around the World, and Revisiting Imaginary Worlds. He is also the founder of the Imaginary Worlds book series. With Bernard Perron, he is the co-editor of The Video Game Theory Reader 1 and 2, and the Landmark Video Game book series.
