Reading through Chuck Wendig’s (hey, Chuck!) new Star Wars book, Aftermath, I am reminded of the deep importance of world building. The story largely takes place on a world that is politically structured based on the Persian system of government. The area in question is ruled by a Satrap who then answers to the (now dying) Empire. The Persian system of government is just exotic enough that it will be remotely familiar to some yet seem alien enough to be used on a world outside of our galaxy (and a long long time ago). What makes that solid writing is that we can imagine the structure somehow trickling into our own world as we imagine how the Star Wars universe could possibly be linked to our own. In fact, it has a double use, giving us a political structure that is familiar enough for us to understand, thus helping us see that these people on the fringe of known space are really just like us.
World building is fun, but it is never ever easy. It is the hardest and most exciting part of the writing for me as I am putting pen to paper for a new world and discovering its history and traditions and learning how those things are rooted in my own understanding of Terran traditions and learning.
Some Thoughts:
- The cling phenomenon shows no signs of abating. Just recently I watched CNN trot out an intelligence specialist who has a very different narrative on the role and threat of ISIS. He’s been making the news tour, touting his message to eager ears. I feel like people are afraid and want to feel that this fear is not just crazy but justified and will take refuge in any message that supports that point of view. Sure, he might be a terrorist expert, but he is also a war monger. Listen to the message he and his ilk are spouting: ISIS is dangerous in the middle east, so we should rev up the entire American war machine, put thousands of boots on the ground and wage war over there, so they don’t wage war over here. I’m sorry, but that strategy hasn’t worked yet and we’ve been at it since the 80’s at least. Anything repeated that long without working ought to be considered a failure. Yet we cling to the idea because it makes us feel better–regardless of the blowback.