How do you decide what to name a fantasy/sci-fi world? Not the individual countries or civilizations, but the creation as a whole? Do you use the most dominant or advanced language? Do you name it all?
Of course there's Middle Earth, Earthsea, and other earthy names due to "translation", not to mention "______World" and "______ia", which have worked well for countless fictional worlds. I'm just curious as to alternatives.
[This message has been edited by Varishta (edited August 17, 2005).]
posted
One thing Tolkien does very successfully, imo, is that all his different groups have different names for places. Although that can be confusing (as every place seems to have at least three different names), it has the advantage of authenticity. I'm often amazed at how many fictional planets have one climate, one religion, one people, one language and one leader. Did any of those authors take even one peek out of the window? Open a newspaper? Read a history book? Look at an atlas?
If your story only deals with one of the cultures on your planet, then it can get away with only using their name for it. If there are different cultures, consider throwing in names from any culture that makes a significant appearance. You might want to do this sparingly, as it can be confusing , but it will add a layer that can give your work extra depth.
As to how to come up with names...well, I research names and I also invent them. In one story, I went through an atlas and found placenames I liked that I then gave to characters. That gave the story a link to our Earth (it's a sort of alternate future Earth), and also names that seemed slightly exotic and yet somehow familiar.
There are lots of resources for names online, and if all else fails, there's always the phone book. Foreign language dictionaries are also a useful resource and can allow you to introduce subtleties that only those familiar with that language will recognise. Again, depth.
Beware of having too many names starting with the same letter. I have a fondness for "A" names for some reason...
[This message has been edited by BuffySquirrel (edited August 17, 2005).]
posted
If there is no interstellar travel or knowledge of other worlds, I don't see any reason to name your planet at all. We only refer to the place we live as 'earth' because we are aware of other worlds and the possibility of other peoples. But when you tell people where you live you don't say, "I live on earth." You say, "I live in Zimbabwe."
Otherwise, you have fun and name your planet whatever in the heck you want! And sometimes the best way to do that is just to spend some time free associating. When I need to make up a name I'll start with a letter of the alphabet--one NOT already used for any major people or places--and start stringing sounds together.
[This message has been edited by djvdakota (edited August 17, 2005).]
Larry Niven has a great essay on how to name things in The Craft of Science Fiction.
I rarely name planets. Once I did several. Some were by corruption (Eridani -> Iridan), and others were by role (the civilization formed on Baby's Webbing -- that is, Crib) and was on route to its colony, Unenhanced Construct.
I think a good guide is cities in the USA. Lots of old world names; some hopeful names (Buena Vista, Harmony); religious names; descriptive names (Salt Lake City); names after royalty, founders, or others; neoclassical names. Some are pretty out there, too. Truth or Consequences. Cow Hell (a swamp in Georgia). Nellie's Nipple, a mountain since renamed College Peak.
Remember the world in Aliens? LVS-426, or some such.
[This message has been edited by wbriggs (edited August 17, 2005).]
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If you have different cultures each could have its own name, though that complicates things. Unless the name of the world is actually important (i.e., inhabitants are aware of other planets) you could just call it "the world", which is what I'd do if I could get away with it. If your story only uses part of a planet/world maybe you could use the name of a continent or something in place of it.
Posts: 612 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
I can empathize with your question, Varishta. My alternate world planet is called Obara. On Obara, there are seven continents, each with a different name. My primary story is happening on the continent of Kaldara. Within Kaldara are 36 different countries, all with different languages, religions, politics, etc. Eventually the bigger, world-wide view will BECOME important in the story because there is an underlying thread that is slowly developing of pending ecological disaster that will eventually affect the entire planet.
I've tried to avoid references to the bigger planetary view as much as possible, but sometimes it has to creep in. I am trying to figure out how to clarify all of this for the reader without doing a huge info dump that will only be necessary from time to time. It's hard enough subtly working in the names of the various countries the characters are traveling through, and conveying the fact that they ARE in different countries. I am teetering between info-dumping and not giving enough information for clarity. I sure wish there was a sure-fire formula to help me figure out how much is enough and how much is too much!!
Wow, that sounds like an interesting place to explore, Elan!
I know I should probably branch out into more continents -- but as it is, two or three is more than enough to keep my characters busy for now.
As for info dumping: I've never attempted to seriously write about my little world until recently, and it's really, really hard to not stop and explain to the reader what's going on every other page. Of course there are many ways to hint at the cultures, but sometimes I just want to chuck a good portion of my notes into an appendix so if anyone truly wants to know the finer points of Panjipali fish breeding, they can read about it there instead.
posted
I know, I know... never plan on including a map or an appendix when submitting to an editor. Your work should stand on its own.
But I dream of being able to include both in a published book so I don't have to worry about the reader getting lost. I know some people hate maps and appendixes. But I like having them for reference, should I seek greater clarity. I DO sometimes read them.
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, but it will add a layer that can give your work extra depth.
