A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with
events, and often elements, that differ from the real world. It may also be
called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm. Fictional universes may
appear in novels, comics, films, television shows, video games and other
creative works. A fictional universe can be almost
indistinguishable from the real world, except for the presence of the invented
characters and events that characterize a work of fiction; at the other extreme
it can bear little or no resemblance to reality, with invented fundamental
principles of space and time. The subject is most commonly addressed
in reference to fictional universes that differ markedly from reality, such as
those that introduce entire fictional cities, countries, or even planets, or
those that contradict commonly known facts about the world and its history,
or those that feature fantasy or science fiction concepts such as magic or faster
than light travel—and especially those in which the deliberate development of
the setting is a substantial focus of the work.
Definition What distinguishes a fictional universe
from a simple setting is the level of detail and internal consistency. A
fictional universe has an established continuity and internal logic that must
be adhered to throughout the work and even across separate works. So, for
instance, many books may be set in conflicting fictional versions of
Victorian London, but all the stories of Sherlock Holmes are set in the same
Victorian London. However, the various film series based on Sherlock Holmes
follow their own separate continuities, and so do not take place in the same
fictional universe. The history and geography of a fictional
universe are well-defined, and maps and timelines are often included in works
set within them. Even languages may be constructed. When subsequent works are
written within the same universe, care is usually taken to ensure that
established facts of the canon are not violated. Even if the fictional universe
involves concepts such as magic that don't exist in the real world, these
must adhere to a set of rules established by the author.
A famous example of a detailed fictional universe is Arda, of J. R. R. Tolkien's
books The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. He created first its
languages and then the world itself, which he states was "primarily
linguistic in inspiration and was begun in order to provide the necessary
'history' for the Elvish tongues." Another, more recent, famous fictional
universe is that of the Avatar film series, as James Cameron has invented an
entire ecosystem, with a team of scientists to test whether it was
viable. Also, he commissioned a linguistics expert to invent the Na'vi
language. Virtually every successful fictional TV
series or comic book develops its own "universe" to keep track of the various
episodes or issues. Writers for that series must follow the story bible,
which often becomes the series canon. Frequently, when a series gets too
complicated or too self-inconsistent, the producers or publishers will
introduce retroactive continuity to make future editions easier to write and more
consistent. This creates an alternate universe that future authors can write
about. These stories about the universe or universes that existed before the
retcon are usually not canonical, unless the franchise-holder gives permission.
Crisis on Infinite Earths was an especially sweeping example.
Some writers choose to introduce elements or characters from one work
into another, to present the idea that both works are set in the same universe.
For example, the character of Ursula Buffay from American sitcom Mad About
You was also a recurring guest star in Friends, despite the two series having
little else in common. Fellow NBC series Seinfeld also contained crossover
references to Mad About You. L. Frank Baum introduced the characters of Cap'n
Bill and Trot, into the Oz series in The Scarecrow of Oz. The two characters made
a number of subsequent appearances in later Oz books.
Scope Sir Thomas More's Utopia is one of the
earliest examples of a cohesive fictional world with its own rules and
functional concepts but it comprises only one small island. Later fictional
universes, like Robert E. Howard's Conan the Cimmerian stories or Lev Grossman's
Fillory, are global in scope and some, like Star Wars, Honorverse, or the
Lensman series, are galactic or even intergalactic.
A fictional universe may even concern itself with more than one interconnected
universe through fictional devices such as dreams, "time travel" or "parallel
worlds". Such a series of interconnected universes is often called a multiverse.
Such multiverses have been featured prominently in science fiction since at
least the mid-20th century. The classic Star Trek episode "Mirror,
Mirror" introduced the Mirror Universe, in which the crew members of the
Starship Enterprise were brutal rather than compassionate. The 2009 movie Star
Trek created an "alternate reality" and freed the Star Trek franchise from
continuity issues. In the mid-1980s, DC Comics Crisis on Infinite Earths
streamlined its fictional continuity by destroying most of its alternate
universes. Format
A fictional universe can be contained in a single work, as in George Orwell's
Nineteen Eighty-Four or Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, or in serialized,
series-based, open-ended or round robin-style fiction.
In most small-scale fictional universes, general properties and timeline events
fit into a consistently organized continuity. However, in the case of
universes that are rewritten or revised by different writers, editors or
producers, this continuity may be violated, by accident or by design.
The occasional publishing use of retroactive continuity often occurs due
to this kind of revision or oversight. Members of fandom often create a kind of
fan-made canon to patch up such errors; "fanon" that becomes generally accepted
sometimes becomes actual canon. Other fan-made additions to a universe are
usually not considered canonical unless they get authorized.
Collaboration Shared universes often come about when a
fictional universe achieves great commercial success and attracts other
media. For example, a successful movie may catch the attention of various book
authors, who wish to write stories based on that movie. Under US law, the
copyright-holder retains control of all other derivative works, including those
written by other authors. But they might not feel comfortable in those other
mediums or may feel that other individuals will do a better job.
Therefore, they may open up the copyright on a shared-universe basis.
The degree to which the copyright-holder or franchise retains control is often
one of the points in the license agreement.
For example, the comic book Superman was so popular that it spawned over 30
different radio, television and movie series and a similar number of video
games, as well as theme park rides, books and songs. In the other direction,
both Star Trek and Star Wars are responsible for hundreds of books and
games of varying levels of canonicity. Fictional universes are sometimes shared
by multiple prose authors, with each author's works in that universe being
granted approximately equal canonical status. For example, Larry Niven's
fictional universe Known Space has an approximately 135-year period in which
Niven allows other authors to write stories about the Man-Kzin Wars. Other
fictional universes, like the Ring of Fire series, actively court canonical
stimulus from fans, but gate and control the changes through a formalized process
and the final say of the editor and universe creator.
Other universes are created by one or several authors but are intended to be
used non-canonically by others, such as the fictional settings for games,
particularly role-playing games and video games. Settings for the
role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons are called campaign settings; other games
have also incorporated this term on occasion. Virtual worlds are fictional
worlds in which online computer games, notably MMORPGs and MUDs, take place. A
fictional crossover occurs when two or more fictional characters, series or
universes cross over with one another, usually in the context of a character
created by one author or owned by one company meeting a character created or
owned by another. In the case where two fictional universes covering entire
actual universes cross over, physical travel from one universe to another may
actually occur in the course of the story. Such crossovers are usually, but
not always, considered non-canonical by their creators or by those in charge of
the properties involved. Lists of fictional universes
For lists of fictional universes see: List of fictional universes in film and
television List of fictional universes in animation
and comics List of fictional universes in
literature List of fictional universes in games
See also References
Alberto Manguel and Gianni Guadalupi: The Dictionary of Imaginary Places, New
York : Harcourt Brace, c2000. ISBN 0-15-100541-9
Brian Stableford: The Dictionary of Science Fiction Places, New York :
Wonderland Press, c1999. ISBN 0-684-84958-5
Diana Wynne Jones: The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, New York : Firebird, 2006.
ISBN 0-14-240722-4, Explains and parodies the common features of a
standard fantasy world George Ochoa and Jeffery Osier: Writer's
Guide to Creating A Science Fiction Universe, Cincinnati, Ohio : Writer's
Digest Books, 1993. ISBN 0-89879-536-2 Michael Page and Robert Ingpen :
Encyclopedia of Things That Never Were: Creatures, Places, and People, 1987.
ISBN 0-14-010008-3