Architecture, Fantasy Style

You've all seen Lord of the Rings, right? (If you haven't, go watch all three, and come back tomorrow. You'll thank me). Now, most people think about the story, the sweeping epic tale of victory through perseverance. I'm not going to talk about that. I'm going to talk about something a little duller: Architecture. Specifically, Fantasy Architecture.

In Lord of the Rings, it mostly lives in the background, created through the use of brilliant fantasy art and CG. And in fantasy stories, that's all too often where it lives - the background. And if it's not in the background, it's architecture that looks Asian or European, architecture that draws on landscapes and vistas taken from the medieval world.

In both cases, the author is missing out on a wonderful opportunity to create a mood, a feeling that carries throughout the novel. Take modern architectural design - a well traveled person can look at a city and see exactly where he or she is. And that's how architecture should be used in fantasy as well.

Here's some fantasy art that conveys much of what I'm looking for. Yes, I know, it's a boat, not a building. But it's unique, and different, and I bought that book (and read it) based on just the cover. And while the architecture of your fantasy society might not sit on the cover of your book, once the reader turns to the first page, you can be damn sure it's going to make an impression.

Okay, great, you're saying. Architecture matters. But I'm not an architect and I haven't got a clue how a building is designed. And it doesn't matter. It's called fantasy for a reason. The construction process doesn't need to be described in detail, the building doesn't need to pass contemporary safety codes, and the author shouldn't let fine detail cramp a good story.

So, you want to do that. You want architecture that fits the story without taking too much space. First step - for each culture, pick one or two words or phrases that describe their architectural design. As an example, I'll use 'Open' and 'Windy'. (I'm cheating, by the way. I already built this culture). 'Open' - most contemporary architecture uses this to mean open plan, but think a little outside the box - remove walls. So every building has no exterior walls, aside from some grass mats that can be rolled down in a storm.

'Windy' - This one's a bit harder. Doesn't really seem to fit a structure. But maybe it can. Make the building from bamboo, or something similar. A hollow material, anyway. And then carve some notches into it. See where I'm going with this? It's a building that's a giant set of Pan Pipes. The central core and corner struts play music that lulls the residents to sleep. It's fantasy architecture, it's outside the box urban design, and all it took was a couple terms and some thought.

The second step in architectural design is pretty easy, too. Do that for every culture. Give each one an architectural design it can be proud of.

And that's the end of the easy part. Because now you, as an author, need to work that into the story, without overwhelming it. The plot cannot be put on pause while this beautiful architecture is put on display. Instead, it needs to be interleaved throughout the story. If the main character sees something that captures them, spend a paragraph on it, maybe two, and never describe the architectural design fully. The biggest gift an author can give a reader is to spur their imagination without forcing it.

It's the old saw of 'Show, don't tell'. And this time, it really matters. Architecture isn't critical to the plot, but a European castle isn't going to fire the imagination. The Whispering City of Niam Liad just might. And that's why you need to pay attention to architecture, fantasy style.