Science fantasy worldbuilding in Phoenix 3: A whole new world

Choosing how your world feels

As we mentioned in the introduction to this lesson, you can change the feeling of your world by choosing different words to describe how it looks, sounds, smells, etc.

The way your character reacts to the world—their thoughts and feelings—also shows the readers how they should respond to the world.

Have another read of the snippet, and think about how Said is portraying the world of Leo Five. Would you want to visit Leo Five?

They came in to Leo Five out of the midday sun. Around them, starships rose and fell in orderly lines, their wings gleaming in the golden light. On the comm, they could hear subspace stations full of chatter; the crackle and buzz of communications; the non-stop whirl of activity in the world below.

It was a relief to get going. After everything Lucky had been through, it felt good to breathe fresh air again; to feel wind on his skin, and sunlight on his face. He drank in the sights and sounds eagerly, relishing his first new world.

And Leo Five looked dazzling. The streets were drenched in rich golden light, and lined with tall buildings all lit up from within. Between them, the skyline was spiked by countless cranes, building even bigger structures. Words and pictures scrolled across their walls. Advertisements flashed by on enormous vidscreens, faster than Lucky could read. Cycles and aircars whooshed past them as they drove, an electric blur of motion, their lights like one continuous stream of flame.

This was the height of Human wealth, and it made the moon he’d grown up on look like a toy town. It was astonishing to see all that energy burning in those buildings, powering this civilization.

Phoenix

Lucky clearly thinks Leo Five is an amazing place. Some of the word choices that Said used to convey positive feelings about the world include:

  • Golden
  • Eagerly
  • Relishing
  • Dazzling
  • Astonishing

Now, let's take the snippet about Leo Five and substitute some words to make it sound horrible and frightening:

They came in to Leo Five out of the midday sun. Around them, starships rose and fell robotically, their wings reflecting the blinding light. On the comm, they could hear subspace stations full of chatter; the crackle and squeal of communications; the non-stop rush of activity in the world below. 

It was difficult to get going. After everything Lucky had been through, it was strange to breathe the outside air again; to feel wind on his skin, and sunlight on his face. He shied away from the sights and sounds nervously, overwhelmed by his first new world. 

And Leo Five looked terrifying. The streets were drowning in harsh yellow light, and lined with towering buildings all lit up from within. Between them, the skyline was interrupted by countless cranes, building even more monstrous structures. Words and pictures rushed across their walls. Advertisements shot by on enormous vidscreens, faster than Lucky could read. Cycles and aircars blared past them as they drove, an electric haze of motion, their lights like a river of blazing fire. 

This was the height of Human wealth, and it made the moon he’d grown up on look like a quaint resort. It was frightening to see all that energy burning in those buildings, feeding this civilization.

Phoenix

As you work through this lesson, keep in mind how you want to portray your world to the audience, and choose words that match that feeling. 

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