Top 10 Fantasy Worlds of All Time
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- Опубліковано 23 чер 2024
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Here's my top 10 fantasy worlds of all time! Let me know yours in the comments!
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Books mentioned:
0:00 - Fantasy Worlds
3:56 - Chronicles of Narnia: geni.us/NarniaComplete
5:32 - Memory Sorrow and Thorn: geni.us/DragoneboneChair
6:41 - The Witcher: geni.us/TheLastWishIllustrated
8:36 - Gormenghast: geni.us/GormenghastBook1
10:44 - Realm of the Elderlings: geni.us/AssassinsApprentice
12:36 - Discworld: geni.us/Mort
14:15 - A Song of Ice and Fire: geni.us/ASOIAF
15:55 - The Cosmere: geni.us/MistbornBoxset
geni.us/WayofKings
17:58 - The Wheel of Time: geni.us/EyeoftheWorld
20:29 - Middle-Earth: geni.us/LordoftheRings
21:37 - Honorable Mentions!
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#books #fantasy #reading - Розваги
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Let me know your top 10 fantasy worlds of all time!
Established titles is a scam... if you hadn't already heard. It is a lie from a company based in Hong Kong. There is at least one UA-cam channel that reported on this.
Hey what soundtrack do you use for your video intro. Love your content.
I agree with Tolkien as #1. Personally I think one of his best stories is The Children of Hurin. It feels like a real ancient tragedy like Beowulf or Gilgamesh.
Saddest, most depressing thing I've ever read. I went into it knowing it wouldn't be like LOTR. I expected some darkness. But yegads, I didn't realize it was going to be like that!
im gonna have to diagree with tolkien as #1, its more nuanced than wot but wot feel more immersive to me, and much more relatable than tolkeins.
@@Bt-cq6te The thing with Middle-earth that no other fantasy series has is that it is often treated as an actual historical document. Tolkien wrote many versions of each story and so you'll have people discussing "Well, according to this source, orcs are corrupted elves." But that's not always the case. These discussions feel similar to those historians have when interpreting old documents.
Add to that the several constructed languages that Tolkien invented that have been expanded with their own rules and grammar, and now Middle-earth takes shape as a location and less a fantasy world.
Even WoT, as massive as that world is....we still know what happened, and how, and why. It's a linear history that, while very deep, remains linear for the most part.
Of course Tolkien and CS Lewis but I also love Shannarra- the third series I read.
Indeed, the fact that Tolkien of all people feels cliché, says a lot about his influence. He has become common knowledge in fantasy world design, and most others are but variations with a personal spin.
I’m glad you mentioned Narnia, which is nostalgic for me, because it would be nice to explore a land that the chances of survival are much greater.
Until you hop on a boat, then you're bound to end up turned to stone, turned to a dragon or just go past the edge of the world
Not the first time I say this but I have to reiterate: Jay is truly unrivaled in the BookTube community. Your style of editing never ceases to amaze me! It's simply gorgeous and beautiful to watch. Your videos have the right balance of humor and insightful thoughts and are simply a treat to watch! Thank you Jay for the consistently amazing content!
I’ve only just come across booktubing and I couldn’t agree more
I still miss the geek furioso.
He was both booktuber and comedian.
I laughed so much while he roasted YA fantasy with good and funny editing.
The Lord of the Ring is the first epic fantasy I ever read. It is such an incredible story and every time I picked it up to read I felt like I was there in middle earth, it felt comfortable because Tolkien helped me understand his world so deeply.
well considering that Middle earth was Tolkien's lifetime work (the world itself, not counting stories which are great too because of their power to suck the reader into the world just as you say), it has to be one of the best worlds
It's a bit bloated tbh. Not every fucking hill and stream needs a detailed description and story.
It's not a dig at the world-building, that's unrivalled, but the trilogy could've used a proper editor with all the side-stories, songs and tangents...
Two worlds I have loved are the planet of Pern from the Dragonriders of Pern series. Also the world built in David Eddings The Belgariad series of books.
I feel like not enough people have read the Dragonriders series.
Even though you’re not as big as you should be, your content is by far some of the best on UA-cam. The music choice, the background scenes, your narration, everything comes together so well! Continue making videos, I’ll definitely continue watching!
Wow this comment makes my day :D Thanks!
I agree whole heartedly! Keep up the amazing stuff!
Im glad you mentioned Forgotten Realms. That was my first introduction to fantasy with The Crystal Shard waaayyy back in the late 80's. I thought you did a great job on the video!
Bro, I really love the way you commit to your channel, it’s incredible how you make more than 20 minutes feels like 5. I am truly learning a lot from you! 🤟🏾
This video is so well done man! Loved seeing Narnia on this list. I read them for the first time as a senior in high school and they are the books that made me love reading!
Your production quality is top notch btw. Loved watching this!
Gorgeously edited video Jay, really enjoyed it!
Should get into editing videos for construction companies
@@AnotherBrownAjah long story but I ended up quitting with them since they basically ripped me off 2 months of pay 😅
Thanks man!! I spent so much time editing this one ahahaa
Right this is amazing
Really loving your new space (and as always, the heart you put into editing your videos)!
My 6th grade teacher Mrs. Hunter read to us The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe as well as The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring after we had to read The Hobbit ourselves for homework. And both of these books inspired not just myself, but many of my friends and fellow classmate, to continue reading the following editions to these amazing worlds. I ended up reading The Two Towers, Return of the King as well as The Silmarillion before graduating 6th grade. And with C.S. Lewis I read every book in the series. Which just goes to show how an amazing teacher coupled with a gift for storytelling amazing tales can inspire so many children.
Also are worth mention the world of Elric of Melniboné and the Hyborian Age of Conan.
1.malazan
2.lotr
3.song of ice and fire
4.name of the wind
5.Wheel of time
6.Stormlight
7.demon saga (peter v. Brett)
8.mistborn
9.narnia
10.locke lamora
Fantastic video as always Jay! Thank you!
Your editing is so fantastic! Always so entertaining watching your videos.
You're the best, bro. Of course I'm here here for the book/fantasy details, but man... I love your editing style, transitions, and humor. This channel is easily one of the best on UA-cam!
The art in this video was so sick!!!!!!
Great video!
I'm towards the end of Before They Are Hanged, and I really like the world of First Law. Yes, the characters are the main focus (as they should be, because they are Glocta and Logen and so on) but the world is really interesting.
All the history with devils, the magi, the spirits and everything else is just wonderful.
Dude your videos are just a blessing, cheers.
Great video. thanks for all the info. Very well presented and put together
Amazing video, Jay! One of my favorite worlds is the one from the Gentleman Bastards (especially the city of Camorr).
Camorr is awesome!! I always find it so interesting how the skeleton of the city is this network of Elderglass towers and bridges that were left over from a lost civilization
Great video! I hope to see Malazan on this list soon when you get a chance to read it. I was at your Zelda livestream yesterday and just wanted to say that you should really keep up streaming because it was a great time!
The best fantasy content Ive ever seen!! Great work!
killing it buddy! great video your hard work is appreciated!
A really great list! I liked the order too. The only change I would've made was had Earthsea in the top 10 and the Witcher world in the honorable mentions. I felt the world building in the novels pretty fuzzy there. Thanks for another fun video!
Great Job! This was awesome!
Great video Jay! The editing is amazing (as always) and it is so well done that I will sure watch it multiple times!
Thanks a ton! I''m glad you enjoyed it, I put a lot of work into this one
Jay I loved this video, all of your videos are top tier, but this one blew the roof off. The art, the reasoning, the way you explain your reasoning = Fantastic!
Thank you very much!! I put a ton of work into this video, I'm glad you enjoyed it 😄
Great video man! Makes me want to get into reading and rereading some of these greats.
You should! Thanks for watching!
The only thing that was missing imo in the list was Malazan, can't wait till you read more of it, it's absolutely amazing. Overall great list, I'm glad Realm of the Elderlings got a mention, I think that series is very underrated. Love your content btw, very high quality ;)
I can't wait to dive more into Malazan! I plan on getting into it more in 2023 :) Thanks for watching!
agreed, malazan deserves to make this list
Loved your selections
How does this video not have more views??? This is top tier content!
I watch basically all your videos and I think this was my favorite you have ever made!!! It was soooooo good!!!
Thanks so much, that makes me happy to hear!!! I put a lot of work into this one!
@@CapturedInWords I almost always watch everything at 1.5x speed but I had to slow this down so I could admire all the amazing art and I ended up watching multiple multiple times because it was so good! Seriously amazing! I never rewatch videos either haha
Everything about this video is a masterpiece, but a special kudos for the intro.
What a beautiful and elaborated video. If someone watches this video and they have still not read any fantasy I guess they might start reading it. Your video once again made me realise just how amazing books can be.
Glad I found your channel! Awesome sauce!
I'm glad you found it too, thanks for watching! :D
Brilliant, as always Jay!
Thank you!!
This was fun! Amazing editing as always, just a random factoid the world building of Discworld with the world on elephants on a turtle's back is straight out of Hindu mythology. It's still super cool though!!
Great list! I would probably toss in Kelewan/Midkemia from Raymond Feist's books. Also, while it was never explicitly stated in WoT, I always enjoyed that it hinted at it being post-apocalyptic Earth.
Oh man especially Kelewan! The empire trilogy was an absolute masterpiece!
A wonderful video. Your visuals were fantastic.
Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed!
Great video. I really love the world of The Wheel of Time, so I was happy to see it in the 2nd spot.
Really liked the way you did this video, nice job jay
Thank you! It took a lot of editing!
Enjoyed this video :) Some of my favourite worlds not mentioned here are Midkemia and the Recluce worlds. My all time cozy, back to reading after a slump is the world of the Elenium.
Wow, nice to see a shoutout for Gormenghast, that was hugely influential on me when I was younger. One of the more uniquely written books I've read.
Awesome to see someone else who's read it!!! I never see people talking about it and nobody I know has read or heard of it
@@CapturedInWords It seems to be kind of a forgotten gem nowadays. There was some revival of interest back when the BBC tv serial came out, but it is such an odd duck that it's no surprise that few read it. Which is a shame, it is an amazingly evocative story.
I actually read them BECAUSE of this channel, and they are amongst my favorites now!
Great video as always! He Who Fights with Monsters is starting to build a moderately epic sized world/universe.
thank you fro the great content - as always
Thank you for watching :D
This is really a great video, amazing contents and edition!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you dude you are my favorite UA-camr I am a big lotr and chronicles of Narnia fan
Keep going with Malazan... it is so amazing. I haven't read any books back to back... definintely need time to absorb/decompress, but I find myself constantly thinking about it!
Great video, my favorite is GRRM, the different cultures and places are so interesting
Middle Earth is always a strong choice for #1. It's literally the world that all other fantasy worlds are compared to. It may not be your favorite, but it's the benchmark that all other fantasy worlds are measured by.
Such a great video!
Glad you liked it!!
Thank you for the Krynn shout out, it would be high on my list (or Ansalon since I haven't been to the other continents), I love it's gods, it's cultures, it's cataclysms that keep things fresh, and it's heroic quests aplenty.
I love Neverending Story's Phantasia, despite that it's shifting geography defies being mapped. Whatever you need to discover, it's got you covered - in some ways that easy worldbulding, but it's cosmology is still really unique.
I'm also really fond of the conceit of Clive Barker's Abarat - an archipelago of 25 islands each one abstracting a different hour of the day/night, and it has some really wild surreal creatures born out of Clive's brain and into his paintbrush and words (which takes a long time unfortunately ala GRRM and Rothfuss).
I've been really getting into Conan's Hyborea lately, Robert Howard put a lot of thought into his world even before Tolkien made it fashionable, but I'll see how it all holds together.
But yes, Middle Earth is still the G.O.A.T.
A really underrated world is the world from Bloodsworn by John Gwynne. The way Gwynne incorporated the gods into the landscape was phenomenal.
As far as books go, Dark Tower definitely deserves a high spot on the list. If we're allowed to bring up manga I'd also include Berserk.
Don't forget One Piece.
Why Berserk? It is rather shallow in its setting and worldbuilding. If anything stands out from Japanese works, it is Fate (or rather the entire Nasuverse).
@@jenkips9026I don't think constructing a detailed metaphysical reality is shallow.
I think the best world for me that is not included on the list is the world of Pern By Ann Macaffrey. It may not be the most epic of all but the unique science fantasy planet origins to the re accruing threat of the thread, to the relationship the riders have with there dragons as well as the feudal type system with holds, lords, guilds etc makes it a brilliant world to get lost in!
Hell yeah! Glad to see Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn getting some love. It's still my favorite take on traditional elves.
Love this and yes, I feel that Ankh-Morpork from Discworld is my favourite city.
Yesss! Gotta love Discworld
The Myst series of videogames had some pretty cool imaginary worlds.
Ahhh Myst!! Haven't played any of those forever! But yes they definitely do!
I’m honestly so impressed by your editing in these videos. Great work as always!
That Narnia bbc version was definitely a fever dream for all of us
I absolutely watched the BBC movies for The Chronicles of Narnia. We used to stay at our friend's cabin in Wyoming every summer for vacation and the only VHSs they had were the BBC Chronicles of Narnia and another classic about a dog and a dolphin called Zeus and Roxanne. Nostalgia at its height!
Fantastic list, wholeheartedly agree with the order as well. I’m on book 8 of Malazan and would definitely put it high up on the list, but understand it being an honorable mention due to you not having gotten to them yet.
I can't wait to dive into Malazan, I know it will be one of my favorites for sure
Solid list. I think you got all the important ones. A couple more I'd throw into the mix for contention:
- Some of the settings from Warhammer, the Gotrek and Felix novels in particular do a decent job of worldbuilding here.
- Arguably more Sci-fi with additional fantasy elements, and also not literature, but Final Fantasy 7 is underrated in this regard, the world sticks with you, Midgar and the underplate, Golden Saucer, Wutai etc.
- Similar to the above but the setting from Dishonoured is also memorable.
Great video!
Thanks!
Awesome work o this video! Cheers mate!
Thanks! I spent so much time editing this one haha
@@CapturedInWords Personally, I'm glad you included Dragonlance. Those book hold a special place in fantasy geekdom for me, even though, as an adult, the actual prose is not up to par with other authors - but the world building!
And I am REALLY excited for the day you start digging into MALAZAN. In my humble opinion, it is the best world-building and prose-quality combo out there.
@@jimbrown5387 I agree with your thoughts! Dragonlance may not be the best written, but those books are a lot of fun and I love the world! I really NEED to get to Malazan, I'll try and start it early 2023
I think the biggest "problem" with Temerant is the world is very much a mystery since we are only seeing it via 1 POV that shows us the world mainly as he visits it. If we knew more, I think it's likelyhood of being a top 10 could rise drastically.
Yeah that's a great point, I 100% agree!
I do think that despite that, Temerant is still better developed and just plainly more interesting than, say, the world from Mistborn. Scale ≠ Depth, imo
@@andreescalona8902 Well, when an author has only written 3 books in the last twenty years that's to be expected. I love Rothfuss' writing and his story, but he takes way too long. Sanderson's prose may not be as good as Pat's, but his stories move a lot more people (apparently--I've only read his first: Elantris... and the first 100 or so pages of the first Mistborn book) than Pat seems to even with his superior prose. I'll be happy if Pat publishes The Doors of Stone before he leaves for the afterlife.
The BBC series of Narnia was one of my absolute favorite shows as a kid when it came to Sweden in the late 80s, premiering on christmas-eve 1989, what a great gift that was.
Awesome video Dude
Thanks!
This is my favorite video of yours... maybe a new top 10 world's? 🤔🤔🤔
The Land-The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. I find the environments of those novels (especially the first two trilogies) to be extremely intriguing.
I enjoyed these as a youth to begin with, but as an adult and knowing by the end how the protagonist became more and more unsavory. All I would now hope for is Thomas to die asap. Plus has not aged well with the very shaky ground where the author appears to find rape excusable.
@@jaxr2958 Good point, but do you avoid watching television with unsavory characters? I am re-watching the Sopranos and it is full of unsavory characters who do all sorts of horrible things, rape just one among them.
@@filegumbo I guess I do avoid, I haven't watched an episode of Sopranos. I strongly don't think it is OK to have a protagonist that corrupt though, that should be the antagonist. Especially if it's a bit of a journey. It's kind of conditioning and so many people can point to their heroes now and say, see it's OK to be an ahole. An example to me was George Lucas leading a generation through the corruption of Anakin. He made that character a role model for children, then had him shoot up a school and beat/kill his wife.
@@jaxr2958 I see where you're coming from. That's an older generation of film and literature where there was the John Wayne good guy and the moustache-twirling bad guy. Now every hero has to be an "anti-hero" or conflicted in some way. I don't think it will go back to the old days.
@@filegumbo Agree, but don't think it's just an older generation. I think it's been the way of stories for millennia. Stories were always used to reinforce good social behavior and the benefits of such. Greek mythology, bible stories various myths and folklore.
Roshar is a vast world! I am loving it!
Wooo!! Glad you're reading Stormlight!
The grishaverse series could also deserve an honorable mention which is still expanding but is still cool
YES!! Bardugo created an A+ tier setting
Excellent video
Thanks for watching Jennifer! :)
Your videos look and sound great, don't know if you edit them yourself but keep up the grind regardless dude.
Thank you! Yes I do all the editing and everything myself, it definitely takes a lot of work but I'm hoping it will pay off eventually! 😊
Nice video. Sad that Robert E. Howard and Hyboria doesn't get the love it deserves from book tubers
Maybe because it's not so well known nowadays. I just found out about the Conan stories reading the comments of this video
I don't know if the world itself has a name, but i love the world building of the Powder Mage series by Brian McClellan. Many distinct nations, multiple classes of magic that are all very different from one another, all spread over multiple continents. A very enjoyable read, and great world building IMO.
"Martin thought of names in detail"
Meanwhile the oldest city in Westeros is called "Oldtown", and one of the kingdoms is called "North"
Sorry to post on an old video, but I've just started following your channel, and I have to give you kudos for the mentions of Sabriel and the Old Kingdom. That series is one of my all-time favorites. The setting, The Charter, the bells, Moggit...all are endlessly enchanting.
A few worlds to put on your radar:
The Continent of Lok from Son of The Black Sword. (Best main character in recent memory)
The Omehi lands from Rage of Dragons (best fantasy I've read in years)
David Gemell's world built around the land of the Drenai in his Drenai Saga. (13 books set in this world.)
Honorable mention: Thedas from Dragon Age. What an incredible world!
I really enjoyed the Dark Tower universe. It was interesting how parts of the world itself were so crucial to the story which isn’t done often, at least in what I read
absolutley beautiful intro!!
Thank you! Cheers!
Cool video! Would have liked to have seen Melnibone and the Young Kingdoms, Hyperborea, the Hyborean Age, Nehwon, Glorantha, The Old World from Warhammer Fantasy, Greyhawk, and the World of Aihrde.
I loved the miniseries of Narnia as a kid. I think that was my introduction to the series.
Don't really have a top 10, but really enjoy the worlds for Wheel of Time, Malazan, and A Song of Ice and Fire. Your caveat of no "earth" tosses out Dresden, but that series has gotten so deep into worldbuilding with many mysteries yet to be answered, it's also a personal favorite.
I'm loving Dresden so far! (starting on book 4 soon)
I've really fallen in love with the world of leigh bardugo's Grishaverse.
Apart from different places, nations and cultures I really like her magic system, has a few very interesting ideas there.
Just discovered this channel and I’m loving the content. A world worth checking out as well is the world from the Moontide Quarter by David Hair
Awesome!! Welcome to the channel, and I'm glad you're enjoying the videos! I'll definitely add the Moontide Quarter to my list of series to check out, it sounds super interesting
@@CapturedInWords not sure if you’re familiar with it at all? Essentially two continents that are only connected by a large bridge that only appears once every 12 years, one very India inspired and the other is based on Roman Empire. Very in-depth magic system.
Wow that sounds really intriguing, I'll definitely need to check it out!
Great list, though I was fairly surprised not to see Temerant on it.
I would have put One Piece's world on the top 3.
The Land, from Stephen R. Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. My overall feelings about this series are mixed, but there are things I love about it, and one of those things is its setting. This is easily one of my favorite fantasy worlds.
But before any of the ones listed here, there was Oz, setting of the series of books by Frank Baum. How can you have a list of great fantasy worlds without Oz?
Obviously. I grew up on oz! I love oz so much
I'm old fashioned. I love the Young Kingdoms from Moorcock's Elric. Also, conan's Hyperborian era should get at least an honorable mention.
Currently reading book 3 of Malazan and I’ve enjoyed the ride so far. The books can certainly be overwhelming but I’m finding it very enjoyable and unique. The diverse stories do connect and reward your attention, very little feels careless and the world feels enormous. I’m someone who enjoys not having things too explained, especially initially. Also the names are amazing (Anomander Rake). Highly recommend the audiobooks read by Ralph Lister too.
Can't wait to get to Malazan! I want to start it early 2023
Honorable mention: John Gwynn's world of, Vigrið. From his Bloodborn Saga containing The Shadow of the Gods and The Hunger of the Gods. Gwynn's description of Snakavik was one of the most amazing descriptions of a city that I've ever read.
A question. Raymond E Fiest shaped my view as a young lad on what books were, the leap from JK Rowling, my first ever book I read, to Raymonds many many books was what got me hooked on reading, like all reading. How come you never mentions his works in an emense world building, or any other theme you present? Is he considered like "to tropy" in fanstasy genere or? No lists from youtubers on notewordy fantasy ever mentions his work, and Im just wondering why :)
Loved your series on Kingkiller, so hyped for book 3!
They hate him because is world is too White and traditionally male.
Recency bias.
Mercedes Lackey. Her valadmar series is great in world building but also has incredibly compelling characters, and her other series, The Obsidian Trilogy, has one of the most interesting magic systems I think I’ve ever read, where some of the magic itself is actually alive and be bargained with for miracles.
Urth of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe should have had even a mention. However, the travels of Severian the Torturer are not necessarily as high fantasy as the rest on the list, though, having loads of scifi elements in the background and history of the world... and the events, eventually.
You'll need to give me a minute before I continue with the rest of the video as I process that introduction because wow. I replayed that so many times. 😭
That intro was WILD! So immersive 👌🏼
Now that's a cool sponsor
I did enjoy this video! I am glad that tenet ant got an honorable mention.
I understand why those books that take place on a version of Earth were excluded, but nonetheless, I wish you’d mentioned the world from “Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell”. It takes place in the early 1800s in England, and so has a lot in common with Jane Austin’s works, but it was written and designed with the understanding that Faeries are real, and the centuries ago a great magician conquered much of England, and so produced a whole new history, in some ways the same, in others drastically different- the footnotes of this book are WONDERFUL, and captivating.