Do you have a favorite setting shared amongst multiple authors?
When I was a kid, I remember going to a book store with my Mom and asking for a recommendation from the clerk there for something in the fantasy genre. He kindly pointed me to the Dark Elf trilogy by R. A. Salvatore. I noticed that it had a Forgotten Realms logo on the cover, and when I went back to the store I noticed other books with that logo as well. That was my introduction to a setting that is shared between authors who can write stories in the same universe.
On the smaller end, there are settings where 2 (or a few) authors collaborate (like the Malazan universe), while on the larger side of things you have settings with dozens to potentially hundreds of authors (like Warhammer 40k, Star Wars, Star Trek, etc).
Some quick questions I thought of that might be interesting below, but please feel free to share anything you'd like about this topic!
- What was the first shared setting you read books in?
- Do you have a favorite shared literary setting?
- Do you mind the varying quality of the books in shared settings?
- Do you find yourself more likely to read a book in this shared setting compared to a book outside the setting?
- Are there any books in that setting that you don't recommend people read?
My first shared setting books were the Star Trek novels. I know this because while ~8 year old me was playing Nintendo, I yelled, "I'll get you, you bastards!" My mother very calmly walked over and turned the TV off and said, "Where did you hear that word?" "From Star Trek book?" "And what do you think it means?" "Bad people?" "Not exactly..."
I remember reading Imzadi (later since it came out in 1992) and very much Not Getting the romance angle. Now that I think about it, I don't know why we had them in our house to begin with. I can't imagine either of my parents reading them.
I also remember going with my grandparents to visit my great grandmother in a nursing home in Electra, Texas. Electra is a tiny, dusty place. It had exactly one hotel, one diner, one dairy queen, and one tiny convenience store. In the convenience store, in a rack of paperbacks, I found the first Deathlands novel I had ever laid eyes on. For some reason, my grandfather bought it for me. I read several over the teen years, though I couldn't tell you much about them now, except two facts: there's one where he fights a sumo wrestler and that no gun was ever mentioned except very specifically by manufacturers name and model number. Knowing it's a Sig Sauer P-226 hits different I guess.
Thanks for a chance for a trip down memory lane :)
For some reason, I never got in to Star Trek growing up. It should be right up my alley, but I just never started watching it or engaging with it. I've seen tons of media around the franchise and think that I'll give it a go one day, but with all the other stuff I want to watch/read/play I'm not sure when that will be.
Deathlands has been on my reading list for a while! I think I may start slotting in a few of those in to my other reading since it seems like they're shorter works, and I'm a sucker for post apocalyptic works. Hearing that he fights a sumo makes it all more the interesting!
Thank you for sharing! I love discussing books and wish I had more friends who read. I've been trying to think up some interesting topics for people to share about books they enjoy or memories they have with series on here since I always enjoy reading the thoughtful replies and memories people post.
It's interesting that when I look back on Star Trek, I don't have that much nostalgia attached to it. Everything after The Next Generation was pretty meh for me, and even when I tried to rewatch TNG, I couldn't get into it. I actually think that it was more of a cultural signifier - "if you want to identify as a nerd , you must know about and talk about Star Trek". If all you have is basic cable and a small-town public library (science fiction collection fits on one bookshelf), there aren't many alternatives.
Full disclosure on Deathlands, the brand is now owned by Harlequin and is fully the male equivalent of a "bodice ripper" romance novel. (Of course if that's something you enjoy, then go for it :) Otherwise recommend figuring out which ones were written by the original authors and sticking to those.
Have you read the Blish Star Trek adaptations? They're really good.
I think most of them. But it was a very long time ago now :)
It was very likely Forgotten Realms via R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt novels for me as well, but Dragonlance is probably a close second.
If you actually consider Malazan a shared setting (it's only Erikson and Esslemont) then I guess it's my all-time favorite since Malazan Book of the Fallen is my all-time favorite fantasy series. But for a more conventional shared setting (with more than two authors), Warhammer 40k is easily my favorite, and I still read a fair amount of novels set in 40k.
However, a lesser known one that I also still love and want to shout out is Dark Sun, which was a campaign setting in D&D 3E. It's still one of my favorite shared novel settings, even though they haven't produced any new novels in over a decade... and one of my favorite settings for tabletop roleplaying too, even though the ruleset hasn't been officially supported/updated since 4E. IMO it's way more interesting than all the other heavily Tolkenesque ones since it has a bunch of unique playable races (like thri-kreens, a 4 armed mantid), and it was also my earliest introduction to grimdark.
In Dark Sun slavery is commonplace, and there are no deities, but psionic powers are relatively common. Arcane magic exists too, and can be exceptionally powerful. However, magic users (called "Defilers") are generally reviled since they have to suck the life force out of their surroundings (including other people) in order to fuel their spells... which is why the planet is now a barren wasteland, after countless wars between the Draconic Sorcerer Kings who control all the planet's city-states. And incidentally, Dragons aren't naturally occurring beings in Dark Sun; They're what Defilers can eventually become when they get powerful enough.
Not really. Most shared settings (scifi and fantasy) aren't exactly high-art or classic literature, so if some of the writing is a bit subpar I generally don't mind.
Probably less likely, overall... but I do sometimes still find myself in the mood for revisiting or reading new material set in the various shared world's I've become familiar with over the years.
Not that I can think of. About the only shared setting books that I completely bounced off of were the Forgotten Realms Harpers series, although I can't even remember why. I'm just not a huge fan of the Harpers ethos, I guess.
Malazan is definitely on the smallest of ends of a shared setting, but I still think it counts since both authors are working on writing novels in the setting, and they are not writing each story together/publishing them with coauthor credits. I wouldn't say a series like The Expanse which had two authors who worked together to write the books as a shared setting, though this is honestly my own definition, so maybe some would say that it is.
The Known Space books are another example that popped in my head after posting this while I'm at work, with there being 3 authors writing books in that setting, though I've only read Ringworld by Larry Niven in that setting so far.
I've been a 40k fan for years, and was making my way through the Horus Hersey but stopped when there was the controversy with fan content and Games Workshop making things more restrictive over fan use of their IP. I'm not sure if they've walked any of this back as I honestly only engage with 40k through the novels and a few of the video games. I did recently pick up a 40k book for a book club with a friend and also read a standalone 40k, Fifteen Hours which was a fun short read in the setting. 40k can be a ton of fun to me and I'll probably dive back in at some point since there are still many books in the setting I want to read.
I have another friend who is interested in getting in to 40k which will probably get me to start reading more in the setting as well.
Dark Sun is on my list to check out! It sounds really cool, and there being only 16 novels in the settings makes it very approachable. Not sure when I'll get to it, but I'll see if I remember to send you a message when I do.
I think I mainly read the Drizzt books and a few other series. There's a ton in the Forgotten Realms I haven't touched and I hadn't heard of the Harpers before you linked that
Huh, weird, I actually didn't even realize that Ringworld was part of a shared world. And yeah, I'm a huge fan of 40k as well... primarily the novels and games (I don't play the tabletop game). Although, like you, I'm not the hugest fan of Games Workshop's business practices either. At least they're not problematic in terms of their political stances though, even though a lot of their hardcore fans are. ("Female Space Marines!? Reeeeeeeee!" ;)
Dark Sun is a great setting, but I'm not actually sure how well the novels hold up. It's been over a decade since I last read any of them. TBH, I suspect I still love the setting mostly out of nostalgia, since back when I first started playing D&D that was the setting me and my friends played most of our campaigns in.
The other Forgotten Realms books are a real mixed bag in terms of quality, but if you haven't read it yet I do highly recommend the Icewind Dale trilogy, which the Dark Elf trilogy was the prequel to. The Cleric Quintet is yet another of R.A. works unrelated to Drizzt that is quite good. And War of the Spider Queen is one of my fav series, since it focuses on the Underdark/Menzoberranzan, and while not written by R.A. it was overseen by him.
I only found out about Ringworld being part of a shared setting when I had looked up other books in the series after reading about it. I saw people mentioned checking out other books in the setting before going in to the sequel novels. Haven't gotten around to it though.
40k, is just such a fun setting with how big it is! Lots of explore and enjoy. My own wish is that they'd write more books just exploring things that aren't connected to the huge conflicts/space marines. I love reading about space marines blowing things up, but the Eisenhorn (and sequels) really open up the setting to just how much cool stuff is going on outside of the big battles. You could set a lot of "space opera" stuff in the setting easily enough. They also have the 10k+ years of history to explore. Novels could be set in 36k and explore some big campaign or flesh out other big events that have been mentioned in passing over the years instead of exploring more Horus Heresy or the current 41k stuff they're doing.
I've read the first ~30 Drizzt books and loved The Cleric's Quintet! I have the War of the Spider Queen books, but I think I got halfway through book 1 and then shelved the series for some university stuff and haven't come back to it. I think that is a prime candidate for when I finally unbox all my physical books soon.
TBH, I'm actually not much of a fan of Space Marines. I don't think they're very interesting as characters, especially since they're often written as totally one-dimensional. I much prefer stories about the Guard, or Inquisitors, or Rogue Traders, or Sisters, or Tech Priests, or Orks, or literally anyone other than Space Marines. So I'm 100% with you on wishing more books were written about the various other Imperium organizations, races and factions of 40k. :P
When I first got in to 40k as a teenager, I mainly read books about Space Marines since that was what was available at my local book store. I then got my hands on Gaunt's Ghosts, Eisenhorn, and Ciaphas Cain, and it really opened my eyes to what else the setting could offer. Games Workshop please write more books about non-space marines, there are dozens of us who would buy them, like @cfabbro and myself who would buy them or check them out from a library!
I enjoy a Space Marine novel occasionally now, usually enjoying how it fits in to the greater narrative (like in the Horus Hersey) and fleshes out the lore. That being said, sometimes a nice action book about giant guys with giant guns and chain saw swords can be fun when I don't want to think too much. This has become rarer since taking my break from reading 40k books and diving in to other works.
Complicating things further, Erikson and Esslemont tend to write in different continents in the Malazan world. Both visit Malaz City, Unta, Itko Kan, and Genabackis, but Erikson tends to focus on Seven Cities and Lether/Kolanse, whereas Esslemont focuses on central/western Quon Tali, Korelri, Assail, and Jacuruku. It's not a perfect split, but it's funny (and I think intentional) that there is little overlap on settings.
Oh ! I'd forgotten all about Dark Sun. As with most AD&D books that I've read, I read them on release and never went back. I seem to remember, Astinus of Palanthas and lots of psionics.
In fact, I bought the CPHB right around this time too, and convinced our DM to let me roll for a wild talent using those rules next time we made characters. Good demigod above this all seems so long ago now.
I read Spelljammer novels too, and Ravenloft ones.
Ravenloft and Spelljammer were fun settings too. And I've always loved the Eberron and Planescape settings as well. I really should go back and revisit all those old alternate setting novels next time I get a hankering for reading some fantasy books. It's been way too long since I last reread any of them.
I loved Dragonlance as a kid. I enjoy Warhammer 40k games but have never gotten deep into the lore or books. Is there a book or two you would recommend someone to get into the series?
@pekt covered the most recommended entries into 40k. I started with Eisenhorn myself then moved on to Gaunt's Ghosts and thoroughly enjoyed both. Although I would personally recommend avoiding Ciaphas Cain until you have read Gaunt's Ghosts, since Ciaphus is a bit of a parody of Gaunt and you will miss some of the references and tropes jokes if you haven't read Gaunt or any other 40k novels yet.
I can give some recommendations on what I think are some good places, so start with 40k. There's other great series out there besides these, and I think @cfabbro could drop in some others suggestions as well.
Edit: Since you're exposed to the lore through the games, the Horus Heresy may also be a good starting place. The first three books should be read in order, but after that you can find suggested reading guides online if you want to follow specific plot threads/characters. I was reading through them in publication order before I got annoyed at Games Workshop and stopped (23 books in), but I'll probably pick the series up again eventually and read them all.
I was going to say Warhammer 40K, but I think it might actually be Discworld - there were a handful of books set there that were written by others, IIRC, although they may not have been full novels. I think it was also the first I came into contact with. The quality inevitably varies, but very few of them bored me. I think I might be more likely to read books in a setting if I know that multiple authors have contributed to it, because that's more interesting to me - if I didnt like the last book, maybe I'll like the next one more.
Avoid Unseen Academicals, Raising Steam and Snuff - they're inevitably disappointing, due to the advancing Alzheimer's.
I didn't know that Discworld had other authors that worked in the setting. Those books have been on my to read list for ages now, and I have friends who love them. I have a feeling when I do get to read them I'll have a similar reaction to reading Malazan in that I should have read these sooner.
There are some ancillary books like The Science of Discworld and The Discworld Almanak, and some "Mapps" but I can't find anything written as actual fiction, like short story or novel or anything by anyone but Pratchett.
He even wrote a few protoDisc short stories under an unknown pseudonym that were discovered recently but yeah.
@FishFingus can you share a source?
I don't think I cn off the top of my head, no, but those were the sort of things I meant. I thought they also counted.
Gotcha, they might to others, I just don't think they do the world building that other "shared world" authors do since they're more commenting on or building quasi non-fiction about it, but I can see the case! Thanks for the clarification
I love a haunted house setting. I've read so many books set in haunted houses of various capacities, and almost every single one has been outstanding.
I also generally enjoy books set in Regency England, especially Jane Austen novels, and other novels that take that period about as seriously as Miss Austen herself.
I enjoyed the Wild Cards series, which was a shared world series of anthologies and novels that was edited by George R R Martin. It's a bit of a deconstruction of superhero stories and has some really enjoyable characters and stories, although not everything was a hit for me.
I remember hearing about this when I had first read A Song of Ice and Fire, and I told myself I would give it a try after he finished that series. I should probably revise that thought and just give the series a try since there is no telling when (or more accurately - if) the series will be finished.
Fighting Fantasy CYOA games were probably the first shared setting, followed by Dragonlance. That said, I don't read a lot of shared settings...
Honestly, I prefer unique settings. So I would be less likely, as an adult, to choose a shared setting book.
I too love Forgotten Realms, though it has varied in quality a lot through the years and I generally dislike where Wizards took the setting 4E-onwards. The double "world ending" resets to justify restarting with the new editions was just silly. Still, the detail the combined world has for all these different interacting places remains magic to me.
The Cosmere doesn't count I know because it's only one author, but the ambition of sharing that many stories in one Universe remains very impressive to me.
The one I'd like to bring up is another RPG setting: Rokugan, the setting for the Legend of 5 Rings RPG and Card Game. There's a lot of really great short stories, and like Forgotten Realms it has a lot of varying quality over the years (though with much fewer entries). Unlike Forgotten Realms, I think the fiction for the latest incarnation is among the best - I really look forward to the rest of the Clan War novel(s?).
EDIT: This got me googling reviews of the book and some critiques on reddit/otherwise that point out it is a confusing entry point that is best served with some background knowledge of the setting. I think that's true. I love the flavour of the setting overall, and some of the older short stories remain great favourites of mine, like:
https://kazenoshiro63445525.wordpress.com/2007/01/05/private-lessons-4/
I've not followed a lot of the Forgotten Realms lore, so I didn't know they'd done any reset. While I understand some things need to be reset or retconned, I generally prefer when things are built upon existing lore.
Legend of the 5 Rings is something I haven't seen mentioned in ages! I didn't end up diving in to the setting, but it was one that my old friend and I discussed when we were contemplating which system to move to instead of using DnD. I think I still have this setting as somewhere to check out, so if I do get to it I'll try to remember to message you!
I don't even mind resets done well, but they did the even worse option of making world spanning disasters that literally wiped out major countries with no real great explanation, and then undid them but still kept both in the narrative... Poorly. I think Cormyr got blasted twice from 3e to 5e, and Myth Drannor AND Netheril got revived in 4e as the major story plotline THEN NUKED IMMEDIATELY TO START 5E! At that point why not just start the timeline over?! Just totally wacky and unsatisfying. They even enlisted Salvatore to try and write in the Spellplague and whatever the even more forgettable 5e disaster was, and it clearly was not of interest to him. He very much hand waves it and moves on.
Edit - I see from another comment that you've read ~30 Drizzt books which means you almost certainly passed both of said disaster resets and didn't even notice it... Further illustrating my point, haha.
There were 30 Drizzt books?! Man. I read Homeland, Exile and Soujourn when they came out. I'm behind!
Though, as an adult, I've tried to re-read some Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance and it doesn't land for me any more.
Time/War/Test was probably my favourite trio of D&D books but I just can't any more.
I enjoy interwar Europe as a book setting, but I also like lots of mystery novels. It’s a time period that’s not too distant to be recognizable to me, but also a period where forensics was not a huge component to solving crimes. It’s fun to be able to use psychology and deduction more than science to try and solve a mystery.
I had never considered a historical period as a shared setting, since characters and actions from those characters wouldn't translate over or impact another author's work. I have not looked in that period for fiction before, but I do know that some authors will insert nods/references to other author's characters that share the setting. The historical era I've read with multiple authors is the Napoleonic period and even that I'm still wanting to dive deeper as there are works that I've not touched yet that have been on my list for awhile.
That is true, I didn’t read your post clearly enough. While the actions of individual characters don’t persist across different books, the real life historical events do.
I loved the Dragonlance setting up through the early 2000s and think at one point I had read almost all of them; I have a vague memory of having over a hundred volumes on my shelves in total. Overall there's a wide variety in quality and tone but as a voracious young reader that carried a paperback everywhere I went I can't remember anything I actually disliked to the point of wanting to drop it or never wanting to read anything else from a specific author.
I'm considering checking out the new novels released in the past few years (which I only learned about today) though I don't know if I'd enjoy them as much these days. It's been roughly 20 years and I'd like to imagine my taste has gotten a little more refined, but now I've taken to binging translated Japanese light novels which definitely aren't high quality writing for the most part so maybe not.
More recently I did enjoy the setting created by Andrew Rowe (Arcane Ascension among other progression fantasy series) and it barely qualifies for the topic as there was a shared trilogy titled Shattered Legacy in the works with Kayleigh Nicol, but it was canceled after the second volume's release due to disagreements between them. It's been interesting seeing the mixed responses to that announcement though personally I'm disappointed since I enjoyed the first two novels and I'm planning on checking out Nicol's other works in the future.
I recently started to read Perry Rhodan, which is an ongoing (german) science fiction series that started in 1961: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_Rhodan
They release a new novella each week, and have not missed a week since 1961.
In the 80ies, they started to combine novellas into books (Silberbände), which i started to read. I currently am reading book #8.
It is not the moat sophisticated science fiction, but I really enjoy it for what it is. And it is an almost endless endeavour, so I am not running out of books to read.
I had heard of this and I think I have the first entry on my to read list since I saw it was translated to English.
I don't plan on learning German, so my exposure to this series will probably be limited when I get around to it. I do find the idea of it to be incredibly cool, and the fact they've been going for so long with no signs of stopping awesome to me.
The quality varied a lot, but I had fun reading books in the alternate history setting that began with Eric Flint's book 1632. I should warn people from outside the US that there is a fair amount of US centrism and cultural superiority ra ra attitude in the books, although it is about the best features of our country such as being a pioneer for democratic representative government.