It takes quite some time (and quite some imagination) to create an entirely new world in fiction, whether it be in print or on-screen. But just because the world is fantastical and full of magic does not necessarily mean it’s a place you would want to visit. While you may want to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry we can all admire Mordor in The Lord of the Rings without actually wanting to live there.
Below we will examine a few of the newer fantasy worlds introduced over the past ten years, a few where we’d very much want to vacation and a few where it’s much more enjoyable to watch from a distance.
Best: Asgard - Thor (2011)
The Asgard introduced to the world by Kenneth Branagh in 2011 in the first Marvel Thor movie is a realm of power and, more importantly, a rainbow bridge. Yes to a rainbow bridge, please. And yes to the epic costumes. It’s also a world that has its own castles and drama prone royal family (we’d all probably feel quite at home there actually).
While Thor often finds himself fighting monsters until the appearance of his sister, Hela, most of those problems exist in other realms. So here’s to the safety of Asgard as well.
Worst: The Enchanted Forest - Once Upon a Time (2011)
In Once Upon a Time, The Enchanted Forest is basically the world of fairy tale stories that the residents of Storybrooke who ended up in Storybrooke because their homeland, The Enchanted Forest, was cursed.
A curse isn’t really something we should want to get near. Even as the characters on Once Upon a Time struggle to regain their memories and later their homeland what we see (and know) about Fairy Tales doesn’t exactly make the Enchanted Forest a very safe place to visit.
Best: Lyra’s World - His Dark Materials (2019)
Okay, so the world HBO introduced to viewers does include the evil government entity the Magisterium, but we live with problematic governments in our own world too. What is awesome about Lyra’s world is the presence of daemons, sort of the external manifestation of a person’s soul.
That’s right, in Lyra’s world everyone has their own personal animal sidekick. While Lyra’s world also has airships and armored polar bears, the main draw is, and will always, the daemons.
Worst: The Stillness - The Broken Earth Trilogy (2015)
Author, N.K. Jemisin introduced readers to probably the most well-developed fantasy world in the past ten years in her Broken Earth trilogy. The first book was released in 2015 and introduced the world to The Stillness, a single supercontinent that includes Orogenes, or people who are able to control different types of energy (including that of the earth and temperature).
The world is full of amazing species, different castes, and powers. Why it would not be a great place to live or even visit, because every hundred years or so, The Stillness experiences what they call a “Fifth Season” or a period of catastrophic climate change.
Best: Camp Half Blood - Percy Jackson (2010)
We picked 2013 because that was the year the first Percy Jackson movie hit theaters. What is so fun about Percy Jackson’s world? Let us count the ways. Director Christopher Columbus has quite the track record of introducing fabulous fantasy worlds on-screen (Harry Potter anyone?).
Well, if you can’t go to a school for witchcraft and wizardry what could be better than attending a training camp for demigods? Not much. Cabins, archery, lava training? If the Olympians themselves would stop causing trouble their demi-god offspring would have nothing but fun.
Worst: Fillory - The Magicians (2015)
Fillory is exactly the type of world this list was created to warn people about. On the page, it sounded amazing to book-obsessed Quentin Coldwater, but boy was the experience quite different in reality. Sure, it’s home to the wellspring of all magic, but Ember, the supposed benevolent creator of the world is kind of self-centered and gross.
Also, he’s not really in charge when you get there, an evil beast is. Fillory isn’t fun, it’s dangerous and also full of problems that don’t even get you recognized as a hero when you fix them. If you have a choice, pass on the trip.
Best: The World fo Avatar - The Legend of Korra (2012)
The nations of Water, Earth, Fire, and Air have been brought back into somewhat peaceful existence by the time The Legend of Korra begins.
That means this is a world no longer suffering completely under the Fire Nation, and there’s a little bit of time to enjoy the power of benders. It’s obviously more fun if you’re a bender yourself and can manipulate water, earth, fire, or air, but there’s still the opportunity for everyone to watch and enjoy “pro-bending” an excellent sport if there ever was one.
Worst: Westeros - Game of Thrones (2011)
Oh, Westeros, you are intriguing and obsession-worthy, but boy are you an unfortunate place to grow up. Who wants to worry about the possibility that their entire life may be spent under snow and ice? Who really wants to live in fear of magical beasts like White Walkers, snow spiders, and giants?
It is thrilling to watch war and carnage on the screen, but Westeros has known very little peace in all its centuries of existence and the common people just want rain and a summer that never ends. They won’t get it. And neither would you if you went.
Best - Wakanda - Black Panther (2018)
Wakanda is the secret East African technologically advanced kingdom ruled over by T’Challa. For awhile they are able to maintain peace by being hidden from the world. They are able to develop their own culture in art, technology, and government.
They are the one source in the world of vibranium which, once they are willing to open up to the outside world, certainly keeps their economy booming. Except for the eventual appearance of Thanos there is no reason you would not want to visit and live in Wakanda.
Worst - The Continent - The Witcher (2019)
Home to the Northern Kingdom and the Nilfgaardian Empire, The Continent has never been a safe place to live. Originally overrun by monsters (thus the need for Witchers) it seems Witchers have been very good at their business since many monsters have gone extinct.
The remaining problem? The monstrosity of war and politics. Do you really want to go live in a world at war? One where armies and mages fight and entire villages burn? Again, fun to watch on screen, probably the absolute worst to actually live in.
