The British literary critic and author M. John Harrison defines Worldbuilding as an ‘attempt to exhaustively survey a place that isn’t there’. Worldbuilding is one of the most important aspects of genre fiction and is an undeniable factor in the success of the 40K universe, which is appropriately recognised for the scope, depth and detail of its universe. However, has this approach to the ongoing development of the gaming system and published output, which the Swedish fantasy scholar Stefan Ekman defines as ‘topofocal’, become too important? Particularly in the case of Black Library, does it prioritize environment and location over other narrative functions such as plot and character? These questions are currently being debated within genre fiction, but the consequences extend far beyond critical analysis, having a real and ongoing influence for writers wishing to not only work within the existing Warhammer IP but to usefully expand on it. With reference to my work on the audio drama trilogy ‘Scions of Elysia’, ‘Renegades of Elysia’ and ‘Martyrs of Elysia’, I will investigate how a broad range of concepts associated with Worldbuilding, such as the employment of the ‘outside-in’ or ‘inside-out’ approach to framing a narrative, can be used without limiting the storytelling process. I will also explore how the extension of geographical locations, the development of social frameworks and political systems helped shape the story arc for the series while enhancing, rather than undermining, character and plot development.
About the speaker
Dr Chris Dows is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Lincoln, where he is Programme Leader of the BA (Hons) Creative Writing programme. Professionally published for over 30 years, he specialises in science fiction and fantasy texts, particularly the Star Trek and Warhammer franchises, as well as sequential art, technical and non-fiction publications.
