Project Genesis by Hannah Fakhri

Project Genesis Lexicon A collection of words and research based around my Senior Graphic Design thesis topic, to be pursued in Spring 2022. Curated and designed by GDES Honours Senior

Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar - School of the Arts Graphic Design Department Doha, Qatar

This book was created in InDesign. The body copy text of this book is set in a combination of Dunbar Tall and Dunbar Text designed by CJ Type. Each book is hand bound by Hannah Fakhri using high quality paper and is second part to the “Project Genesis: Map” project. This book has been designed with the research and articles taken from the Internet and books. All credit will be evident throughout the sections. It will not be reproduced outside of the university class as it is for learning purposes. © Hannah Fakhri, Critical Inquiry Fall 2021

Audentes fortuna iuvat Fortune favours the bold

This book is dedicated to those that live in the clouds.

Your stORies matTEr.

8 10 12 1619

Table of Contents

My Manifesto

Project Genesis Introduction

Research: Atlas

Research: Dictionary Introduction to World Building

Introduction to Mythology

84 120 Introduction to Speculative Fiction

Credits

Into the research we go...

Project Genesis: Lexicon

My Manifesto

mY manFesTo As a designer, I’ve recently started thinking about how my principles, values and morals and how they can be used to influence other people around me and even reach a wider audience. I hold a great deal of respect for others around me when it is earned. If we forget the designer aspect of respect for a moment, I treat people the way I would like to be treated, with kindness and respect. Another aspect of respect that I don’t think does not get enough credit is admitting our mistakes. Nearly everybody sees it as a bad value, but I think it is the most important value because admitting our mistakes means we put our ego aside and we start to focus on the repercussions of our inaccuracies. This often leads to more people respecting each other, which then leads to sharing our needs and wants with each other in hopes it would better the community we are living in. However, respect plays a big role for me and my design practice because of my background. I come from a mixed family, so to get along with everyone, it was based on mutual respect instead of the culture and traditions they held. For these reasons, I think holding respect on a pedestal will allow my design principle to be more open with each other, regardless of their religion, culture, sexual orientation, colour and language. 8

Project Genesis: Lexicon

My Manifesto

Even though respect may be considered my top value, commitment also plays a key role in how I live my life. Over the course of the past few years, I realised that the only reason I am here today is because of my commitment to my goals that I started a few years ago. None of what I produced or managed to do today would not have been possible if I didn’t take the initiative to grow and educate myself. As a result of this, working hard but also enjoying oneself is also critical to the growth and personal well-being. The world keeps spinning around us and we forget about the other little moments that happen meaning that we miss out on the important things in life. Therefore, I think the design principle to walk out with here is to always keep the options open and to be flexible with the design. There should be no right or wrong answer, only decisions. The decision should be up to the use and how they want to proceed with their life and well-being. We simply have to take control of our own life if we think we want to succeed and if it doesn’t work out, then there is the option to go back. However, my design principle would be to be more considerate of others and to always evoke emotion from people. I believe that when our emotions come into decision making, we often make the best choices and nine times out of ten we walk out satisfied with our choice. Therefore, designing with emotion will essentially project and evoke emotion from the people viewing the design. It only takes a simple design for somebody to understand what they are truly feeling. Using these design principles will help me form my design practice, but it should also help form an opinion on what I think personally believe should be good and bad design. My values play a big role in how I view the world and human beings in it. My current outlook on life and design is not caring who they are, but caring about how people act and react. 9

Project Genesis: Lexicon

Thesis Statement

prOject geneSis Noun: The origin or mode of formation of something. The rebirth and creation of a world I call my own. The pleasure of playing god. Project Genesis focuses on the rebirth of not only myself, but my interests outside of Graphic Design: Worldbuilding & reading. World building gives me a chance to imagine a new society and universe where I am not so constrained by the truths of my own reality, especially in more dismal times when reality may not seem so bright. Focusing on the dark, hellish, gritty and grim worlds, rather than “happy” dystopian universes. To build a narrative ecosystem with thematic coherence. Inspired by theme in horror/Thriller movies with a dark fantasy twist. Something that is often not explored within “modern” world building.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

Project Genesis Blueprint

Project Genesis: Lexicon

Research: Atlas

ReSeARCH: AtlAS To the majority of the world, an atlas is known as a collection of maps and charts that are bound together.

Gerardus Mercator (1512-1594) Flemish Cartographer Mercator was a Flemish cartographer who is commonly known as the innovator for a map and was the first to use the word “Atlas” for a collection of maps. How did he change the map as the world knew it? Mercator created a type of map projection called the Mercator Projection (often referred to as the cylindrical projection nowadays). The meridians are equalled spaced and parallel to each other. So this applies to both the vertical and the horizontal lines. The further away from the equator they are, the further apart their distance. This method is usually suitable for smaller maps, because when applied to the world map it is rather flawed. The landmass of some countries, like Greenland appears to be rather big, if not the same size as South America;

Project Genesis: Lexicon

Research: Atlas

whereas, Greenland is rather small. The scale is distorted and this is mainly the reason why the global map we see in our classrooms or on the internet are “false” and “notto-scale”.

Fictional Maps

Within fictional maps, even though it is out of this world, certain elements and real world physics still need to be accounted for. character species, landforms, climate, weather, geopolitics, and biodiversity are all among the real things that need to be considered. When creating locations that are particularly mountainous, we would need to map out the location where the mountain forming plate tectonics are colliding. This all makes geological sense, in a fictional sense. Not just take, ground cover of an area is influenced by terrain altitude, water, soil, climate, and weather. All these factors are all dependent on where they are placed within the world and should make sense with other surrounding geographical factors. An example being that a swampland is usually near a body of water, either being an ocean or a lake. On a more specific level, atmospheric pressure, temperature, heat from the sun, wind, precipitation, and humidity should also all be accounted for when creating a map, climate and weather system. This would all be made evident on fantasy level maps, through the use of symbols and iconography.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

Research: Atlas

Fantasy and Real life Map Symbols

Cartographers use symbols to represent geographic features. A simple triangle point could represent a mountain and a certain coloured dots could represent cities, capitals and points of significant interest. Another element that is often within fantasy and real maps is: DOGSTAILS Date Orientation Grid Scale Title Author Index Legend Sources Society, National. “Map”. National Geographic Society, 2021, https://www. nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/map/.

Using these factors will help the viewer understand what exactly is going on with the map, where it came from.

Different Types of Maps

Celestial globes and maps were very important in navigation, when sailors used stars to determine their position at sea. Another type of environmental map is topographic maps are a quantitative representation of relief features, usually using contour lines. This is usually where we will be able to see the different heights of the planes.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

Research: Atlas

Mythology:

Atlas, in Greek mythology is the son of the Titan Iapetus and the Oceanid Clymene and brother of Prometheus (creator of humankind). Atlas was one of the Titans who took part in their war against Zeus, for which as a punishment he was condemned to hold aloft the heavens. He is often seen holding up the world, or, the heavens. Cartwright, Mark. “Atlas”. World History Encyclopedia, 2021, https://www. worldhistory.org/Atlas/.

“THE TITAN ATLAS HELD UP THE HEAVENS, A PUNISHMENT FROM ZEUS FOR WARRING WITH THE OLYMPIAN GODS.”

Conclusion

Throughout the research I have conducted, an Atlas can be a collection of maps bound into one book, or it could be a single piece of paper. Not only that, but there is a mythological aspect to Atlas, which is beneficial to my own research within my thesis topic.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

Research: Dictionary

REsEaRCH: DictiONAry The word “dictionary” was invented by an Englishman called John of Garland in 1220. From the early Middle Ages, many bilingual and multilingual dictionaries popped around. Also in the typical fashion, there was a movement to produce an English dictionary for a wider audience. This was to promote literacy within the community, to boost education. Modern lexicographers describe current and past languages within the script itself but rarely use it. Diamond, Connie. “The History And Significance Of Dictionaries”. Blog. Bookstellyouwhy.Com, 2016, https://blog. bookstellyouwhy.com/the-history-andsignificance-of-dictionaries.

Samuel Johnson once said, “No man was ever great by imitation.” This is where Webster considered etymology important. Etymology is the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

Research: Dictionary

Encyclopedia

A book or set of books giving information on many subjects or on many aspects of one subject and typically arranged alphabetically.

Werth, Christopher. “Encyclopedia Pioneer May Yet Get A Hero’s Burial”. Npr.Org, 2013, https://www.npr.org/2013/10/05/228892676/ at-300-encyclopedia-pioneer-may-yet-get-aheros-burial?t=1638703664459.

The earliest encyclopedic work to have survived to modern times is the Naturalis Historia of Pliny the Elder, a Roman statesman living in the 1st century AD. The book itself was full of natural history, architecture, medicine, geography and geology. However, this was not considered a encyclopedia for the longest time. The first encyclopedia is considered one from the eighteenthcentury French philosopher Denis Diderot was the driving force behind the “Encyclopédie”.

Conclusion

Creating a dictionary is beneficial to my thesis topic, but it has turned a little more into a encyclopedia. There is a combination of both the dictionary and an encyclopedia within this book. Researching into the differences as well as having a deeper understanding on why it is relevant to my topic, especially since linguistics is an possible route into my thesis topic.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

Intro to World-Building

IntrouDuctioN To:

WOrld BuildIng Intro to World Building

Introduction to world building, vocabulary, theories, influencial people, current and future concepts.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

What is world-building?

what is world building? World building is usually a writing process that helps set a story or narrative in a world or landscape. Through world building, we are giving our characters a physical location in which they inhabit, but it also helps tell the tone of the story. If the world is dark and eerie, it has a different connotation to something that is more bright and colourful. It is said that world building is the “stage” for which the characters or plot devices act upon. Having a solid back story and lore behind the world helps bring sense and a “reality” to the story and characters present within. 1

“How To Write A Believable World: A Guide To Worldbuilding”. Masterclass, 2021.

While researching, I found that world building provides structure and reality.1 Elements like basic rules and physics should most definitely exist within the world. Some can be more obvious than others. If it follows a more fantasy, magical and super high fantasy approach, then some things may need explaining more than others. Throughout the world, we will need to include a lot of external conflicts that will push the story and character narrative a little more. This could be done in the form of geography restrictions, but also elements like culture, power and hierarchy - elements out of the characters control. All of these categories all play a role, it is not always just the physical landscape of the world.

Naughty Dog, John Sweeney “The Last of Us” Video Game

The Last of Us is an action-adventure survival horror video game which gives us a different look at a post-apocalyptic world.

Naughty Dog, Eytan Zana “The Last of Us” Video Game

The Last of Us is an action-adventure survival horror video game which gives us a different look at a post-apocalyptic world.

CD Projekt, Uknown Concept Artist “Cyberpunk 2077” Video Game

Cyberpunk 2077 is a story that takes place in Night City, an open world set in the Cyberpunk universe.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

World-building vocabulary

World building vocabulary Intro to World Building

Introducing words that express and explain the process behind creating fiction worlds, both in literature and design.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

World-building vocabulary

WOrld Building Dictionary Definition noun

Personal Definition

Process of creating and building up a world from the bottom up, usually fictional.

To me, world building is the focus of the environment and the atmosphere of the world. Is it dark? Is it fantasy-based? If so, what are the rules of the world,? Are there any? Do we need to know everything about the world to be told a good story or can some things be left up to the imagination of the reader/viewer? A lot of the world-building I know comes in the form of literature and books, but world-building in video games is just as intriguing. Using the development of gaming technology to really bring speculative fiction worlds to life. Neon cities, medieval villages and so on. Movies and TV shows also do a good job in bringing world-building to life and applying it to character narratives and sequential acts/ How does the world benefit or disadvantage the main character?

Project Genesis: Lexicon

World-building vocabulary

World ConJuriNg Dictionary Definition noun

World conjuring focuses on the lore and the ins and outs of the world through elements like mythology. Conjuring: The performance of tricks that appear to defy natural laws.

Personal Definition

Conjuring to me is adding more depth into the world through the use of elements like history, mythology and culture. It is not always about the environment. Local folktales and oral/written stories just bring a deeper meaning to the world and the people that reside within it. Mythology in general not only brings history but also the fauna and flora. Providing more information about the world beyond what the narrative is willing to formally tell the audience.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

World-building vocabulary

INtradiEgetiC Dictionary Definition noun

Personal Definition

Observer of events in which he or she is personally uninvolved

In more recent times, and a closer relation to my thesis, is in “The Witcher”, Dandelion narrates the Witcher and also shows up as a character in the game. Not only that, but external publications are also often told from the viewpoint of Dandelion - he has become the intradiegetic narrator for the series.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

World-building vocabulary

ArChiteCtuRE Dictionary Definition noun

Personal Definition

2 Antoni Gaudí, Barcelona”. Casa Batlló By Antoni Gaudí, Barcelona, 2021, https://www. casabatllo.es/en/antoni-gaudi/.

3 World-Building For Writers: Architecture & Conjuring”. Medium, 2021, https://medium. com/windandbones/world-building-for-writers-architecture-conjuring-2769dbc177be.”

The art or science of a building. The art and practice of designing and building structures and especially habitable ones.

Architecture to me is not just how it has been mechanically designed, but also the setting in which the building is placed in too. Does the setting impact how the building is to be visualised? Some buildings work with the environment and bring life to the space. Antoni Gaudí is a big inspiration for Baroque and Gothic architecture.2 He is most famous for his work on the church for the sagrada familia, which is still under construction today. Architecture does not always literally mean - physical buildings. It can also mean the architecture and structure of a story - a world.3 To engineer a world through the use of real and fictional elements.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

World-building vocabulary

GeOgrAPhy Dictionary Definition noun

Personal Definition

4 Lonescu, Lulian. “Creating A Fantasy World - Geography (Part 1)”. Lulian Lonescu, 2021, https://iulianionescu.com/blog/creating-a-fantasy-world-geography-part-1/.

The Study of places and the relationships between people and their environments. Earth societies and the human societies that spread across it.

Geography focuses a lot on the relationship between the physical space and the lifeforms living there. While world-building uses geography, it’s important to ask - Is it important to know how the physical world came to be?4 Was it created by a deity, was it a result of some scientific evolution? Is it important to know the place in space and time for this world, or do I only need to know my world within its boundaries?

Project Genesis: Lexicon

World-building vocabulary

Extradiegetic Dictionary Definition noun

The presentation of a narrative without direct dramatic imitation of the events, scenes, or characters described.

Landscapes Dictionary Definition noun

All visible features of an area of land, considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal

Biome Dictionary Definition noun

A large area characterised by its vegetation, soil, climate and wildlife. Marine Biomes include the ocean, coral reefs and estuaries.

Terrain Dictionary Definition noun

Stretch of land, especially with regard to its physical features

Project Genesis: Lexicon

World-building vocabulary

Exploration Dictionary Definition noun

Personal Definition

The action of exploring an unfamiliar area.

Exploration is the act of searching for the purpose of discovery of information or resources, especially in the context of geography or space, rather than research and development that is usually not centred on earth sciences or astronomy. Not only that, but exploration to me also focuses on elements within the world. What does the character discover as they are travelling through the world? Do they need exposition to understand the exploration? These are all questions that will help the reader or internal character understand how to explore the world themselves.

5 Bradshaw, Claire. “The Ultimate Guide To World-Building: How To Write Fantasy, Sci-Fi And Real-Life Worlds”. Writer’s Edit, 2021, https://writersedit.com/fiction-writing/the-ultimate-guide-to-world-building-how-to-writefantasy-sci-fi-and-real-life-worlds/.

Hopefully throughout the thesis process, going through different world building prompts will help develop the exploration of the world.5

Project Genesis: Lexicon

Intro to World-Building

CD Projekt Red, Unknown Concept Artist “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” Video Game

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an action role-playing game developed by Polish developer CD Projekt Red, and first published in 2015

Project Genesis: Lexicon

CD Projekt Red, Unknown Concept Artist “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” Video Game

Intro to World-Building

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an action role-playing game developed by Polish developer CD Projekt Red, and first published in 2015

Project Genesis: Lexicon

World-building vocabulary

PhYSical cosmOLogy Dictionary Definition noun

Astronomy is concerned with the study of the chronology of the universe

Conceptual ARt / Design Dictionary Definition noun

A form of visual art used to convey an idea for use in films, video games, animations, comic books and so on.

IllustRAtion Dictionary Definition noun

A picture or diagram that explains or decorates to make a point clear.

ConlAnguaGe Dictionary Definition noun

A fictional/constructed language . Examples: JRR Tolkien’s Middle-Earth languages in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Na’vi.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

World-building vocabulary

Anthropization Dictionary Definition noun

The conversion of open spaces, landscapes, and natural environments by human action.

Anachronism Dictionary Definition noun

Details that do not conform to their time period or culture

DiveRGent Dictionary Definition noun

Development of the world but remains very similar to the real world in every detail but this fantasy conceit.

High-Concept Dictionary Definition noun

An idea needs a lot of background details through world building.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

World-building vocabulary

AtmospHEre Dictionary Definition noun

The envelope of gasses surrounding the earth or another planet. The pervading tone or mood of a place, situation or creative work.

CarTOgrAphy Dictionary Definition noun

The science of drawing maps.

ImmersiOn Dictionary Definition noun

To make the audience feel like they are present in the world without actually being there, especially if the world is fictional.

Interconnection Dictionary Definition noun

A mutual connection between two or more things

Project Genesis: Lexicon

World-building vocabulary

MaCRowoRLDbuildING Dictionary Definition noun

Personal Definition

The bigger picture! Planet, continents, climate, and ecology

Macro world building is one of the main sub-categories that I will spend the majority of my focus on. What does the world look like and how is it perceived not only to my real life audience, but also the “characters” within the realm. The macro view of the world is focusing more on the environment and how the world functions physically. This is where the use of physics, ecology and natural laws come in to play. Some can be pulled from the world as we know it, but others could be inspired from already existing physical worlds.

JEMISIN, NK. “Macro-Worldbuilding Exercise: Build Your World”. Masterclass, 2021, https:// www.masterclass.com/classes/n-k-jemisinteaches-fantasy-and-science-fiction-writing/ chapters/macro-worldbuilding-exercise-build-your-world#.

NK Jemsin said “To build your world, start by creating the physical environment where your culture and story will take place, from the planetary level to a specific location” 6. After reading her view on Macro-building, it gave a wider perspective of different things to look out and how later on micro-world building will affect all these elements.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

World-building vocabulary

MiCRowoRLDbuildING Dictionary Definition noun

Personal Definition

Jemisin, NK. “Micro-Worldbuilding: Conceiving The Culture And People”. Masterclass, 2021, https://www.masterclass.com/ classes/n-k-jemisin-teaches-fantasy-andscience-fiction-writing/chapters/micro-worldbuilding-conceiving-the-culture-people.

Species, morphology, raciation, acculturation, power, and role.

Ocne again, NK Jemsin said “We create the culture, we create the power dynamics, and then we can go from there on creating a character. So with macro world building, you started with the planet, and with micro world building, you also start at sort of the most macro scale, which is the development of the species”7. This plays into the more centric idea of a narrative and how it will start to effect the narrative of the story. However, in terms of how I would like to take micro-world building, I would like to focus on the development of the smaller elements like the culture, the religion and how the people of the world interact with each other. Do they have opposing views? Are they similar or based on our real life cultures/religions? These are some of the questions that I hope to answer throughout my thesis topic and research throughout the next couple of months.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

World-building vocabulary

Overlaid Worlds Dictionary Definition noun

Constructed worlds with real-world locations but with the addition of fantasy elements.

LingUIstics Dictionary Definition noun

The scientific study of language. It encompasses the analysis of every aspect of language, as well as the methods for studying and modelling them. The traditional areas of linguistic analysis include morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

Intro to World-Building

Project Genesis: Lexicon

World Building Theories

wORLD bUILDING tHEORIES & sIGNIFICANT pEOPLE Intro to World Building

Quick analysis of world building theories and significant people in the past couple of years that relate to the development of world building and creation.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

World Building Theories

FANTaSY WORldBUILDIng Summary

First C: Creative

Presley, M.D. “The Four Cs Of Fantasy Worldbuilding (WORLDBUILDING BY THE NUMBERS) | The Fantasy Hive”. The Fantasy Hive, 2021, https://fantasy-hive. co.uk/2021/04/the-four-cs-of-fantasy-worldbuilding-worldbuilding-by-the-numbers/. 8

One of the ironies of fantasy worldbuilding is that effective worldbuilding usually goes unnoticed because the audience is absorbing all the details in an unconscious, immersive state. It’s only when this state is disturbed, usually by breaking one of the four Cs of worldbuilding, that the audience is ejected from the story Creative deals with how often and to what extent the constructed world deviates from the real world. Presley spoke about fantasy conceits and how they can create massive changes to the world in question. One of the examples he gave was: Tolkien was the first to point out that anything in the world not covered by one of the fantasy conceits must adhere to the audience’s understanding of the real world. So rivers should not flow uphill UNLESS that’s a integral point of the world building that the author intends on exploring. Tolkien also believed that all fantasy conceits should be explored to their fullest, and named changes made to the world that have no effect “nominal changes.” Nominal changes, to Tolkien, were just window dressing used to make the world feel exotic without putting in the real work of making it logically sound.8

Project Genesis: Lexicon

Second C: Complete

Third C: Consistent

World Building Theories

Complete means it should feel that the world exists before the story begins, has regions that are unexplored within the current story, and will continue to exist after the story is over (provided the heroes save the world, of course). Just like characterization in a story, these are the details that make the world feel well-rounded instead of a flat cardboard cut-out. One of the reasons that Star Wars caused such a splash when it debuted in 1977 was because the world(s) felt real and lived in, with machines that broke down and required repairing, food processors for making meals, and even games for the characters to play. Also, with a single line of dialogue from Obi-Wan, the sense of history was cemented with a mention of “the clone wars” that later went on to inspire a movie as well as two TV series.9 These are the important elements of a story that is engrained with world building. World building helps the story progress with ease!

Consistent means that the world does not contradict itself or deviate from the laws of nature as we understand them. Presley mentions that a lot of audiences consider themselves experts of this world, which is why they use their understanding of it to gage the veracity of the created world.10 This expectation for real-world consistency for anything not covered under a fantasy conceit is known as Terra de facto.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

Fourth C: Compelling

Conclusion

World Building Theories

Compelling means that the material resonates with the consumer and maintains interest. In his article, Presley mentions that, “compelling is the most nebulous of the four Cs since it’s the most personal and hardest to measure. Each person is different, and what is inspiring for one person can be boring for another. But a good rule of thumb for measuring this C is how long the audience will maintain their willing suspension of disbelief.”11

Overall, using the 4 C’s which M.D Presley has identified will help me analyse the reason behind my own world development. Not only that, but now I am more critical of the speculative fiction I read. All 4 elements can work together and have a nice balance, but if a story gets too creative, than the compelling element lessens. So even though they work together, there is a push - pull element that I will need to keep an eye on through my world.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

LucasFilms, Ralph Angus McQuarrie “Star Wars” Movie Series

Intro to World-Building

Ralph Angus McQuarrie was an American conceptual designer and illustrator. Impressed with his work, director George Lucas met with him to discuss his plans for a space-fantasy film - Star Wars.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

Intro to World-Building

LucasFilms, Ralph Angus McQuarrie “Star Wars” Movie Series

Ralph Angus McQuarrie was an American conceptual designer and illustrator. Impressed with his work, director George Lucas met with him to discuss his plans for a space-fantasy film - Star Wars.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

World Building Theories

Sanderson’s World Building/ Magic Laws Summary

Sanderson’s First Law: An Author’s Ability to Solve Conflict Satisfactorily with Magic Is Directly Proportional to How Well the Reader Understands Said Magic.

Brandon Sanderson and his seemingly endless collection of books, worlds, and magic systems! He has created “Sanderson’s Three Laws of Magic”. It is said that these guidelines, are widely applicable and can open whole new dimensions to your stories and worlds. The below questions help start the understanding of a conflict and how one might be able to solve it.12 1) What is the name of the world/planet/region where the main action takes place? 2) Does this planet/region have any known foes, or is it dominant in its world/universe? 3) What important nations, states, and cities are part of the story on this world? 4) What are the important factions that will appear in the story? How do they feel about each other? 5) Who are the leaders of these factions? What are their goals?

Tucker, Alex. “Worldbuilding Guide For Fantasy With Sanderson’S Laws”. Medium, 2020, https://medium.com/althanas/worldbuilding-guide-for-fantasy-with-sandersonslaws-ca2a224b0c38. 12

6)What religious and administrative organizations govern the world? How do they feel about each other? 7) Who are the leaders of these governing bodies? What are their goals?

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World Building Theories

Sanderson’s First Law: Continued

“The more you let your characters (and readers) know about the workings of magic, the more they can do with it.” 13

Waterman, Jacob. “Worldbuilding Magazine: Sanderson’s Laws - Building A Magic System For Storytelling — Nerdolopedia”. Nerdolopedia, 2021, https://www.nerdolopedia.com/articles/2018/12/2/worldbuilding-magazine-sandersons-laws.

Alot of what has been said about magic can also be applied for future science fiction technology as well. The audience and characters will need to know how the basic mechanics of the system works in order to understand and fully grasp the concept of the technology. An example being that if somebody was to escape from a situation, the audience would need to see and understand the escape mechanism, before the act is actually carried out

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Sanderson’s Second Law: Limitations > Powers

World Building Theories

Story—and interesting worldbuilding—is about conflict, which stems from flaws. There’s a finite number of powers in the world, but an infinite number of unique limitations. What makes the power unique and fascinating is what you can’t do—or what you must do to achieve it. Jacob from Nerdolopedia has mentioned some of the most common practical ways we can incorporate limitations into world building.14 1) It makes you tired. “Old reliable”—the mana meter. A good way to hand wave various power levels is to have magic work like a muscle; some are more gifted than others, and you can work to increase your capacity. I recommend combining this with other limitations, though. 2) It’s tied to a specific trigger. Maybe the magic only works when your character is angry. Maybe they can only super-jump when they’re drunk, or when they’ve recently been around a dog. 3) It can be negated. Sanderson defines this more as a “weakness” than a limitation, but it’s nevertheless useful. Kryptonite is a good example. 4) It physically hurts. Make the characters work for it. The consequence is immediate and tangible. Not so great for the sense of wonder, but it could be interesting. Flaws, costs, and limitations are much more interesting than powers.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

Sanderson’s Third Law: Expand What You Already Have Before You Add Something New

World Building Theories

“Often, the best storytelling happens when a thoughtful writer changes one or two things about what we know, then extrapolates purposefully through all of the ramifications of that change.” Extrapolation based on small changes demonstrates a thoughtful understanding of the mechanics of world building and the web-like structure of the craft.15

Extrapolation: These are the “what if?” questions that we ask ourselves. How does your magic affect the uber-rich and the ultra-poor? Interconnect: Let’s say you want to broaden the scope of the powers. Is there thematic interconnectedness? A single power source? Streamline: Don’t use a new thing when an old thing will do. It can be illustrative to look at how different groups of people face the same challenges and resources.

16 Sanderson, Brandon. “Sanderson’s Third Law Of Magic | Brandon Sanderson”. Brandon Sanderson, 2013, https://www. brandonsanderson.com/sandersons-thirdlaw-of-magic/.

Brandon Sanderson said “For me, Law Three is a constant balancing act—much like the balancing act between showing and giving exposition. Exposition is important; it can move the narrative forward and can establish setting elements quickly. Taking time to show a concept, instead of explain it, often requires a lot more words— though it usually creates a more powerful scene.”16 in relation to his third law. I think this is the most important Sanderson law that needs careful consideration.

Project Genesis: Lexicon

Thesis Significance

ProJEct Genesis TheSIS SignificANce Intro to World Building

A brief understanding of how important world building is for Project Genesis and my own personal design practice.

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Thesis Significance

World building plays an important role in my project. It is is the basis for the outcome forms, the background information and all relevant future worlds I plan to create. World Building allows the story to carry and go forward… without the setting, a story is hard to walk through. The majority of my thesis, project genesis, is to create and build a world in which future characters can situate themselves and create a narrative. The world that I would like to create should focus on the darker elements of life. Using all the above vocabulary and some relevant theories, I plan to build a narrative ecosystem with thematic coherence. On a more personal note, world building relates a lot to my own personal design goals. I have always had this dream of being able to produce something that I could call my own. This relates to the idea of “Genesis” - the rebirth of my own design practice, not just the world myself.

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Intro to Mythology

IntrouDuctioN To:

MytholOGy Intro to Mythology

Introduction to mythology around the world and how it personal impacts my thesis topic and interests around my upbringing.

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Intro to Mythology

what is Mythology? 17

Matyszak, Philip. The Greek And Roman Myths: A Guide To The Classical Stories. 2010.

“Mythology”. World History Encyclopedia, 2018, https://www.worldhistory.org/ mythology/.

Philip Matyszak describes a myth simply as “the ancients view of the world.”17 Mythology (from the Greek mythos for story-of-thepeople, and logos for word or speech, so the spoken story of a people) is the study and interpretation of often sacred tales or fables of a culture known as myths or the collection of such stories which deal with various aspects of the human condition: good and evil; the meaning of suffering; human origins; the origin of place-names, animals, cultural values, and traditions; the meaning of life and death; the afterlife; and celestial stories of the gods or a god. Myths express the beliefs and values about these subjects held by a certain culture. 18 There are many different types of myth but, essentially, they can be grouped into three: 1) Etiological Myths 2) Historical Myths 3) Psychological Myths Etiological - This type of myth is usually defined as an origin story. For example, in Egyptian mythology, the sycamore tree looks the way it does because it is home to the goddess Hathor, the Lady of the Sycamore.

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Intro to Mythology

Historical - Retell an event from the past but elevate it with greater meaning than the actual event (if it even happened). Some religious myths of the Abrahamic narratives of the Bible or the Siege of Troy and its fall as described in Homer’s Iliad or Odysseus’ journey home in the Odyssey or Aeneas’ adventures in the work of Virgil. Psychological - Present one with a journey from the known to the unknown which, according to both Jung and Campbell, represents a psychological need to balance the external world with one’s internal consciousness of it. While researching through different myths around the world in current and past generations to gain an understanding of how stories once told affect us now. Along with this, it has been interesting reading how mythology has been applied in fantasy and fictional worlds.

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Supermassive Games, Concept Artist Unknown “House of Ashes” Video Game

Intro to World-Building

House of Ashes is based in the ruins of a buried Sumerian temple deep beneath the Arabian desert something evil is awakened. Savage and unstoppable.

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Mythology Around the World

mythology around the world Intro to Mythology

A quick and brief understanding of different variations of mythology around the world and how each story has a different tale for each region.

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Mythology Around the World

Norse Mythology .“Norse Mythology - Simple English Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia”. Wikipedia, 2021, https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Norse_mythology. 19

In Norse mythology, the universe was thought to have 9 realms or “worlds”. Asgard is where the gods lived. Asgard could only be reached by walking across the rainbow (the Bifröst bridge). The Frost Giants lived in a place called Jötunheimr. Jötunheimr means giant realm. There are many other supernatural beings. These include: 1) Fenrir the gigantic wolf 2) Jörmungandr the sea-serpent that is coiled around the world. 3) Hugin and Munin (thought and memory), the two ravens who keep Odin informed of what is happening on earth. 4)Ratatosk, the squirrel which scampers in the branches of the world tree, Yggdrasil. Most of this mythology was passed down orally as Skaldic poetry, and much of it has been lost. Some of it was recorded by Christian scholars.19

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Mythology Around the World

A Norse tale An example story from Norse Mythology

20 10 Incredible Viking Stories From Norse Mythology”. Historyextra, 2021, https://www. historyextra.com/period/viking/top-10-vikingstories/.

Thor, defender of both the divine and human realms has a magic hammer, Mjollnir. Mjollnir is stolen by one of the giants, who refuses to return it unless the beautiful goddess Freyja agrees to marry him. Thor disguises himself as said bride and when they are due to marry, Thor seizes the hammer and destroys the giant in a single blow.20 An entertaining tale in Norse Mythology!

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Rasmus Berggreen, Rasmus Berggreen “Fall of Gods” Illustrated Book

Intro to World-Building

Fall of Gods is a Norse inspired illustrated book about a warrior named Váli, who sets out to get his murdered family back from the underworld.

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Mythology Around the World

RoMAN MytholOGY A number of gods and goddesses, and because of the early influence of Greece on the Italian peninsula and the ever-present contact with Greek culture, the Romans adopted not only their stories but also many of their gods, renaming a number of them.

Ferguson, John. “Hellenistic Age | Ancient Greek History”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2021, https://www.britannica.com/event/ Hellenistic-Age.

“Hellenistic Period - Wikipedia”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Hellenistic_period.

L. Wasson, Donald. “Roman Mythology”. World History Encyclopedia, 2018, https:// www.worldhistory.org/Roman_Mythology/.

During the Hellenistic period, Greek cultural influence and power reached the peak of its geographical expansion, being dominant in the Mediterranean world and most of West and Central Asia.20 Through this time period Roman Mythology borrowed a lot of tales and gods and simply renamed them to new and more relevant names. One only needs look at the names of our planets to see this: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus and even poor little Pluto are all named for Roman gods. The states of the Hellenistic period were deeply fixated with the past and its seemingly lost glories. The preservation of many classical and archaic works of art and literature (including the works of the three great classical tragedians, Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides) are due to the efforts of the Hellenistic Greeks, to which the Romans took note off. 21 The Influence of Greek Mythology and myths were seen nearly everywhere in Rome. A lot of influence was seen in the architecture, stories and subject matter. Not only that but also a variety of sculptures, temples and even mosaics.22

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Mythology Around the World

DeMonoloGy “Demonology”. Cardiff University, https:// www.cardiff.ac.uk/special-collections/subject-guides/witchcraft-and-related-beliefs/ demonology.

Demonology is the study of demons or beliefs about demons, and the hierarchy of demons. They may be nonhuman, separable souls, or discarnate spirits which have never inhabited a body.23 In classical ancient Greece ‘daimones’ were perceived as guardian spirits, or as either good or evil spirits who try to influence the human psyche. However, in Christian theology, demons were always considered evil, whereas angels were thought to serve as God’s messengers or agents. In Islāmic myth, an unbelieving class of jinn (“spirits”); it is also the name of Iblīs, the devil, when he is performing demonic acts. In the system of evil jinn outlined by the Arab writer al-Jāḥiẓ, the shaitans are identified simply as unbelieving jinn. According to ancient Arabian belief, spirits haunted dark and desolate locales in the desert, and lay in wait for the unsuspecting traveller. People needed to protect themselves from these beings. On the eve of Islam some of the djinn had become elevated in status to vague impersonal gods who were related to the supreme deity.

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Intro to World-Building

Supermassive Games, Concept Artist Unknown “Little Hope” Video Game

Little Hope is based in the town of Little Hope, 4 college students and their teacher search desperately for a means of escape whilst visions from the past haunt them from the shadows.

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Supermassive Games, Concept Artist Unknown “Man of Medan” Video Game

Mythology Around the World

Man of Medan is about 5 friends on a holiday diving trip. As the day unfolds and a storm rolls in, their trip soon changes into something much more sinister and terrifying!

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Mythology Around the World

MesopOTamiAN MythOLogy The MET Museum has stated that very little survives of Sumerian literature from the third millennium B.C, but I was able to find some bits and pieces. All was dark, there existed neither sunlight nor moonlight; however, the earth was green and water was in the ground, although there was no vegetation. In particular,many cultures in ancient Mesopotamia had stories involving blood-drinking demons. This was a particular interest of mine while reading further, because never in a million years would I have thought that old Mesopotamia myths would have such a creature. My first interaction with this myth was through the video game “House of Ashes” by Supermassive Games.

24 Vampire Folklore By Region - Wikipedia”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2021, https://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Vampire_folklore_by_region.

25 Spar, Ira. Metmuseum.Org, 2009, https:// www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/epic/hd_epic. htm.

Ancient Babylonia had tales of the mythical Lilitu, synonymous with and giving rise to Lilith. Lilith was considered a demon and was often depicted as subsisting on the blood of babies. 24 Babylonian poets, like their Sumerian counterparts, had no single explanation for creation. Diverse stories regarding creation were incorporated into other types of texts25 - thus the creation of smaller myths were created and tales were passed through generations.

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Mythology Around the World

Celtic Mythology Myths and Legends of the Celts is a fascinating and wideranging introduction to the mythology of the peoples who inhabited the north-western fringes of Europe From what I can gather, Celtic mythology survived as a primarily oral tradition, influenced significantly by the geography of its lands. Legends were passed down from one generation to the next through storytelling. Each generation had their own little twist and tales for the varying stories. Even with the slow disappearance of Celtic Mythology due to the take over of Christianity, Celtic mythology has experienced a slight a revival in the past century. It has influenced a number of movies, video games, and modern stories such as the Lord of the Rings saga by J. R. R. Tolkien and several video games like Shadow of the Colossal. 26 Wright, Gregory. “Celtic Gods – Mythopedia”. Mythopedia, 2021, https://mythopedia. com/celtic-mythology/gods/.

Some of the Celtic Gods and Goddesses are:26 Morrigan- She is known as the fearful Phantom Queen. Irish goddess of Death. Cu Chulainn - Cú Chulainn was a man of great passions whose skills were rarely matched in battle Brigid - She was known as the Irish goddess of spring, fertility, and life.

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Mythology Vocabulary

mythology vocaublary Intro to Mythology

Introducing words that express and explain the mythology and how it impacts current, future and fictional worlds.

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Mythology Vocabulary

FolKLore Dictionary Definition noun

Expressive body of culture shared by a particular group of people.

Folkloristic Dictionary Definition noun

Formal, academic discipline devoted to the study of folklore.

Legends Dictionary Definition noun

A traditional story sometimes historical but now always authenticated - fictional. A famous person especially in a particular filed.

Revenants Dictionary Definition noun

A person who has returned from the dead.

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Mythology Vocabulary

MythOLOgy Dictionary Definition noun

Personal Definition

Mythology (from the Greek mythos for story-of-thepeople, and logos for word or speech, so the spoken story of a people) is the study and interpretation of often sacred tales or fables of a culture known as myths or the collection of such stories which deal with various aspects of the human condition: good and evil. Mythology to me is the study of tales throughout time, that are often “fictional”. I grew up on stories and books that talk about several different fables and usually they would have some moral reason behind it. This then grew into playing games like God of War, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice and reading books based of fairytale and myth retellings. Monsters and heroes alike are often borrowed from the mythology of cultures that are centuries of years old and serves as the inspiration for many stories and settings. Over the last ten years, several of the most popular and best-selling franchises have turned to studying the legends and religions of Ancient Egyptian, Greek, Slavic and Nordic civilizations.

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Santa Monica Studio, Concept Artist Unknown “God of War” Video Game

Mythology IntroAround to World-Building the World

God of War is a game that focuses on Norse mythology and follows an older and more seasoned Kratos and his new son Atreus

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Mythology Intro Around to World-Building the World

CD Projekt Red, Michał Janiszewski “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” Video Game

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an action role-playing game developed by Polish developer CD Projekt Red, and first published in 2015

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CD Projekt Red, Michał Janiszewski “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” Video Game

Mythology IntroAround to World-Building the World

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an action role-playing game developed by Polish developer CD Projekt Red, and first published in 2015

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Mythology Vocabulary

MyTHos Dictionary Definition noun

A Myth of Mythology A traditional or recurrent narrative theme or plot structure. A set of beliefs or assumptions about something.

MedieVAl Dictionary Definition noun

Anything relating to the middle ages.

FoMorianS Dictionary Definition noun

Supernatural race in irish mythology. Hostile and monstrous being who come from under the sea and earth.

MytHOopeia Dictionary Definition noun

Constructed mythologies, lores, and histories within created worlds.

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Mythological Creatures

MythoLogicAl CreaTUrES Intro to Mythology

Introducing creatures and beings based around Mythology that could help world conjure and introduce lore into my own fictional world.

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Mythological Creatures

Golems

Famous in Jewish folklore, golems are most often depicted as beings created from inanimate matter such as clay or mud, which have been brought to life to serve some purpose.

Oni

In Japanese myth, oni are people who were so truly wicked in their lives that they transformed into demons in hell.

Cyclops

Most often depicted as a giant with one eye, the Cycwlops (which means ‘circle-eyed’) first appeared in ancient Greek mythology.

Ogre

Ogres are featured in folk-tales from all around the world, and though the word is of French origin, the creature itself is derived from the man-eating ancient Etruscan god Orcus.

Goblins

First appearing in Germanic and British folk tales, goblins vary in abilities, physical appearances, and purposes depending on the story and purpose.

Gorgon

Another memorable mythical creature from ancient Greece, the Gorgons, such as the famous Medusa, were vicious monsters capable of turning victims to stone with just one look.

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Mythological Creatures

Aqrabuamelu

The aqrabuamelu, or scorpion man, is a monstrous creature that originated in ancient Mesopotamia, specifically in Babylonian creation myths.

Minotaur

According to Greek myth, the Minotaur was the offspring of the queen of Crete and a majestic bull that came from the sea.

Griffin

A hybrid of a lion and an eagle, the griffin was a powerful, majestic creature of ancient Egyptian and Persian mythology.

Basilisk

In European legend, the basilisk is a serpentine creature who, much like the Gorgons of Greek myth, can kill with one look.

Chimera

In Greek mythology, the Chimera was a fire-breathing mythical creature, usually depicted as a lion merged with a goat and a snake, which was related to monsters such as Cerberus.

Pontianak

In Indonesian and Malay mythology, the pontianak is a female spirit of a woman who died while pregnant.

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Mythological Creatures

Banshee

Originating in Irish folk tales, the banshee is a female spirit said to appear preceding the death of a loved one.

Dybbuk

The dybbuk is a Jewish folk tale of the ghost or dislocated soul of a dead person which then possesses a living human.

Zombie

Zombies originated in Haitian folklore, with the Haitian French term “zombi” or Haitian Creole “zonbi” used to describe a corpse reanimated through magic or other means.

Hydra

Another mythical creature from ancient Greece, the Hydra was depicted as a gigantic, snake-like monster with many heads, each of which could dispel acid.

Dragon

Dragons are giant serpent-like, winged monsters that have been featured in myths from all around the world.

Phoenix

The phoenix is a mythical eagle-like creature, generally known for bursting into flame at the end of their life, only to emerge from the ashes as a young phoenix. Liles, Maryn. “30 Most Mythical Creatures From Folklore, Legends And Fairytales”. Parade, 2021, https://parade.com/1056247/ marynliles/mythical-creatures/.

These are the creatures that are mainly known around the world, but there are many more that come from the deeper and more rooted side of history.27

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Types of Mythology

FouR typES oF MyTholoGy Intro to Mythology

There are many types of Mythology, and here is a quick breakdown of the main types

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Types of Mythology

There are four basic theories of myth. Those theories are: the rational myth theory, functional myth theory, structural myth theory, and the psychological myth theory.

Rational Myth Theory

The rational myth theory states that myths were made to better understand natural events and forces that occurred in the everyday lives of people. This theory also explains that the gods and goddesses controlled all of these happenings of nature.

Functional Myth Theory

The functional myth theory talks about how myths were used to teach morality and social behavior. It states that myths told about what types of things should and shouldn’t be done, and the consequences for those wrong doings.

Structural Myth Theory

Structural myths are said to be myths based on human emotion. These types of myths show the two sides of the human mind; the good side and the bad side. They show the divided self and the duality of human nature.

Psychological Myth Theory

The psychological myth theory states how myths are based on human emotion and that they come from the human subconscious mind. Cultures all around the world had similar fears, questions, and wishes which, to them, were unexplainable.

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Thesis Significance

ProJEct Genesis TheSIS SignificANce Intro to Mythology

A brief understanding of how important Mythology is for Project Genesis and my own personal design practice.

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Thesis Significance

Mythology is going to play a big role in my final thesis outcome because it has been a topic that I have always wanted to pursue in design. How does one find way to bring mythology into design and to expand upon that in a personal fictional world? These are some of the questions that I hope to answer throughout my senior year journey. Not only that, but a fictional world would be nothing without good history, mythology and lore. Using all the information presentation in the mythology chapter would greatly help create a basis to bounce off into my own world. To gain an understanding of how myths present social status, class structures and power hierarchies. On the other hand, another mythological interest of mine is the creatures and the stories revolving around them. Hopefully, within my own world, I would like to add and modify onto the list of mythological creatures with my own dark twists and turns.

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Intro Intro to Speculative to World-Building Fiction

IntrouDuctioN To:

Fiction

Intro to Speculative Fiction

Introduction to speculative fiction, vocabulary,games, influencial companies, current and future concepts.

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Intro to Speculative Fiction

what is Speculative FICtion 28 SPECULATIVE FICTION | Meaning & Definition For UK English | Lexico.Com”. Lexico Dictionaries | English, 2021, https://www. lexico.com/definition/speculative_fiction.

According to the Oxford Dictionary,speculative fiction is a genre of fiction that encompasses works in which the setting is other than the real world, involving supernatural, futuristic, or other imagined elements.28 To me, speculative fiction has always been in the form of literature, video games and graphic novels. Throughout my 22 years of being on earth, I think it is safe to say that the majority of that time has been in someone else’s fictional world. Not only that, but I have been playing several games over the years from developers like Naughty Dog and Bandai Namco. They produce games based around mythological lore and post apocalyptic worlds. They have a special place in my heart. Now, Speculative Fiction does not always mean fantasy, because that is the main assumption about the genre. In fact, speculative fiction also includes sub-genres like science fiction, horror and thriller. It almost includes everything that is not real - as the word Fiction would suggest. Part of this chapter is analysing the words and people that I would like to relate to and use throughout my Project Genesis.

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Speculative Fiction Vocabulary

Speculative Fiction vocaublary Intro to Speculative Fiction

Introducing words that express and explain the fiction and how it impacts current, future and fictional worlds within literature and the gaming world.

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Speculative Fiction Vocabulary

FICTION Dictionary Definition noun

Literature is in the form of prose, especially novels, that describes imaginary events and people. Something that is invented and not true in the real world.

Personal Definition

Fiction to me is a lot of fantasy, science fiction and futuristic themes. I rarely dwell in the historical fiction realm, however, my thesis project is a way into that area. Hopefully, my thesis will be a combination of all the lore from mythology with the fusion of futuristic and historical elements. Imaginary people and events to me can range from something so micro like a tiny event that happens in my head, or something that happens on a macro level with large scale environments and settings.

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Speculative Fiction Vocabulary

ScieNCE-FicTIOn Dictionary Definition noun

Fiction is based on imagined future scientific or technological advances and major social or environmental changes, usually portraying space or time travel and life on other planets.

TranSMedial Dictionary Definition noun

When a story or world exists in multiple mediums.

Futuristic Dictionary Definition noun

Having or involving very modern technology or design.

MaNUScript Dictionary Definition noun

A book, document or piece of music written by hand rather than typed or printed.

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Square Enix, Unknown Concept Artist “Final Fantasy” Video Game

Speculative MythologyFiction Around Vocabulary the World

Final Fantasy is a Japanese anthology game series. The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science fantasy role-playing video games

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Speculative Mythology Intro Fiction Around to World-Building Vocabulary the World

Square Enix, Unknown Concept Artist “Final Fantasy” Video Game

Final Fantasy is a Japanese anthology game series. The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science fantasy role-playing video games

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Square Enix, Unknown Concept Artist “Final Fantasy” Video Game

Speculative Mythology IntroFiction Around to World-Building Vocabulary the World

Final Fantasy is a Japanese anthology game series. The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science fantasy role-playing video games

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Speculative Fiction Vocabulary

Role-PlAying Games (RPG) Dictionary Definition noun

Players assume the roles of characters in a fictional world setting

ANTHRopology Dictionary Definition noun

The study of human societies and cultures and their development. Study of human biological and physiological characteristics and their evolution.

Game Theory Dictionary Definition noun

Strategies for dealing with competitive situations where the outcome of a participants choice of action. The analysis of a situation involving conflicting interests

FanTASY Dictionary Definition noun

The activity of imagining impossible or improbable things.

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Speculative Fiction Vocabulary

Fictional Realm Dictionary Definition noun

A fictional universe or world that is self-consistent with events and other elements that differ from the real world.

Post apocalyptic Dictionary Definition noun

Denoting or relating to the time following a nuclear war or other catastrophic events.

Cosmology Dictionary Definition noun

Mapping the universe and our place in it

HorroR Dictionary Definition noun

An intense feeling of fear, shock & disgust. A genre of literature that is meant to scare, startle and repulse audiences. An explicit sense of dread through frightening images, themes and situations.

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Speculative Mythology Intro Fiction Around to World-Building Vocabulary the World

Capcom, Ward Lindhout “Resident Evil: Biohazard” Video Game

Resident Evil: Bohazard follows Ethan Winters as he searches for his long-missing wife in a derelict plantation occupied by an infected family, solving puzzles and fighting enemies.

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Capcom, Mike Lythgoe “Resident Evil: Village” Video Game

Speculative Mythology IntroFiction Around to World-Building Vocabulary the World

Resident Evil: Village players control Ethan Winters, who is searching for his kidnapped daughter after a fateful encounter with Chris Redfield, and finds himself in a village filled with mutant creatures.

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Speculative Mythology Intro Fiction Around to World-Building Vocabulary the World

Capcom, Mike Lythgoe “Resident Evil: Village” Video Game

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Capcom, Mike Lythgoe “Resident Evil: Village” Video Game

Speculative Mythology IntroFiction Around to World-Building Vocabulary the World

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Environment Concept Artists

EnvironMENtal CoNcepT Artists Intro to Speculative Fiction

Part of my thesis exploration, it to focus on the setting and surrounding and not the characters within the world. The plan is to use 3D software! Here are some of the environmental artists that inspired me to pursue a more conceptual approach

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Environment Concept Artists

Yoshitaka Amano Square Enix, Yoshitaka Amano “Final Fantasy XVI” Video Game

Final Fantasy XVI is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix. The fifteenth main instalment of the Final Fantasy series

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Environment Concept Artists

Gilles Beloeil Ubisoft Montreal, Gilles Beloeil “Assassin’s Creed Valhalla” Video Game

100

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla explorse a dynamic and beautiful open world set against the brutal backdrop of England’s Dark Ages.

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Environment Concept Artists

Sebastian Gromann Naughty Dog, Sebastian Gromann “The Last of Us: Part ||” Video Game

The Last of Us: Part || players play as Ellie as hunts those responsible one by one, she is confronted with the devastating physical and emotional repercussions of her actions.

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Environment Concept Artists

MATt MorGAn François Baranger “At the Mountains of Madness” Illustrated Book

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At the Mountains of Madness is an illsutrated book collection of H.P L

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Environment Concept Artists

Daniel Purcell Supermassive Games, Daniel Purcell “Until Dawn” Video Game

Until Dawn players assume control of eight young adults who have to survive on Blackwood Mountain when their lives are threatened.

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Environment Concept Artists

FrançOIs BarAnGer François Baranger “At the Mountains of Madness” Illustrated Book

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At the Mountains of Madness is an illsutrated book collection of H.P Lovecraft tales.

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Environment Concept Artists

BeNoit GoDde Quantic Dream, Benoit Godde “DETROIT : BECOME HUMAN” Video Game

DETROIT : BECOME HUMAN is an adventure game played from a third-person view, which is subject to a set and controllable perspective. There are multiple playable characters who can die as the story continues without them.

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Design and literature movements

movements within design and literature Intro to Speculative Fiction

106

A quick litereature review and brief descriptions of different literature and design movements within the fictional world.

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Design and literature movements

Biomechanical Art Dictionary Definition noun Personal Definition

Surrealistic style of art that combines elements of a machine with organics.

Biomechanical Art was mainly started by HR Giger as he blended human physiques with machines. This inspired the creation of the Xenomorph in the first of it’s kind sci-fi horror, Alien (1979), directed by Ridley Scott.

Feral Interactive, Bradley Wright “Alien: Isolation” Video Game

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Design and literature movements

SteAmpunK/ RetrofUturisM Dictionary Definition noun

A genre of science fiction that has a historical setting and typically features steam-powered machinery rather than advanced technology.

Personal Definition

Steampunk was a younger interest of mine that started because of the game “BioShock”. Part of that exploration included focusing on experimenting and bringing forth ideas and technology but having a steam-powered feel.

Feral Interactive, Cordell Felix “BioShock” Video Game

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Design and literature movements

Dark Fantasy Dictionary Definition noun Personal Definition

A sub genre of fantasy that incorporates disturbing and frightening themes of fantasy

Dark Fantasy is one of my favourite sub-genre’s of fantasy and this is where I will be pulling the majority of my inspiration from. Focusing on the dark side of stories is more interesting to me because you can create more conflict and pull in a deeper narrative and mythology.

Fan Art, Anato Finnstark “Bloodborne” Video Game

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Design and literature movements

High Fantasy Dictionary Definition noun

A sub genre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes or plot

Personal Definition

In particular, high fantasy is the focus on creating a story or world with deep lore and a connection to the lands of the world. Mythology plays a big role here, as well as the creation of some serious world conjuring.

Bethesda Game Studios, Michal Kus “Skyrim” Video Game

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Design and literature movements

Urban FaNTasy Dictionary Definition noun

A sub genre of fantasy that uses supernatural elements in a 19th-century to 21st-century urban society.

Personal Definition

Bringing in supernatural elements into a more modern society has many benefits. Even though it is typically that way, there is an intriguing element of bringing modern day technology into the past... thus creating this fictional realm that may be more advanced that our reality.

Fan Art, Guillaume Hecht “Dishonored” Video Game

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Sociology and Anthropology Relation

SOcioLogy & AnthROPoloGY rElAtioN Intro to Speculative Fiction

A literature and contextual review of the impact of sociology and anthropology within the realm of fiction world building. Essay written for Sociology 101 and Anthropology 101, Fall 2021 - Senior Year.

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Sociology and Anthropology Relation

It’s not what you find, but how you find it.

“How To Approach World Building”. Worldbuilding School, 2021, .

30 “I Did A Ted Talk On Anthropology, Worldbuilding And Why Diversity Matters”. Loridian’s Laboratory, 2021,

World building holds a special place in my heart. Over the course of my 22 years of being on this rock we call Earth, I have spent the majority of it reading. My nose is always shoved between two pieces of paper surrounded by the smell of old books, or more recently, the digital flip of Kindle books. The one thing they have in common? The fictional worlds they hold. The fantasy and out of this world creations, stories and characters. This past time has led to the development of my own stories and written word. Several manuscripts lay to rest, gathering dust in my hard drive as I do not have the confidence to allow another set of eyes to rest on it. The creation of worlds and stories that follow a narrative I see fit is something I want to pursue not only for my Graphic Design Thesis but also my own literature and design practice. The courses Sociology and Anthropology have played a great role in my understanding of our present world, but also the worlds we hold close - the ones we want to live. This paper briefly touches upon some of the important aspects of culture and society in worldbuilding both in my own worlds, fictional worlds and our real-life world. Building imagination matters. Not only to our own selves but also to the world and the general population. Humanity has thrived better in conditions where diversity has been the greatest tool. Once different people in different populations come together to create and bond, the outcomes of art, creativity, technology and imagination has benefited greatly. Michael Kilman, an author, anthropologist and avid world builder is a firm believer in promoting the human imagination and sharing it with the world. He states in his book Build

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Sociology and Anthropology Relation

Better Worlds: An Introduction to Anthropology for Game Designers, Fiction Writers, and Filmmakers, that imaginations often need to blend and then create fictional worlds based on empathy. Practising and implementing empathy is a way that we can all read, listen and play with depending on the individual. Along with Kilman’s thoughts, I am a believer that imaginations are all so vastly different, but if we all work together to merge our thoughts of a better fictional world, we can start to implement that in the present, real world.

Bass, B.K. “Anthropology In Fantasy World Building”. B.K. Bass, Author.

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Hassler-Forest, Dan. Science Fiction, Fantasy And Politics. British Library.

The sociological theory relates to race socialization, and how messages have changed over time, and the effects of this socialization on children’s lives. We can introduce stories and viewpoints from people of colour (POC) to a wider, more ignorant audience, then people will start to understand their lifestyle, social class and much more. Implementing a shared imagination within stories for children is what we need. If we can create solutions to social class, urban anthropology and deviance issues in a fictional world, then we can start to empathise and implement them in the real world. Children and the real audience will be exposed to diversity, storytelling and imagination. Another concept that Kilman proposes to use within worldbuilding, that has been pulled from anthropology is the “3 C’s”. Context, condition and choices. Within these 3 C’s, we can find ways to relate back to the sociological study of social interaction that was started by Erving Goffman, which all relates back to a personal interest in micro-sociology.

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Sociology and Anthropology Relation

Context relates to the cultural system into which people are born into. This includes being a contextual being, where and when you were born, the era in which you were born and so on. This is because all these matters and become the basis for our future agency. 33 Richmond, Linda. “Build Better Worlds: Anthropology For Writers With Michael Kilman”. The Creative Penn - Writing, Self-Publishing, Book Marketing, Making A Living With Your Writing, 2021,

Condition goes a little deeper. Think of it as your own house in the middle of such a big kingdom (context). Your house informs you of your gender, social status (royal vs peasant) and obviously, you have your own personal good and bad experiences here and where your own agency is built upon. Both context and condition are then combined to create your own choice. You begin to understand the choices one would make when you understand the context and condition this person grew up in. An example is starting to understand how a female feels from a male point of view because you are finding out about their conditions and context. Kilman often says that we understand villains a lot easier than the hero’s because their 3 c’s are often more complex and we want to be able to fix and create solutions to understand them. An example of this is Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The world-building and character narrative has led the audience to understand the context in which he grew up in, thus we start to understand his motives and aspirations. Today increases in communication, travel, trade and shared cultures have made the world a much smaller place. A lot of this is based on historical conflicts and alliances that the world has gone through. Sociologists are looking at the emergence of a global culture and

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Johnson, M. R. (2020). “The Place of Culture, Society, and Politics in Video Game World - Building”. In Wolf, M. J. P. (Ed). World-builders on World-Building: An Exploration of Subcreation. 34

Sociology and Anthropology Relation

this is something that has been greatly influenced by the age of the world wide web. However, this could also be applied to fictional worlds that we often read. We need to understand the mode of communication —the exchange of meaning through language and symbols. We know that this is the way in which people make sense of their social worlds and we just translate that into fictional worlds. This is my favourite layer of worldbuilding because it is where we figure out the culture, society, and politics of ours worlds. Speculative fiction is a perfect opportunity to play on the social class systems we have in the real world. We can use them to determine the social system in the fictional world. An example being the The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and Divergent. Overall, there is a strong place for culture and society building in speculative fiction and world-building. A lot of what anthropology and sociology can offer brings together the fictional world’s history, mythology, and religion to the linguistics the characters speak and the foods they eat (throw in some garbology as well). All of these individual elements we use to analyse our own social interactions, racial classification and class hierarchy, we can use in a make-believe world! Many people do not understand the level of depth, thought and imagination that goes into world building and conjuring, I intend to change that with the help of sociological imagination and anthropological analysis.

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Thesis Significance

ProJEct Genesis TheSIS SignificANce Intro to Speculative Fiction

A brief understanding of how important Fiction is for Project Genesis and my own personal design practice.

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Thesis Significance

Speculative fiction is the basis for the start of a story and world. Without the research, one would be no where closer to a world. All of the research within the chapter is going to help me understand what I should avoid in terms of bad and good clichés. Not only that, but now there is a deeper understanding of the sub-genre’s and how they can be utilised in their own unique way to form a out-ofthis-world experience, culture and society. Utilising my other classes like sociology and anthropology has been useful in understanding how our current world functions and the deeper roots and causes of different functions. Overall, the speculative fiction chapter is the cherry on top for my thesis, because it not only looks at the graphical aspect of my topic, but also the reality of out life. This includes the sociological imagination as well as the current and past uses of fiction in design and literature.

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Credits

Conceptual Art: All conceptual art within this book has come from ArtStation and the designers ArtStation personal portfolio. Definitions: All definitions within this book has come from: Oxford Dictionary Merriam-Webster Cambridge Dictionary Research: More in depth definitions and research have been expanded upon within the footnotes of the respective chapters and paragraphs.

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I would like to personally thank my best friend, Ghada Ali. You are the reason I believe in my own worlds. wwv

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