Worldbuilder's Guide to Societies : Essentials for Writers, Game Developers and Dungeon Masters

In fantastic worlds like Gondor, Westeros, Ankh-Morpork, Waterdeep, and Hogsmeade, the societies that inhabit them play important roles in capturing the feel of their settings. Societies create characters and plots, provide space for action, and reflect history. Building vibrant and interesting societies is a core element of worldbuilding in the fantasy genres.

This guide walks the reader through different aspects of societies to help construct fictional worlds with greater ease. Examples of societies built by numerous authors in the fantasy, urban/modern fantasy, and paranormal romance genres are interwoven to illustrate concepts. Throughout, this book is descriptive and suggestive rather than prescriptive, and is intended to inform as well as inspire the worldbuilder.

Brent A. Stypczynski is an independent scholar with specialties in medieval, YA, and fantasy literature. He is the author of multiple books, and his articles have appeared in Extrapolation and The Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts. He lives in Columbus, Ohio.