Quote:
Originally Posted by gmw
"Worldbuilding" is one of the things that always worries me when I read of it in review. Like all writing tricks, world-building should be invisible - just like building tension and emotional responses. When we read a novel we are being manipulated, but if we notice it happening then it's a fail (all in my most humble of opinions, of course  ). So when a reviewer notices worldbuilding enough to comment about it, I worry. |
Same here. I'm not really a fan of world-building where the world is treated like another character. Especially if it's painstakingly documented with infodumps or "taught" to me by characters.
I much prefer "World Hinting" to brick-by-brick, architectural World
Building. I prefer to do the heavy lifting in that regard (doing my own world-building from the hints given).
Same with detailed magic "systems." I'm looking for wonder, not lessons (I'm looking specifically at Sanderson's "Allomancy" system, here).
So yes, when I see fantastic "World Building" being touted in reviews, that usually means it going to be the heavy-handed kind that I don't appreciate. So it still helps me in deciding which books to read. Just not in the way the reviewer (or possibly the author and/or publisher) intends.