It’s not difficult to understand the appeal of expansive, intricate artificial worlds in works of fiction. They safely transport us from our everyday lives to new lands and galaxies far, far away. They don’t just give us a new narrative to digest, but an entirely new universe with its own logic, laws and rules, and we – the audience – are invited to become participants, seeking to fill in the cracks and gaps. But should great works of fiction demand more from readers and viewers than merely assisting in worldbuilding? Should they make us contemplate and challenge the built worlds that advertisers, governments and corporations have already created around us? Incisively written by the US blogger Evan Puschak (also known as The Nerdwriter), working from some ideas from the English author and critic M John Harrison, The Perils of Worldbuilding is a shrewd take on the appeal of imagined worlds, and their potential pitfalls.

• Uncategorized