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Afictional universe, also known as animagined universe or aconstructed universe, is theinternally consistent fictionalsetting used in anarrative or awork of art. This concept is most commonly associated with works offantasy andscience fiction, and can be found in various forms such asnovels,comics,films,television shows,video games, and other creative works.[1][2]
In science fiction, a fictional universe may be a remote alien planet or galaxy with little apparent relationship to the real world (as inStar Wars); in fantasy, it may be a greatly fictionalized or invented version of Earth's distant past or future (as inThe Lord of the Rings).[1]
In a 1970 article inCAPA-alpha, comics historianDon Markstein defined the fictionaluniverse as meant to clarify the concept of fictional continuities. According to the criteria he imagined:[3]
Fictional universes are sometimes shared by multiple prose authors, with each author's works in that universe being granted approximately equal canonical status. For example,Larry Niven's fictional universeKnown Space has an approximately 135-year period in which Niven allows other authors to write stories about theMan-Kzin Wars. Other fictional universes, like theRing of Fire series, actively court canonical stimulus from fans, but gate and control the changes through a formalized process and the final say ofthe editor and universe creator.[4]
The print published and e-published Grantville Gazettes all contain a post bookafterword detailing where and how to submit a manuscript to the fictional canon oversight process for the1632 series.
