Does anyone have a fictional country in their story that is similar to a real-world nation? If not, do you know of a fictional country that is similar to a real-world nation in well-known fiction by others?
My Turn:
In my story, the Empire of Jaeblia is more-so Venice than the whole nation of Italy. Though the Queendom of Pannotia is a desert nation a tad similar to Saudi Arabia or Jordan. The difference is the WHOLE country is a massive desert turned into a large country that is capable of withstanding the harsh desert climate. Both Fiorentina and Movaria are countries of winter only and it’s a combination of Antarctica and Russia. Though Fiorentina is more if Alaska and Russia had a strange lovechild or something. Khollothage is a combination of France, South Korea, and Italy in terms of the certain districts and places.
That is all I have for the time being, this is ABSOLUTELY going to require research one I am finished with the first draft.
I will accept cities and towns modeled after real-world cities and towns, if you don’t have country counterparts in your story. But If you have none, you have to tell me one from a popular book, show, movie, video game, or etc that you’ve noticed?
If you don’t know any, just stick around or whatever…I don’t know.
Possibly the Tower of Babel as the ziggurat of Ah-hur is meant to be taller than any ziggurat that existed on earth. I make my characters climb all the way to the top, and they hate it c:
I think I’d hate you too for that. LOL!
I have a thing with walking downstairs, since in my younger years I had moments when I fell down the stairs and it really shook me. Another thing is the way stairs are built and shaped makes me fear soar.
So, I seen what a ziggurat looked back then, and it FREAKED ME THE HELL OUT!!!
Just imagine the one you have in your story, is driving my anxiety high, thinking about how if I had zero choice but to climb it daily.
In the movies it’s blatantly a call against Regan’s era of American politics and war. The book was less obvious.
It’s a future Earth, but it heavily leans on a criticism of the constitutional structure and replaces it with a Totalitarian mindset with a Manifest Destination mindset on new planets and resources, so it’s never really left an American worldview at it’s ugliest.
I think desert nations are cool Sadly, I have yet to find a book with a desert nation that was actually good. I’ve read two books taking place in a desert nation and both fell flat It was such a bummer because a desert nation just sounds so beautiful
Elgana has a few desert city / town scenes Oh, but not modeled after anything in particular.
New Soleil is a fictional state in the U.S.
When I first wrote my portal fantasy, I wanted some place like California. The characters were calling for it. But I didn’t want to look up all the street names. It sounded like so much work.
So, I made a fictional state instead and created New Soleil. The name is based on other state names like New Jersey or New Mexico. Soleil is French for sun. The reason I made it a foreign word is that so it could sound like it had a history of occupation or something like that Also, it sounds fancy and that’s what New Soleil is.
Side note. I’ve also always liked Cirque du Soleil as a circus and as a name. Soleil, as a name for something, has always been on my mind
New Soleil is similar to California in that it attracts lots of rich people. And being on the coast, it’s got a big Aquarium which is one of its major attractions. It has beautiful white sidewalks and palm trees, and looks like a stereotypical rich Californian neighborhood. The kinds you see in movies.
That being said, I did want it to have variety, so the town of Oystershade on the coastline is old and shabby, stuck in the retro aesthetic, and there’s the small town of Pimberly which is a foresty cottagecore aesthetic where many rich people have summer houses
Thanks! I wanted one of my ghost characters to be oooooold and from an ancient civilization, and after some some research I found that you can’t get much older than the Akkadians ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
Plus, I thought it was neat because I learned about Mesopotamia in high school and college, and you don’t see Mesopotamia mentioned much in fiction compared to other ancient civilizations like the Greeks and Egyptians.
I’ve been reading/skimming through published essays online when I’m looking for a specific bit of info I need. I also have a little collection of books about Mesopotamia and Akkad that I’ve read through. It helps that the Akkadian Empire only spanned about a few hundred years of history, so it’s not really heavy stuff. Though, now I wanna know more about other Mesopotamian civilizations…Right now, I’m reading a translation of the Epic of Gilgamesh for fun.
Turns out, Writing my dumb little story gave me a very specific special interest in Akkad. Never saw that coming
Hahaha that’s a fun question I guessss I’d want to know more about marriage practices, because I can’t find good info about them. And more about the caste systems and funerary practices and the afterlife because…relevant. Also…Was Rimush’s murder a set-up by his brother? And will we ever find Agade? ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Sadly, I have yet to find a book with a desert nation that was actually good. I’ve read two books taking place in a desert nation and both fell flat 
It was such a bummer because a desert nation just sounds so beautiful 
Also, it sounds fancy and that’s what New Soleil is.
I remember when I first heard about your world inspiration, I thought it was so cool.
I guessss I’d want to know more about marriage practices, because I can’t find good info about them. And more about the caste systems and funerary practices and the afterlife because…relevant. Also…Was Rimush’s murder a set-up by his brother? And will we ever find Agade? ¯_(ツ)_/¯