Voyager Books

August is holiday season in publishing in the UK – the office quietens down, agents and authors are away (our very own Cory Doctorow is relaxing beside a lake in Canada internet-free for the month of August) – and those of us still at work daydream of time away. Said daydreaming has led me to imagine the perfect fantasy or science-fiction book lovers getaway… where in the world could you go to get a truly out-of-this-world experience?

1) New Zealand

Of course, one destination high up on the list for fantasy lovers has to be New Zealand – home of the Lord of the Rings and probably as close to Middle Earth as you can hope to get.  Apart from hiking alongside Mount Doom, halting black riders at the Ford of Bruinen or finding the Pillars of Argonath, you can still visit Hobbiton in Matamata on the North Island – the only remaining set from the original movies.

(Yes… that’s me by a hobbit hole!)

2) Pacific Northwest

Want to visit the Rain Wilds? The closest you’ll get is the gorgeous Pacific Northwest region of the US, home of Robin Hobb (and, of course, the setting of another very famous fantasy novel… no prizes for guessing!) Dense, wet forests populated by enormous trees hung with mist – no wonder Robin chose it as not only the perfect place to live but the perfect place to film the book trailer for Dragon Keeper…

3) Xi’an, China

If you’ve immersed yourself in Guy Gavriel Kay‘s incredible Under Heaven, no doubt you will feel the urge to discover the ancient history of Tang dynasty China for yourself. Xi’an, with its immense city walls lit up at night and the terracotta warriors to explore by day, is a must-visit location for any fantasy fan.

4) Outer Space

The ultimate science-fiction fans’ dream… well, mine at least! Anyone fancy offering up $200,000?

 

5)… tell me your suggestions – where have you been, or where would you like to go, that would be a sci-fi/fantasy lover’s dream destination?

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 4th, 2010 at 11:22 am and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.