what fictional place. . .

[marycatelli]

Saw a bit today about "what fictional school would you like to attend?"

Didn't vote.

Not sure I would like Hogwarts, too much emphasis on the houses and on athletics.  Roke had some pretty unpleasant ways to teach, not to mention the hostile competition could get ugly.  Roanoke Academy for the Sorcerous Arts takes place in a universe where outside forces are actively meddling with reality -- not all is clear yet, but it sounds like an uncomfortable thing to have hanging over your head.

What fictional library I'd like to visit, when they ask that, is more clear.  The Beast's in Robin McKinley's Beauty.  That for the obvious reason that it's just about the only reading library in fantasy and SF.  Most libraries, for tolerably obvious reasons, are research libraries, and what tomes they contain is heavily dependent on the plot.

When  they ask what fictional world I'd like to live in, the only response is two questions.

1. Will I feature as myself or as an inhabitant of the world?


2. Will I have any choice about where and when I land?

A negative answer to the second, of course, makes the whole matter moot.  There is no fictional universe ever that doesn't have corners where you don't want to land.  Frequently a lot of them.  An adventure is someone else having a hard time a long way away, and I would want a home, not an adventure.