Favourite Sci-Fi/Fantasy Setting or Universe

I’ve been indulging more in my inner geek the last couple years, getting into hobbies and interests that I passed on in my younger years due to stigma or bias against being into such “geeky” things. I’ve been re reading the Dragonlance series which I loved as a kid, and more recently just got super into the Warhammer universe. The amount of lore and history behind it is overwhelming, but after reading the Horus Heresy I have to say Warhammer may be my favorite setting/universe when it comes to sci fi and fantasy. I’m also a big fan of Gundam but I find each series is more or less a replica of every other one that’s been made.

What about you guys? What’s your favourite fantasy or sci fi franchise/universe?

I think the Star Trek universe has always been pretty cool. A year ago I bought all three of the Dragonlance omnibuses having read all those books contained therein as a teenager. I beat Heroes of the Lance back in the day. Also read some Forgotten Realms books about the Harpers. So it was cool to see them in the Baldur's Gate games.

I read the "Red Rising" series not too long ago. It's a really great setting where there is a caste system and it takes a lot of inspiration from various sources. It's a really good blend of futuristic sci-fi/sci-fantasy mixed with historical inspirations like ancient Rome and Egypt.

You basically have this demigod race of "golds" that are essentially Space Marines without the armor, and then you have different colors of castes (pinks are prostitutes, reds are miners, blues are pilots, etc.) and it takes place in our solar system so it's familiar, but also really far out there, too, because there's oceans on Venus and farms on Io and so on.

Starts off like Hunger Games but goes full-blown Warhammer 40K by the second or third book and it's fun the whole way through.

Yeah it's always seemed like one of the more optimistic takes on sci-fi, and arguably one of the more grounded (at least in that the sci-fantasy aspects are less and the more sci-fi parts are at least based on theories).

I'm not too familiar with it but I did watch TNG when I was a kid and some other shows. I think if I had to live in a sci-fi universe, Star Trek would be it. Humanity really seems to have figure itself out, I love it. Love the movie where they go back in time and meet the inventor of the warp drive.

So you would recommend that series? I love WH40K and have done some deep dives in terms of research but I've yet to take the plunge on reading any books lol. Isn't the Horus Heresy a really long series?

I like the Prequel era. It's a doomsday story about arrogant libs who became complacent. Except they are wizards who have Jesus who will become Satan and they fighting a proxy war for cult they thought they long destroyed but is actually diluting and preparing them for the final blow with a trojan horse army they themselves exploited.

All of this is aimed at children btw.

Star Trek as well, mainly TNG/DS9, nutrek can die in a fire.

Marvel (comic book) Universe. Hooked me as soon as I could read and hasn't let go yet.

D&D: Forgotten Realms. Always played D&D as a kid and started reading Forgotten Realms books around 1992. Read at least 30 books since then.

Star Wars. Another childhood love. Watched the movies, read the comics, played most of the video games and dabbled with the pen and paper RPG back in the day.

Star Trek for sure. Star Wars is okay. I don't read sci fi though.

@mrbojangles25: I’d absolutely recommend the Horus Heresy series, the main storyline is just the first 3 books, but I think there’s over 50 of them in that setting now lol. Start off with Horus rising and you’ll be hooked, it took me a while to remember all the names and different characters, but the drama that plays out is very addicting to read. I’m shocked there hasn’t been a movie adaptation of it yet.

WH40K

I’d probably have to hand that one to Frank Herbert.

The Dune universe is very compelling, but I attribute that to the fact that I find it the most fully realized fictional universe ever envisioned. Not just physically, but politically, economically. It’s a bit ridiculous in its breadth and details honestly. A bit intimidating.

As much as I adore Star Wars, my runner up, it’s more so a superficial romance and infatuation with the prospect of the potential universe rather than a relatability and grounding that Frank realizes in his work.