From Middle-earth to Hyrule, here are the 14 most imaginative fantasy worlds

3. The Known World, from A Song of Ice and Fire

Westeros and Essos, the continents we’ve all gotten to know thanks to George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire and HBO’s Game of Thrones, need little introduction. This dark and gritty fantasy setting is home to many plots, murders and betrayals from the Age of Heroes on. Much of the history of Martin’s fantasy world plays out like an alternate version of our own, with a sprinkle of sorcery. The story is compelling because of how grounded the world feels.

Martin based the struggle for the Iron Throne on the English War of the Roses, but he was never going for a one-to-one parallel. “Fantasists enjoy certain freedoms that historical novelists do not,” he once said. Keeping his world tied firmly to actual European history would have been too limiting. Instead, his books edge more and more into straightforward fantasy as they go on, but all of it is so carefully rendered that you start wondering if there really were dragons in medieval England.

Now, thanks to Game of Thrones, people have a clear picture of these intricately detailed places, from the sprawling North to the red-bricked streets of Astapor. But the books go much deeper and reward close reading with more detail, making them favorites for curious fans.

Westeros and Essos are richly imagined continents with depth to rival our own. Sometimes, elements are even more tantalizing on account of being left open. From the Deep Ones to the mysteries of Valyria, there’s something about this world that makes you eager to dig deeper. With warring kingdoms, hundreds of characters, intricate storylines and a sense that anyone — even the main character — could die at any moment, the Known World is one of the most exciting fantasy settings to visit, if not the most pleasant.