Submitted by anna on Sat, 19/09/2009 - 16:53
Though your story may take place in the far future or an alternate past, speculative fiction relies perhaps more than other genres on a well formed sense of place to ground it - and perhaps even act as a character itself. For those writing fiction set in New Zealand (or what it once was or will one day become), I've gathered some online resources to help with the planning and research.
Timeframes includes "selected New Zealand and Pacific images from the collections of the Alexander Turnbull Library". Use the categories in the sidebar to browse by place or subject; one picture can provide so many ideas.
Korero 0 Nehera - Stories of Old is just one of many websites including a collection of Maori legends.
The Origins of New Zealand English Project, whilst initially a little hard to navigate, has some fascinating information on the evolution of New Zealand English. For the speculative fiction writer, it can only lead to thinking about how it might evolve in the future, and how it might have been different.
Map of Climate Impacts on New Zealand, provided by the Ministry for the Environment, is a simple graphical map showing projected effects of climate change, an essential look for anyone writing fiction set in the near future. Clicking on regions will take you through to a detailed description which may provide inspiration for something new - it's certainly not just about changing temperatures and rising sea levels.
Stellarium.. Okay, so including this one was pushing it a little, because it's free software rather than web-based, and it's here more for the geek value than being of that much possible use, but ever wanted to know what the night sky would look like from a particular time and place? Stellarium can show you this and much more.
What resources have you found helpful for imagining New Zealand's future or building an alternative past?
