18 ’Awesome’ Imaginary Worlds

MIDDLE-EARTH
As Seen In: The Lord of the Rings

A land that looks suspiciously like New Zealand, J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth is home to hobbits and dragons and elves and huge fire demons and jewelry of imponderable power.

NARNIA
As Seen In: The Chronicles of Narnia

Looks very much like Middle-earth, but with a lot more talking mammals — and Christ allegories.

LIBERTY CITY
As Seen In: Grand Theft Auto IV

It's what New York City would see in the mirror, just before waking up from a heroin-fueled nightmare: the traffic is brutal, the people are vulgar, and there are hot dog stands everywhere.

OZ
As Seen In: The Wizard of Oz

A candy-colored dreamscape with some of the finest masonry anywhere. The Emerald City lies smack-dab in the middle of Oz, which is comprised of four outlying countries: Munchkin, Gillikin, Winkie, and Quadling. Beware the grabby trees and flying monkeys.

HYBORIA
As Seen In: Conan the Barbarian

''Know, O prince, that between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, and the years of the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an Age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars.'' That's how Robert E. Howard described the vaguely Eurasian world he built for his barbarian conqueror. Who am I to argue?

NEVERLAND
As Seen In: Peter Pan

Should you follow the second star to the right, and go straight on until morning, you'll find this island Eden, where Peter Pan and his lost Boys never have to grow up and they spend all their fighting one-handed pirates.

SHANGRI-LA/SHAMBHALA
As Seen In: The Shadow

Nestled in the Himalayas is a mountain retreat that's been known to heal sullied souls, align out-of-whack shakras, and set damaged white men on the path to heroism. This is where Lamont Cranston learned to put aside his greed to become the scourge of the underworld called The Shadow, and probably where failed surgeon Dr. Stephen Strange took up the mantle of Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. In other words, the world's best (and most remote) spa.

WONDERLAND
As Seen In: Alice in Wonderland

''Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?''
''That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.''
''I don't know where…''
''Then it doesn't matter which way you go,'' said the Cat.
''In that direction,' the Cat said, waving its right paw round,
''lives a Hatter. And in that direction,'' waving the other paw, ''lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: They're both mad.''
''But I don't want to go among mad people,'' Alice remarked.
''Oh, you can't help that,'' said the Cat. ''We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.''
''How do you know I'm mad?'' said Alice.
''You must be,'' said the Cat, ''or you wouldn't have come here.''

TERABITHIA
As Seen In: The Bridge to Terabithia

Perhaps the most heartbreaking of all imagined worlds, this is a place made up by two kids, Jess and Leslie, in the woods near their houses, accessible only swinging on a vine over a river. It's a refuge that only they share — until one of them has a tragic mishap.

THE ISLAND
As Seen In: Lost

Smoke monsters, underground condos, polar bears, pirate ships, wacky healing powers, hawt castaways, and brutal natives? Book our trip, toot sweet.

SODOR
As Seen In: Thomas the Tank Engine

Talking trains. On an island. Tooling around. That's about it. If you always wished that trains could talk — or you're three — then this is the fantasy world for you.

HYRULE
As Seen In: The Legend of Zelda videogames

This is the super-green, pixilated realm in which Link had so many of his Nintendo adventures, trying to save Princess Zelda from any number of quandaries she got herself roped into.

GOTHAM CITY
As Seen In: Batman

It's what Liberty City would see in the mirror, just before waking up from a LSD-fueled nightmare: riddled with crime-ready alleys, populated by villains with severe homicidal psychoses, and cursed with a seemingly eternal lack of sunshine.

ATLANTIS
As Seen In: Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Too bad the only real on-screen representation of the sunken city of Atlantis is a poop-poor Disney flick, because such an enduring mythological place — or, if you're crazy, ''real'' place — deserves better.

AVALON
As Seen In: Excalibur

After King Arthur fell in battle, defeating his brother-son Mordred, he was taken to this mythic island to recover. Or die. Accounts vary. But Avalon was also known for its awesome apples. So, expect a Mac operating system to be named '"Avalon'' somewhere down the line.

MONGO
As Seen In: Flash Gordon

There are a lot of terrific planets out there that could've made this list — Hoth, Arrakis, Treasure — but we're choosing this one because, in the 1980 feature, it's the wackiest. The skies are made out of lava-lamp goo; there are lizard men and dudes with wings and totally hot-and-randy princesses; and Queen music is everywhere.

KRULL
As Seen In: Krull

Okay, so we're including another planet. But you'd never know it, because this world is to Middle-earth what Vancouver is to Manhattan. Sure, it's got forests and plains and giant floating fortresses, but something just seems off, you know?

FANTASIA
As Seen In: The NeverEnding Story

No, not the American Idol winner, though sometimes her hair looks like it was done in an imaginary salon. The place that the young hero Atreyu tries to save from being destroyed by the Nothing — while a real-world boy named Bastian reads along.