Creating the World of the Lunar Chronicles was a gradual process. It was constantly expanding and changing as I wrote, the plots of each book revealing new secrets the world had to offer- and oftentimes, those secrets turning around in influence the plot as well. Early on, I wanted the series to have a global feel. I hoped the reader would sense that while these characters start their journeys separated by continents, oceans, and space, they were still connected to each other and to the rest of humanity. The wars, plagues, and injustices they faced were problems that affected every Earthen of New Beijing to rural Rieux, France. From the sandy Sahara desert to the terra-domed biodomes of Luna.

From there, I chose specific settings as a way to play homage to the tales that inspired the story. Futuristic China was selected because a ninth-century Chinese fairy tale titled "Ye Xian" is believed by many to be the first recorded version of what would later become "Cinderella." Scarlet is set in France because of the country's ties to werewolf mythology, particularly the "Beast of Gévaudan" mystery, in which two hundred brutal murders in the 1700s were suspected to be the result of a rampaging werewolf. For Cress, I was drawn to a line in "Rapunzel" in which (depending on which version you're reading) the witch casts Rapunzel out into "a great desert." And when I think of a great desert, I can't help but think of the Sahara.

Then there was my favorite setting to explore-Lunar. From the dusty, impoverished outer sectors to the glittering, frivolous white city of Artemisia, my imagination had only the bounds of science to contend with, and even then I tried not to let it hold me back.

Over time, the challenge of bringing these landscapes to life in ways that were authentic and integral to the story became one of the most rewarding parts of writing the Lunar Chronicles.