Editing C. J. Cherryh (section)

==Worldbuilding==
Cherryh's works depict [[Fictional universe|fictional worlds]] with great realism supported by her strong background in [[language]]s, [[history]], [[archaeology]], and [[psychology]]. In her introduction to Cherryh's first book, [[Andre Norton]] compared the effect of the work to [[J. R. R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]'s: "Never since reading ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' have I been so caught up in any tale as I have been in ''[[Gate of Ivrel]]''." Another reviewer commented, "Her blend of science and folklore gives the novels an intellectual depth comparable to [[J. R. R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] or [[Gene Wolfe]]." Cherryh creates believable [[Extraterrestrial life|alien]] cultures, species, and perspectives, causing the reader to reconsider basic assumptions about [[human nature]]. Her worlds have been praised as complex and realistic because she presents them through implication rather than explication. She describes the difficulties of translating/expressing concepts between differing languages. This is best demonstrated in both the ''[[The Chanur novels|Chanur]]'' and ''[[Foreigner series|Foreigner]]'' series.

She has described the process she uses to create alien societies for her fiction as being akin to asking a series of questions, and letting the answers to these questions dictate various parameters of the alien [[culture]]. In her view, "culture is how [[biology]] responds to its [[Natural environment|environment]] and makes its living conditions better." Some of the issues she considers critical to take into account in detailing an intelligent alien race are:

* The physical [[Ecosystem|environment]] in which the species lives
* The location and nature of the race's [[House|dwellings]], including the spatial relationships between those dwellings
* The species' [[Diet (nutrition)|diet]], method(s) of obtaining and consuming [[food]], and cultural practices regarding the preparation of meals and [[eating]] (if any)
* Processes which the aliens use to share [[knowledge]]
* Customs and ideas regarding [[death]], dying, the treatment of the race's dead, and the [[afterlife]] (if any)
* [[Metaphysics|Metaphysical]] issues related to [[Philosophy of self|self]]-definition and the aliens' concept of the [[fictional universe]] they inhabit

In a 2005 interview, the interviewer asks CJ Cherryh “How much science is there in science fiction?” Cherryh responds with “Quite a bit and if I get something wrong, I know I’m going to hear about it.” 02:15 She then later goes on and states “I’ve had operational conferences with astronauts.” 3:03 <ref>{{Cite web |title={{!}} Oklahoma Historical Society |url=https://www.okhistory.org/historycenter/writers/bio.php?lname=Cherryh&fname=C.+J |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Oklahoma Historical Society {{!}} OHS |language=en-us}}</ref>