I have spent most of my career designing coastlines for custom planets. I am particularly proud of the fjords of Norway. The judges were too, though they were suspicious of the crinkly edges.
Fjords are, by general consensus, the pinnacle of coastline design. They are dramatic, impractical, and excellent at making boats feel small. A well-designed fjord should look like a glacier has changed its mind several times and then given up.
Design Principles
- Start with a solid mountain. Do not skimp on altitude; a low fjord is merely a damp ditch.
- Apply pressure from a large, patient glacier. Impatience produces canals, which are a different department.
- Allow the sea to enter, preferably with dramatic lighting and a sense of foreboding.
- Add waterfalls at irregular intervals. A fjord without waterfalls is a hallway with a leak.
I won an award for the Norwegian fjords. The judges said they were 'pointless but beautiful.' I took it as a compliment.
The Importance of Crinkliness
The best fjords are not straight. A straight fjord is a river, and rivers are designed by the rainfall team, who have much less imagination. A proper fjord should zigzag, double back, and occasionally surprise you with a small village built by people who clearly had no better options.
Common Mistakes
Amateur designers often make fjords too warm. Fjords are supposed to be cold. A warm fjord is a lake, and a lake is a completely different design problem.1
Conclusion
If you are ever designing a coastline, include fjords. They are difficult to clean, impossible to navigate, and absolutely worth the effort.
I was once asked to design a warm fjord. I refused. The client then asked for a fjord with a retractable roof. I retired to a small moon for several weeks. ↩