Novels close to home

Here's an odd question. Has anybody (besides myself) managed to find any science fiction or fantasy novels that have settings you recognize?

For example, I'm in the middle of a novel called "Forests of the Night" by S. Andrew Swann. Without going into the plot (Find it and read it. It's cool.), there's a scene where he describes one end of an "undesirables ghetto." The part I thought was funny was the building he was describing was one I lived in for several years! Of course, in reality, the area isn't a ghetto. Not the best neighborhood, but still....

Anybody else find scenes they recognize, or even characters that are based on people they've met?

[Kai]

funny you should say that...

Robert Rankin's books East of Ealing, The Antipope, Raiders of the Last Carpark and a few others are set in Brentford London.. where I grew up
I could take you on a tour of each location in each book

as for anyone in a book? OHHHHH BOOOOY

Terry Prachett - Author of the Diskworld Series - Characters he has based ppl on I know

Hodgesaaaaaaaaaaaarggh! = Dave Hodges
Queen Ycni the Annoyed = Gail from the london 'Ton Meet
Corpral Nobbs = Possibly Pat Lennon from the 'Ton

and the all time classic... read his Sourcery... look for the char 'Nijel the Destroyer, Son of Harebut the Privsioner..'

thats me!

Vurt: set in my home city of Manchester.

[Kai]

oh and in the Terry P books he mentions a Evil old Bird of Prey... Lady Jane... I've met her as well.. a beautiful Buzzard... she's kept by Dave Hodges... and when Terry met her, he got to hold her... Dave told him cleary to hold her close in and low... but he held her out and high... as was attacked... thus the legend was born

Seriously cool Kai! I'm only missing two of the Discworld novels at this point, so I recognize all of those characters.

Many of Swann's (S.A. Swiniarski, or Steven Krane. He writes under all three...) are set in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. I don't really recognize any of the characters, but I know most of the locations.

There's two mystery novels that I've read where I've at least seen the people the characters are based on:
"Bimbos of the Death Sun" by Sharon McCrumb. Don't let the title fool you. It's a joke from within the book. It's a murder mystery set at a science fiction convention. I swear I know some of the people mentioned.
The other is "Knight Fall" by Mary Monica Pulver. That one I have met several of the people the characters are based on.