Wow, was that some shade at the late, great Darrell K. Sweet that I detected there at the end. Too bad, I like his art style... it takes me back to my youth with all the fun fantasy series that he covered.
Lukdun Lukdun is a relatively small territory, comparative to Earth’s New York state or Greece in area (roughly 51,000 - 55,000 square miles or 82,000 - 88,500 km2), located on Gaea’s southeastern Tvak’ul (Inner Ocean) coast. It enjoys a humid subtropical climate and, boasting a variety of habitats, from mountains to coastal bays, is rich in both biodiversity and natural resources. To read more: www.worldanvil.com/w/delirium-miezko/a/lukdun-article-1
The original map of Middle-earth was drawn by Tolkien and his son Christopher, rather Tolkien tinkered and designed and Christopher polished and fine-tuned it. + In Tolkien's own words, he found it rather than created it at the same pace as he wrote his story and world. Tolkien would never call himself a god in any sense. in one of his letters he once complained that making that map was hell. I think it was when his son was abroad, of course, I may remember wrongly. making that map took years and many nights he and his son stayed awake from morning to night drawing and fine-tuning. you can see Christopher Tolkien's initials on the bottom of the compass. ( C.J.R.T ) = Christopher John Reuel Tolkien. this map was the first version in later version he (c.j.r.t) corrected some details / mistakes and yes even that great map had some mistakes. etc = the main point in this comment is that his son was a big part of making this map. Otherwise the video is Great !
Speaking of maps, someone needs to invent an app that displays an overlay of the world map of a book or audiobook that you’re consuming and shows you where the action is taking place and where the characters are at the point you are in the story. That would make series like WoT or Malazan so much easier to follow.
Daniel Meurer Yeah there was an app I used to have that had something like that. I’d recommend checking out An Atlas of Ice and Fire I think it’s called for incredible map works. The person who does them has also done maps for WoT and Malazan
My favourite map (although not from a book) is Avatar: The Last Airbender. The map encapulates every elements style in the map. Every nation lives somewhere where their element is plentiful. The water nation lives on the north and south pole, where even the ground is made out of water. The earth nation lives on this big land mass of earth. The fire nation live on islands covered with volcanos. The air nomads live high up in the mountains in their air temples which are scattered to North, East, South and West.
For me its GRRM planetos map specifically Westeros. The map is fully detailed with towns cities and roads that you can spend hours at simply looking at it. But the best part of it is Martin put some details on the writing on how far a place could be both traveling on horseback or walking. Example: Winterfell to Wall took Jon & Crew 3 days via horses and Catelyn's POV explains horses can half the distance of travel via horses (that means Winterfell to Wall took 3 days on riding but 6 days if walking). Then on book 3 & 4 Brien's POV shows how difficult traveling the countryside while not using the main road. It shows the provision a traveler needed and the attitude of locals on seeing some strangers during a on-going war.
Only "problem" with GRRM map is that its kinda "square" by that I mean he drew it on a piece of paper and he ran out of it so technically it has like a square. Same with Essos and the rest but its all just a squarish shape but combined on a bigger piece of paper.
@@Revanchist True, his not really good at cutting corners. That's why Essos looks like if europe continent eat asia and australia and smash it together
Monsour Anda Except for Sam who it looks like took only a week in the middle of winter to travel from Oldtown to Winterfell and don’t get me started on how Daenerys got to where Jon and the others were North of the Wall just hours after Gendry left them.
Typically I look at the map and study it to my best ability before reading a fantasy book (if there is a map), so that I get my bearing essentially prior to diving into the story of this world. Then while I’m reading, I will go back to that map as reference to see where I’m at to help give more context and depth to the story I’m deeply involved in. Joe Abercrombie does a fantastic job with his map in Half a King!
The map for A Song of Ice and Fire is my favourite, it conveys the such a sense of vastness and culture in how the various kingdoms and city states are organised geographically. Also fresh trim Daniel!
A great little rant there Daniel. Maps that compliment the story are the best indeed. If you have a gorgeous looking map, that makes sense and on top of that has some stylized meaning relative to the story, amazing! A while ago I had a similar discussion with someone about magic systems, but sort of the opposite end of this, we saw a LOT of diagrams, figures etc of people showing off their magic systems. But a lot of these images looked very similar and had little to no context, which basically made our interest in them drop to zero. A map, just for the sake of having a map, won't really add much. A map that helps tell the story adds a lot!
@@vrixphillips It's one of the main reasons i love Roshar so much. If you look up the Wikipedia page for Julia Sets, there's a small video (golden particles) that you can watch. Pause it around 2-3 seconds and you can see Roshar clear as day.
I love maps in general, but I absolutely adore Tolkien's maps. I have the map and travel supplement for Adventures in Middle Earth and the maps included with it are really cool. They're huge and show a lot of detail.
When I began the Wheel of Time, I enjoyed the adventuring and travelling they did, but the hints Jordan gave of other, far off cultures were basically just teasing, as they were only hints. As the story progressed, the point of view travelled across the continent, eventually visiting almost every point of interest on the map, and many not on the map. It was super fulfilling to witness the cultures of the people in places that were on the map, but took a long time to actually be focused on. You don't spend much time in the Borderlands until the last few books, and there was some of my favourite areas to explore. It annoys me when a series has a detailed map, but the reader is kept from large sections of it. I want to know the whole world! I am always curious as to the lands of Rhun and Harad (however you spell them) in Lord of the Rings.
I love how maps are an artist's interpretation of a landscape and the way the cartographer is in control of the story they want the world to tell. For as much worldbuilding as Tolkien did, I love his restraint with his map of Middle Earth. It shows us what we need to know, but hints that it is part of something much larger. What is East of Mordor? Why did the blue wizards go that way and disappear from all record? I love that his map causes me to ask questions like that.
As someone who is a fantasy map artist I loved this video. I do think a lot of fantasy maps do look the same(same style perspective etc) My favorite maps are medieval city maps, and illuminated maps. My favorite fantasy maps are Final Empire(the way it was circular hinting that they are on one of the poles of the planet) I also love the city map from Warbreaker, it is so different than most city maps and is more stylized which I like. I wish the art for the Warbreaker one had been more refined but I love the concept.
For real, I won’t even read a fantasy book if it doesn’t have a map. The kind of sweeping world-building stories I love to read just require that element. I’ve always liked Redwall’s maps because of how each story expands and focuses it on different areas. Narnia’s map is a favorite of mine too because so many different stories occur around the same landmarks and paths, and the same can be said of Redwall.
Top 3 fantasy maps 1. Middle-earth 2. Wheel of Time 3. A Song of Ice and Fire I have just started reading fantasy again after several years of pause, so it is very likely that I will change this list. As a final thing, I can also add the worst map from The Sword of Truth, to clarify this we have a square map that we draw there some mountains that fill two functions if I'm not completely wrong, 1. a physical obstacle 2. a make-up of what the magic "wall" goes. Very slow applause for creativity.
As a graphic designer who makes fantasy maps both for my own worlds and for clients, thank you! As a reader, a richly built, beautifully designed, and information laden map helps immerse me and helps pique my curiosity. I'm saddened so many great books have poor maps or no maps.
I thought I was one of the only ones!I know fantasy books have maps, but I didn’t think others were as obsessed as me; no joke, I’ve been creating my fantasy world since I was a child. I’d leave the maps for a bit, when inspiration was on the low side- but I’d always come back to them. It was just for me, for years- because mapmaking *fascinated* me, but I’ve been wondering if I shouldn’t gather the stories together, edit them & work on getting them published.
One map I LOVE is from the book series Monster Blood Tattoo by DM Cornish. The map of the Half-Continent is filled with so many unique place names and locations, and it has this sweeping scope. You're only seeing dozens of regional and metropolis names. But each book has a smaller, secondary map as well, zeroing in on a zone of the Half-Continent where that book takes place, showing dozens of towns, rivers and highways. The level of detail is extraordinary and you realize that the whole world the characters inhabit is only a tiny area of a very vast world.
I went through the WoT Companion and put stickytabs on every map (to find easily during audiobook re-reads). It's just a cascade of green tabs from top to bottom when the book is closed and I LOVE IT!! I love that RJ was so obsessed with details that I can follow the story through nearly every major city and country through the variety of maps he provided us! Maps make or break a story, sometimes. It's one thing I wish Anne McCaffrey would have focused a little more on. Especially since the geography of Pern ends up playing such a HUGE role in the series!
I have a soft spot in my heart for the Redwall maps. Every book would have them, and most showed the same locations, but each one was uniquely drawn. It gave the feeling that each generation was showing their own love for the places they lived in.
The shadow of the apt map is really good. Because the story is taking part in so many distant lands the maps really help give you a sense of scale and the Commonwheal where the dragon fly kinden rule, the sheer size of it is so much easier to appreciate with the map. Not to mention wasp kinden military maneuvers are so much easier to grasp with the maps. The Earthsea maps are awesome too, really liked them
The interesting thing about maps is that there is an expectation of realism with them. Unless it's set in a wonderland where common knowledge is thrown out of the window. This poses a question on whether or not the authors/creators of the world is able to sacrifice some realism to further realize their artistic vision. A good example of this would be the web series RWBY's world. It looks like a mess and probably wouldn't naturally exist, but it greatly represents the tone of the series. That is fast and loose badass whimsical fantasy.
So happy I’m not the only one with a map issue. One of my favorites by far is the map found in crooked kingdom of Ketterdam. I truly appreciate how much effort the author put into the city layout and the different districts throughout. Another really good one for me is the Fennbirn map from the three dark crowns series. It’s a little crowded at times but the chaos and design choices really show the power these queens have and the battles they are about to face. Also, the queens of renthia series has a very simple map which I really appreciate because it doesn’t over complicate things and is really helpful for following along as they do all their traveling
I love fantasy maps, not only existing ones, but also making them myself. Just a few weeks ago I had a long discussion on your Discord server for writing about the details of maps. I know it's not canon, but one of my favourite maps is that of the Witcher series.
One that I think you'll find interesting is Brandon Sanderson's Elantris. If you haven't read it, it's probably worth your time if you're looking for something else to compliment your Cosmere knowledge, because it does exist within that universe. And the map/geography specifically has a significant impact in the storyline and things that happen within the magic system in that world. Certainly it's not quite on par with Stormlight or Mistborn but it's still a very solid story and I believe on his blog he even shows a kind of evolution of this map from his very first hand drawn sketches to the final product with a real artist. If you love geeking out on fantasy maps then this one is worth a little hobby time digging into.
Maps in stories serve a purpose and should be looked at that way. My issue and why I ignore the details really is geology. Mountains do not just happen and need a source to push them up.
Yes, but we're talking fantasy. To go with the obvious: most mountain ranges in Middle-Earth are explicitly stated to have been raised by either Morgoth or Sauron as fortifications. So weird geology is ok if it is explained and within rules of the world.
Finally, someone talks about maps. I am one who believes every author should have a map of their world (not necessary in their book, double points if you do). It can be in their head because I hate when authors make mistakes of where places are because they didn't bother to figure it out.
I hardly ever comment on youtube or any other kind of platform, however, after watching this video, as a hopeful writer and lover of cartography and map-making, this was an amazing video to watch! Love the enthusiasm, appreciate the compassion, and you've made me feel so much better about the hours i've worked so hard on my maps creating that perfect world for the story you want to tell!!
I don't pay a lot of attention to maps usually, I'm not sure why...I get more into it if it's a sprawling story and I want to keep track of where all the characters are so I'll refer to the map, or there is a battle and i want to understand the tactics, they can be a great short hand for me when I lose track. I think Wheel of Time and Stormlight are some great example where the world building was aided a lot by the map, at some point with Wheel of time I stopped referring to the map and I knew where everything was and what was north and what is south, though that only works with a long saga that explores the whole world.
I actually really enjoyed the map in ToG. I haven't heard many people talking about it, which is quite sad to me. It gives a really good vibe, there is evident the effort in the map, but at the same time it's not confusing and it's even easy to remember. It is telling us something just by looking at it, way before we dug into the book itself
I've always liked the Discworld maps (the Discworld, the city of Ankh-Morpork and the Lacre region, there may be others that I've forgotten). Not only because of feeling that they perfectly encapsulate the vision of the books and that they are amazing works of art, but mainly because of their conception. From what I can remember the author Terry Pratchett didn't think that the city of Ankh-Morpork could be mapped because he just made it up as he went along. It wasn't until Stephen Briggs set out to do it and showed that it all worked together in the books (I think there were a couple of inconsistencies, but that has to be assumed in anything touching Discworld geography or history). I always feel that it adds to the slightly chaotic nature of the world that they represent and some sort of "natural evolution" of the world, rather than it all having been planned beforehand.
As a cartographer the map is always the first thing I look at and I agree Tolkien’s s map are the gold standard for fantasy maps. Advice for authors if you can’t draw a map hire or buddy up with a good cartographer it will make the world of difference.
With map I still have to go with middle earth man, its just timeless. If we ever got a really detailed map of One Piece's world that would be awesome but we only have the general layouts of it all so thats not really it. Tamriel and Wheel of Time are up there of course, Stormlight too.
I used Sketchup to create a representation of a 3-D map of nearby stars using their actual positions for a military science fiction series that I'm writing--two books available currently out of the seven planned.
I absolutely HATE books that have large, sweeping worlds,but no maps. Or maps that give you very little real information. I'm looking at you Death Gate Cycle(Wiess/Hickman). Great series, by the way Daniel. Check it out if you haven't. Haplo and Alfred are two of my favorite protagonists of all time. Sangdrax and Lord Xar(antagonists)...superb. Then there's Zifnab?Fizban?James Bond?...Hilarious!!
I actually came to the comments to mention DGC, because there are diagrams of the world that do some of what Daniel's talking about in this video. The fact that you can't really trace Haplo's movements through them precisely the way you can with most Big Damn Worlds, for me, just helped in the immersion of the story. But that's just me.
@@daverevisions2843 I feel you bro. I prefer a LITTLE more detail in the maps is all. It definitely doesn't detract from the story in any way, don't get me wrong.
My biggest Gripe especially as an Australian, is why is every Fantasy series set in the Northern Hemisphere? With the Arctic region in the North and the Tropics and Deserts in the South, even Australian Fantasy Authors do it.
Thought this was gonna be a roast of poorly done maps like a lot of videos, but this one was pleasantly positive. I've done a lot of maps for my own setting, and while they're not very high quality, they are fun to make and help me orient myself when writing stories and adventures. I highly encourage other fantasy writers to make maps too, even if you don't think they'd look good. :)
This honestly helped me out so much! You provide advice with world building and writing fantasy in a way where you’re not cocky. I can tell you know that anyone can create a masterpiece, and I appreciate that.
I love the maps from the Belgariad & Malloreon. I have a huge custom map for my D n D world I keep unlabelled so I can make up new stuff for different stories. Where could I share a pic of it to you?
I can recommend Joe Abercrombie's Shattered Sea - especially the first book Half a King. The included maps are absolutely great when you read the story - which always includes lots of travel in this trilogy -, you can follow along each step on the maps.
I know Sword of truth - Terry Goodkind isn’t anyone’s favourite but I enjoyed the maps at the beginning of every book, and after a certain point in the series maybe book 7-8? The map actually grows in size and corresponds with where protagonists are going.
Big choice you need to make for fantasy maps - are you presenting the reader with a map you made for your own, authorial reference, or is it a copy of a map potentially available to the characters (or at least to some rich bugger in-universe) themselves? It might be easy to get lost down the rabbit hole of the history of cartography and surveying, but thinking about how the people in your universe might make maps - and, to a certain extent, understand the larger scale geography of their world - is probably worth a few hours of thought.
@@isaacm6052 going well. Its not selling like hot cakes but that was never the intention. Just wanted to put it out. Here I am a year later, plotting two other books in the series. One prequel and a sequel. Thanks for asking :)
What are your thoughts on the use of cardinal directions in world/map building? I always thought it would be cool for someone to break convention and come up with a different, novel way of orienting their world. Also, the idea of the Sun's progression from East to West. I've always thought in some fantasy realms this might not be the case. I would like someone to build their own astronomical maps and rules for their world. Just wondering if anyone else agrees.
I'd add that I really appreciate, as sub-thread of this topic, mini-maps. In several chapters of WoT, they had nice maps of the specific city in which the subsequent scene took place, like with the Battle of Maradon, for instance. It feels like a nice compromise for the author and reader, i.e. not so much detail is required for the larger, world map, and more detail can be poured into the small city/landscape maps. I actually really wish they did something like this for all the battle scenes in MoL. Would have been amazing.
2 of my favs: 1.) a map that feels like it was actually used by characters in the world is Thror’s map from the Hobbit because of notations by the characters and Easter eggs like moon runes. 2.) Treasure Island is classic, and what’s a better map than a treasure map? :) Great video!
In Stormlight we actually have the reverse! In one of the first chapters of TWoK we get a smaller map of the Alethi provinces. Later on, we get a map of Kharbranth After that, we get a detailed map of the warcamps. In WoR, we get a layout of the Parshendi city Sanderson slowly gives us drawings and smaller maps as we progress through the story.
I absolutely love the map of Roshar, I fell in love with it when I first saw it! It's so detailed and the stormcloud shape makes it look powerfull and intimidating and epic. One day I'll get the poster...
I love fantasy maps, I have a lovely one of Middle Earth on my wall. I would like one of WOT but I cannot find one in UK. I also love historical maps and to see how they have changed over time, London is two thousand years old, I watched a documentary recently charting its change over that time and why they changed, amazing. I think knowing about real world maps would be an incredible tool for new fantasy authors to add depth and believability to there world.
I love fantasy maps. I have a middle earth map above my TV I've had for years. I've been meaning to get more just encountered more posters than maps. I definitely know the value of maps. I'm writing a fantasy series right now and definitely trying to have a map of the continents in my head that I hope to make a reality.
Grishaverse is awesome. I love that in the first three books it's condensed to Rakha and then after that you get a whole world for the first six of crows and in the second which takes place in ketterdam you only get that map
One of the things I love about the Mistborn maps is what they hint at of the culture as there are in-world artifacts. Like in the initial books that basically everything outside of the central dominance barely mattered, the location of the ash Mounts being more important than the vast majority aof the plantations because they were only full of Ska. But if what you mean is they are not beautiful pieces of art, okay I am with you. I just like them because they look like maps people would draw and I love the insight into the world. The city maps are also really interesting especially the ones of Elendel in 2nd era.
@afootineachworld the map is very basic. As it happens I think it makes sense for the universe, but it isn't really one that I would put a poster of on my wall.
Lukdun Lukdun is a relatively small territory, comparative to Earth’s New York state or Greece in area (roughly 51,000 - 55,000 square miles or 82,000 - 88,500 km2), located on Gaea’s southeastern Tvak’ul (Inner Ocean) coast. It enjoys a humid subtropical climate and, boasting a variety of habitats, from mountains to coastal bays, is rich in both biodiversity and natural resources. To read more: www.worldanvil.com/w/delirium-miezko/a/lukdun-article-1
I do love a beautiful and detailed map, it really brings the story to life. I constantly look at it to see locations referred to in the text. I also look at them as a piece of art and necessary structure for a good novel. One thing that really annoys me about many fantasy maps is the lack of care for geographic and climatic zones. By this I mean a desert would not exist next to a rainforest in the real world, but often in fantasy maps you see what I call careless pairings. For instance in the Roshar map in the video it looks like a hot desert is very near to an area called the Frostlands. For me this can take me out of the story and really affect my enjoyment of the novel. A good fantasy map needs to take into account weather and latitude when designing countries and climates. The natural environment affects the civilisation and culture characters live in, ignoring this cheapens the work. One example I can think of is the Aiel in WOT, they are fair skinned with blonde/red hair. In real life peoples in hot desert area have darker skin, fair skinned people normally burn easier and don’t cope as well with the heat. To sum up please consider real world climate and weather when designing your map. If you get it right, it will give you a great start in good world building.
In The Priory of the Orange Tree I like how the the map is split in two - one part for the West, one for the East - same as the sory itself is split by these directions so come to the middle point of the combined map in the end
My biggest map pet peeve the the right-angle mountain range around mordor. I know its fantasy and magic but I'd like some laws of geography to help me suspend disbelief
Got to love maps. Whenever I try to create a story, I start by drawing a map and then going, OK what story happens here. Usually works really well. At least until it comes to writing the first chapter.
I always liked the Middle Earth map but am sometimes left wanting more. Where was Númenor compared to Middle Earth if we were able to map it? What about the lands in the far east - not mapped and little talked about. When the Elves take boats into the West, do they cross an ocean to another continent, or do they transition to another dimension somewhere on the way? Is the Middle Earth world a sphere or some multi-dimensional flat world on top of a giant turtle? It doesn't matter for the purposes of the story, but the questions bug me a little. I also have had issues with the Game of Thrones world. It does seem to be a world somewhat like ours if you look hard enough at the hints (The Sunset Sea may extend eventually to Essos). The Land of Always Winter and for that matter Sothoryos seemed to extend more or less indefinitely. Also, what is it with the seasons of the 'world'? Is it just a magical effect or some sort of accelerated short-term ice age? It sort of reminds me in that way to Aldiss's Helliconia series. At least the winters there have a scientific basis. As for maps of that world I don't much recall.
You should take a look at The Atlas of Middle Earth (by Karen Wynn Fonstad). It has the answers and maps for most of these things. Here are my answers, from the top of my head though. Numenor was in the ocean west of middle earth, about even with Gondor. Lands to the far east - not mapped in detail, but there are some large scale maps, especially from earlier ages. Elves: In the Second Age and before, they physically went across the ocean. In the Third Age and beyond, they transition to another dimension. Sphere or flat: In the Second Age and before, it was flat. (And, if I recall correctly, the entire world, including the ocean, was floating on another ocean.) In the Third Age and beyond, it is round.
THIS IS AMAZING!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE I NEVER THOUGHT OF THIS!!! I am now in LOOOOVE with the idea of a map displaying the TONE of the book, like being on the run!!!?! That's genius!!! I'll work with this for my future maps and I'm TOTALLY checking out those Gentlemen Bastards books!!!!!🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 I can't believe I never realized that Maps aren't technically "supposed" to be 100% geographically accurate because that would ruin the tone, the magic, The Wonder of the story! Also I totally thought based on the title that this would be a video about you complaining about all the things that authors do wrong with maps, but I am beyond glad to find that it was an encouraging rant instead of an annoyed rant! That's the best! We need more of that!
So I had a blog about 4 years ago where I dropped all the short stories I wrote within my fictional world of Atelinor. I made a map that I’m... mostly proud of. I think, having watched this video and having done some small study of cartography, I would have done it a bit differently. I’ll link it in the comment below. If you don’t see it, YT likely marked it as spam and is awaiting approval.
I just finished the first wheel of time book. And while i don't mind the layout of the map (i think its a bit circular but thats besides the point) i did have a problem with the way it was put on the page. Now i did get a massive reprint paperpack of this so maybe thats why but when i opened the map to get my bearings i could barely read the names and when i figured out our cast was from emonds field i looked for it on the map and literally could not find it. I had to google the map to get a colored version with more pixels and i found that emonds field was towards the middle and when i double checked it with the book the people printing the damn thing decided to hide the opening setting in the seem of the book. All these problems were fixed with the more detailed one as i read but it was still jarring and that mixed with the weird names made it daunting but I'm happy i stuck to it.
Favorite: (excluding Sanderson) Modesitt Jr.’s Recluce and Michael J.Sullivan’s world building from the past and future really invested me into the map as it grows and changes. Least favorite: Goodkind’s Sword of Truth map really threw me off. When the battles start to happen the scale of the world goes from epic feeling to small town in Rhode Island receiving the entire population of our planet. The evil wouldn’t have needed to win because the human waste covering the entire world would have ended it anyway. One of the only times the landscape of the world itself made me disconnect from the story a little.
I love fantasy maps! But they’ve become such a staple and so many don’t carry much weight or purpose except to EXIST, because every fantasy book needs a map now. Oh look, an arbitrary border with two cities and a road. HoW eNgAgInG. Do video game maps count? Because I’ve been wanting a print of the map of Tyria from Guild Wars forever.
Late to the part cause...life. A couple things... 1) if anyone wants to create their own map -for free- check out inkarate.com 2) have you seen the book “The Writer’s Map”? It’s a book of fiction maps! Sadly, it is not exclusively Fantasy (has a few) but it’s super cool. As a map enthusiast myself, it gets pulled out occasionally for the eye candy. I wish there was a book of only Fantasty maps though.
I can't believe you didn't mention Wheel of Time map. I did notice there is the map mostly used in the books of the mainland, and I have seen a map done of the whole world that included the south lands and the Seanchan lands. Do you have a preference? (Separate question. I have been following booktubers for a few years and I notice some people's channels grow very slowly and your seems to grow quickly. In a month since I followed you, you have gained 2000 subscribers. What's your secret?)
![[Live] : ONE 168 วันนี้!! "โจนาธาน vs ซุปเปอร์เล็ก"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/0jIN65KgJsI/mqdefault.jpg)
First part of the video, physical layout. Second half, art style. Want to make that clear for obvious reasons.
If you love fantasy maps why not make a (fantasy maps tier ranking)
Wow, was that some shade at the late, great Darrell K. Sweet that I detected there at the end. Too bad, I like his art style... it takes me back to my youth with all the fun fantasy series that he covered.
Lukdun
Lukdun is a relatively small territory, comparative to Earth’s New York state or Greece in area (roughly 51,000 - 55,000 square miles or 82,000 - 88,500 km2), located on Gaea’s southeastern Tvak’ul (Inner Ocean) coast. It enjoys a humid subtropical climate and, boasting a variety of habitats, from mountains to coastal bays, is rich in both biodiversity and natural resources.
To read more:
www.worldanvil.com/w/delirium-miezko/a/lukdun-article-1
The original map of Middle-earth was drawn by Tolkien and his son Christopher, rather Tolkien tinkered and designed and Christopher polished and fine-tuned it.
+ In Tolkien's own words, he found it rather than created it at the same pace as he wrote his story and world. Tolkien would never call himself a god in any sense.
in one of his letters he once complained that making that map was hell. I think it was when his son was abroad, of course, I may remember wrongly.
making that map took years and many nights he and his son stayed awake from morning to night drawing and fine-tuning. you can see Christopher Tolkien's initials on the bottom of the compass. ( C.J.R.T ) = Christopher John Reuel Tolkien. this map was the first version in later version he (c.j.r.t) corrected some details / mistakes and yes even that great map had some mistakes. etc = the main point in this comment is that his son was a big part of making this map. Otherwise the video is Great !
Speaking of maps, someone needs to invent an app that displays an overlay of the world map of a book or audiobook that you’re consuming and shows you where the action is taking place and where the characters are at the point you are in the story. That would make series like WoT or Malazan so much easier to follow.
Doesn't ASOIAF has something like that?
I'm pretty sure there is one that shows specific characters path throughout the story.
Daniel Meurer Yeah there was an app I used to have that had something like that. I’d recommend checking out An Atlas of Ice and Fire I think it’s called for incredible map works. The person who does them has also done maps for WoT and Malazan
I spent most of my initial read of The Eye of the World unsure of where Two Rivers was because it was near page binding on the map page.
especially considering what an absolute wreck the maps are in the Malazan books
Randy Rogers Yeah the maps in Malazan weren’t great but all the whole world maps look really good
I just love retracing the movements of the protagonists on maps
Especially on the Middle Earth map
after a interrailtrip i did through Europe i did a retracing of my own journey :) it was fun.
My favourite map (although not from a book) is Avatar: The Last Airbender. The map encapulates every elements style in the map. Every nation lives somewhere where their element is plentiful. The water nation lives on the north and south pole, where even the ground is made out of water. The earth nation lives on this big land mass of earth. The fire nation live on islands covered with volcanos. The air nomads live high up in the mountains in their air temples which are scattered to North, East, South and West.
But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked.
For me its GRRM planetos map specifically Westeros. The map is fully detailed with towns cities and roads that you can spend hours at simply looking at it. But the best part of it is Martin put some details on the writing on how far a place could be both traveling on horseback or walking. Example: Winterfell to Wall took Jon & Crew 3 days via horses and Catelyn's POV explains horses can half the distance of travel via horses (that means Winterfell to Wall took 3 days on riding but 6 days if walking). Then on book 3 & 4 Brien's POV shows how difficult traveling the countryside while not using the main road. It shows the provision a traveler needed and the attitude of locals on seeing some strangers during a on-going war.
Only "problem" with GRRM map is that its kinda "square" by that I mean he drew it on a piece of paper and he ran out of it so technically it has like a square. Same with Essos and the rest but its all just a squarish shape but combined on a bigger piece of paper.
@@Revanchist True, his not really good at cutting corners. That's why Essos looks like if europe continent eat asia and australia and smash it together
Monsour Anda Except for Sam who it looks like took only a week in the middle of winter to travel from Oldtown to Winterfell and don’t get me started on how Daenerys got to where Jon and the others were North of the Wall just hours after Gendry left them.
@@Harldin That's show, books end at the time of s5.
I literally started painting my map large scale yesterday. And then this video. It's a sign.
Typically I look at the map and study it to my best ability before reading a fantasy book (if there is a map), so that I get my bearing essentially prior to diving into the story of this world. Then while I’m reading, I will go back to that map as reference to see where I’m at to help give more context and depth to the story I’m deeply involved in.
Joe Abercrombie does a fantastic job with his map in Half a King!
Same.
The map for A Song of Ice and Fire is my favourite, it conveys the such a sense of vastness and culture in how the various kingdoms and city states are organised geographically. Also fresh trim Daniel!
Its also looks fancy to put as a poster. ALSO detail roads
I have it displayed on my wall it's so gorgeous
@@charbelchemaly2038 and map a song of ice and fire between westeros and essos separated by the ocean
A great little rant there Daniel. Maps that compliment the story are the best indeed. If you have a gorgeous looking map, that makes sense and on top of that has some stylized meaning relative to the story, amazing!
A while ago I had a similar discussion with someone about magic systems, but sort of the opposite end of this, we saw a LOT of diagrams, figures etc of people showing off their magic systems. But a lot of these images looked very similar and had little to no context, which basically made our interest in them drop to zero. A map, just for the sake of having a map, won't really add much. A map that helps tell the story adds a lot!
Fun Fact: Roshar is a two-dimensional snapshot of a three-dimensional slice of a four-dimensional Julia Set.
I thought that shape looked familiar
@@vrixphillips It's one of the main reasons i love Roshar so much. If you look up the Wikipedia page for Julia Sets, there's a small video (golden particles) that you can watch. Pause it around 2-3 seconds and you can see Roshar clear as day.
I love maps in general, but I absolutely adore Tolkien's maps. I have the map and travel supplement for Adventures in Middle Earth and the maps included with it are really cool. They're huge and show a lot of detail.
When I began the Wheel of Time, I enjoyed the adventuring and travelling they did, but the hints Jordan gave of other, far off cultures were basically just teasing, as they were only hints. As the story progressed, the point of view travelled across the continent, eventually visiting almost every point of interest on the map, and many not on the map. It was super fulfilling to witness the cultures of the people in places that were on the map, but took a long time to actually be focused on. You don't spend much time in the Borderlands until the last few books, and there was some of my favourite areas to explore.
It annoys me when a series has a detailed map, but the reader is kept from large sections of it. I want to know the whole world! I am always curious as to the lands of Rhun and Harad (however you spell them) in Lord of the Rings.
I love how maps are an artist's interpretation of a landscape and the way the cartographer is in control of the story they want the world to tell. For as much worldbuilding as Tolkien did, I love his restraint with his map of Middle Earth. It shows us what we need to know, but hints that it is part of something much larger. What is East of Mordor? Why did the blue wizards go that way and disappear from all record? I love that his map causes me to ask questions like that.
As someone who is a fantasy map artist I loved this video. I do think a lot of fantasy maps do look the same(same style perspective etc) My favorite maps are medieval city maps, and illuminated maps. My favorite fantasy maps are Final Empire(the way it was circular hinting that they are on one of the poles of the planet) I also love the city map from Warbreaker, it is so different than most city maps and is more stylized which I like. I wish the art for the Warbreaker one had been more refined but I love the concept.
I'm currently using Artifexian's worldbuilding videos to design my world map and it's going amazingly so far.
For real, I won’t even read a fantasy book if it doesn’t have a map. The kind of sweeping world-building stories I love to read just require that element.
I’ve always liked Redwall’s maps because of how each story expands and focuses it on different areas. Narnia’s map is a favorite of mine too because so many different stories occur around the same landmarks and paths, and the same can be said of Redwall.
Top 3 fantasy maps
1. Middle-earth
2. Wheel of Time
3. A Song of Ice and Fire
I have just started reading fantasy again after several years of pause, so it is very likely that I will change this list.
As a final thing, I can also add the worst map from The Sword of Truth, to clarify this we have a square map that we draw there some mountains that fill two functions if I'm not completely wrong,
1. a physical obstacle
2. a make-up of what the magic "wall" goes.
Very slow applause for creativity.
As a graphic designer who makes fantasy maps both for my own worlds and for clients, thank you! As a reader, a richly built, beautifully designed, and information laden map helps immerse me and helps pique my curiosity. I'm saddened so many great books have poor maps or no maps.
I thought I was one of the only ones!I know fantasy books have maps, but I didn’t think others were as obsessed as me; no joke, I’ve been creating my fantasy world since I was a child. I’d leave the maps for a bit, when inspiration was on the low side- but I’d always come back to them. It was just for me, for years- because mapmaking *fascinated* me, but I’ve been wondering if I shouldn’t gather the stories together, edit them & work on getting them published.
One map I LOVE is from the book series Monster Blood Tattoo by DM Cornish. The map of the Half-Continent is filled with so many unique place names and locations, and it has this sweeping scope. You're only seeing dozens of regional and metropolis names. But each book has a smaller, secondary map as well, zeroing in on a zone of the Half-Continent where that book takes place, showing dozens of towns, rivers and highways. The level of detail is extraordinary and you realize that the whole world the characters inhabit is only a tiny area of a very vast world.
I went through the WoT Companion and put stickytabs on every map (to find easily during audiobook re-reads). It's just a cascade of green tabs from top to bottom when the book is closed and I LOVE IT!! I love that RJ was so obsessed with details that I can follow the story through nearly every major city and country through the variety of maps he provided us! Maps make or break a story, sometimes. It's one thing I wish Anne McCaffrey would have focused a little more on. Especially since the geography of Pern ends up playing such a HUGE role in the series!
Great video. I love the Discworld map. Currently going through The Eye Of The World and enjoying following the character's journey via the map.
I have a soft spot in my heart for the Redwall maps. Every book would have them, and most showed the same locations, but each one was uniquely drawn. It gave the feeling that each generation was showing their own love for the places they lived in.
The shadow of the apt map is really good. Because the story is taking part in so many distant lands the maps really help give you a sense of scale and the Commonwheal where the dragon fly kinden rule, the sheer size of it is so much easier to appreciate with the map. Not to mention wasp kinden military maneuvers are so much easier to grasp with the maps.
The Earthsea maps are awesome too, really liked them
The interesting thing about maps is that there is an expectation of realism with them. Unless it's set in a wonderland where common knowledge is thrown out of the window. This poses a question on whether or not the authors/creators of the world is able to sacrifice some realism to further realize their artistic vision. A good example of this would be the web series RWBY's world. It looks like a mess and probably wouldn't naturally exist, but it greatly represents the tone of the series. That is fast and loose badass whimsical fantasy.
So happy I’m not the only one with a map issue. One of my favorites by far is the map found in crooked kingdom of Ketterdam. I truly appreciate how much effort the author put into the city layout and the different districts throughout. Another really good one for me is the Fennbirn map from the three dark crowns series. It’s a little crowded at times but the chaos and design choices really show the power these queens have and the battles they are about to face. Also, the queens of renthia series has a very simple map which I really appreciate because it doesn’t over complicate things and is really helpful for following along as they do all their traveling
As someone who grew up reading atlases I totally get it. Awesome video! Mapheads unite!
I love fantasy maps, not only existing ones, but also making them myself. Just a few weeks ago I had a long discussion on your Discord server for writing about the details of maps.
I know it's not canon, but one of my favourite maps is that of the Witcher series.
One that I think you'll find interesting is Brandon Sanderson's Elantris. If you haven't read it, it's probably worth your time if you're looking for something else to compliment your Cosmere knowledge, because it does exist within that universe. And the map/geography specifically has a significant impact in the storyline and things that happen within the magic system in that world. Certainly it's not quite on par with Stormlight or Mistborn but it's still a very solid story and I believe on his blog he even shows a kind of evolution of this map from his very first hand drawn sketches to the final product with a real artist. If you love geeking out on fantasy maps then this one is worth a little hobby time digging into.
Maps in stories serve a purpose and should be looked at that way. My issue and why I ignore the details really is geology. Mountains do not just happen and need a source to push them up.
Yes, but we're talking fantasy. To go with the obvious: most mountain ranges in Middle-Earth are explicitly stated to have been raised by either Morgoth or Sauron as fortifications. So weird geology is ok if it is explained and within rules of the world.
Finally, someone talks about maps. I am one who believes every author should have a map of their world (not necessary in their book, double points if you do). It can be in their head because I hate when authors make mistakes of where places are because they didn't bother to figure it out.
I hardly ever comment on youtube or any other kind of platform, however, after watching this video, as a hopeful writer and lover of cartography and map-making, this was an amazing video to watch! Love the enthusiasm, appreciate the compassion, and you've made me feel so much better about the hours i've worked so hard on my maps creating that perfect world for the story you want to tell!!
I don't pay a lot of attention to maps usually, I'm not sure why...I get more into it if it's a sprawling story and I want to keep track of where all the characters are so I'll refer to the map, or there is a battle and i want to understand the tactics, they can be a great short hand for me when I lose track. I think Wheel of Time and Stormlight are some great example where the world building was aided a lot by the map, at some point with Wheel of time I stopped referring to the map and I knew where everything was and what was north and what is south, though that only works with a long saga that explores the whole world.
I actually really enjoyed the map in ToG. I haven't heard many people talking about it, which is quite sad to me. It gives a really good vibe, there is evident the effort in the map, but at the same time it's not confusing and it's even easy to remember. It is telling us something just by looking at it, way before we dug into the book itself
As a landscape architect, cartographer and avid fantasy reader- I couldn't agree more. I would love to find a way into this niche craft.
I've always liked the Discworld maps (the Discworld, the city of Ankh-Morpork and the Lacre region, there may be others that I've forgotten). Not only because of feeling that they perfectly encapsulate the vision of the books and that they are amazing works of art, but mainly because of their conception. From what I can remember the author Terry Pratchett didn't think that the city of Ankh-Morpork could be mapped because he just made it up as he went along. It wasn't until Stephen Briggs set out to do it and showed that it all worked together in the books (I think there were a couple of inconsistencies, but that has to be assumed in anything touching Discworld geography or history). I always feel that it adds to the slightly chaotic nature of the world that they represent and some sort of "natural evolution" of the world, rather than it all having been planned beforehand.
As a cartographer the map is always the first thing I look at and I agree Tolkien’s s map are the gold standard for fantasy maps. Advice for authors if you can’t draw a map hire or buddy up with a good cartographer it will make the world of difference.
Thank you for this. I need to up my map game for my book world
With map I still have to go with middle earth man, its just timeless. If we ever got a really detailed map of One Piece's world that would be awesome but we only have the general layouts of it all so thats not really it. Tamriel and Wheel of Time are up there of course, Stormlight too.
I used Sketchup to create a representation of a 3-D map of nearby stars using their actual positions for a military science fiction series that I'm writing--two books available currently out of the seven planned.
I absolutely HATE books that have large, sweeping worlds,but no maps.
Or maps that give you very little real information.
I'm looking at you Death Gate Cycle(Wiess/Hickman). Great series, by the way Daniel. Check it out if you haven't.
Haplo and Alfred are two of my favorite protagonists of all time.
Sangdrax and Lord Xar(antagonists)...superb.
Then there's Zifnab?Fizban?James Bond?...Hilarious!!
I actually came to the comments to mention DGC, because there are diagrams of the world that do some of what Daniel's talking about in this video. The fact that you can't really trace Haplo's movements through them precisely the way you can with most Big Damn Worlds, for me, just helped in the immersion of the story. But that's just me.
@@daverevisions2843 I feel you bro.
I prefer a LITTLE more detail in the maps is all.
It definitely doesn't detract from the story in any way, don't get me wrong.
My biggest Gripe especially as an Australian, is why is every Fantasy series set in the Northern Hemisphere? With the Arctic region in the North and the Tropics and Deserts in the South, even Australian Fantasy Authors do it.
Great video. Never thought of a map as something adding to the theme of a book
Thought this was gonna be a roast of poorly done maps like a lot of videos, but this one was pleasantly positive. I've done a lot of maps for my own setting, and while they're not very high quality, they are fun to make and help me orient myself when writing stories and adventures. I highly encourage other fantasy writers to make maps too, even if you don't think they'd look good. :)
This honestly helped me out so much! You provide advice with world building and writing fantasy in a way where you’re not cocky. I can tell you know that anyone can create a masterpiece, and I appreciate that.
I love the maps from the Belgariad & Malloreon.
I have a huge custom map for my D n D world I keep unlabelled so I can make up new stuff for different stories. Where could I share a pic of it to you?
Totally agree. Probably my favorite map. Really makes you realize how huge and diverse that world is
I can recommend Joe Abercrombie's Shattered Sea - especially the first book Half a King. The included maps are absolutely great when you read the story - which always includes lots of travel in this trilogy -, you can follow along each step on the maps.
...and Goodkind talks smack about maps.
I am a sucker for the WoT map. That whole world feels so real to me.
I basically refuse to read a fantasy story if there's no map in the book!
I agree I adore maps so much. I don't know if I have a favourite but I meticulously memorize them from every book I read physically.
I know Sword of truth - Terry Goodkind isn’t anyone’s favourite but I enjoyed the maps at the beginning of every book, and after a certain point in the series maybe book 7-8? The map actually grows in size and corresponds with where protagonists are going.
Big choice you need to make for fantasy maps - are you presenting the reader with a map you made for your own, authorial reference, or is it a copy of a map potentially available to the characters (or at least to some rich bugger in-universe) themselves? It might be easy to get lost down the rabbit hole of the history of cartography and surveying, but thinking about how the people in your universe might make maps - and, to a certain extent, understand the larger scale geography of their world - is probably worth a few hours of thought.
Im a big fan of my own map. Just finished my first fantasy novel last night!
Year later check in: how’s it going with the novel?
@@isaacm6052 going well. Its not selling like hot cakes but that was never the intention. Just wanted to put it out. Here I am a year later, plotting two other books in the series. One prequel and a sequel. Thanks for asking :)
What are your thoughts on the use of cardinal directions in world/map building? I always thought it would be cool for someone to break convention and come up with a different, novel way of orienting their world. Also, the idea of the Sun's progression from East to West. I've always thought in some fantasy realms this might not be the case. I would like someone to build their own astronomical maps and rules for their world.
Just wondering if anyone else agrees.
Yes. Why not have the sun rises in the North & sets in the South.
Discworld?
ThAT SOUNDS HECKIN INTERESTING
The map of the Lonely Mountain from the Hobbit has east at the top because that was custom of the dwarves.
@@trevorvanderwoerd8915 cool!!!!!
I'd add that I really appreciate, as sub-thread of this topic, mini-maps. In several chapters of WoT, they had nice maps of the specific city in which the subsequent scene took place, like with the Battle of Maradon, for instance. It feels like a nice compromise for the author and reader, i.e. not so much detail is required for the larger, world map, and more detail can be poured into the small city/landscape maps. I actually really wish they did something like this for all the battle scenes in MoL. Would have been amazing.
2 of my favs: 1.) a map that feels like it was actually used by characters in the world is Thror’s map from the Hobbit because of notations by the characters and Easter eggs like moon runes. 2.) Treasure Island is classic, and what’s a better map than a treasure map? :) Great video!
I’d recommend the quick read Maphead by Ken Jennings. Yes, the jeopardy guy. There is even a section in it about Sanderson and the maps in his books.
My favorite is wheel of time map, its easy to understand and still has good details and vibes
In Stormlight we actually have the reverse!
In one of the first chapters of TWoK we get a smaller map of the Alethi provinces.
Later on, we get a map of Kharbranth
After that, we get a detailed map of the warcamps.
In WoR, we get a layout of the Parshendi city
Sanderson slowly gives us drawings and smaller maps as we progress through the story.
I absolutely love the map of Roshar, I fell in love with it when I first saw it! It's so detailed and the stormcloud shape makes it look powerfull and intimidating and epic. One day I'll get the poster...
Very insightful. Thank you Daniel! 🙏
Looking forward to seeing the map of your world.
Maps in fantasy games often seem a bit funny. Like having a desert or snowy mountain just next to a green forest.
Exept Tamriel
@@agent5866 right. And even if it happens, it's understandable and not a problem in most cases.
When I was a kid, I wrote a book that basically had a volcano smack dab in the countryside LOL!
Tamriel has great geography, so that is exempted.
I like any map I can make a good custom Risk board from.
Delivery and production on point. You should be proud of how much you've grown as a creator these last 2 years I've followed you.
I love fantasy maps, I have a lovely one of Middle Earth on my wall. I would like one of WOT but I cannot find one in UK. I also love historical maps and to see how they have changed over time, London is two thousand years old, I watched a documentary recently charting its change over that time and why they changed, amazing. I think knowing about real world maps would be an incredible tool for new fantasy authors to add depth and believability to there world.
Elantris was the 2nd fantasy book I ever read, and the first that made me realize how important the physical terrain of a world really is.
I like when they include maps and some are better than others
I love fantasy maps. I have a middle earth map above my TV I've had for years. I've been meaning to get more just encountered more posters than maps. I definitely know the value of maps. I'm writing a fantasy series right now and definitely trying to have a map of the continents in my head that I hope to make a reality.
I have drawn a few rough Fantasy Maps myself and it is so easy to come up with a story to fit the Map in my head.
Grishaverse is awesome. I love that in the first three books it's condensed to Rakha and then after that you get a whole world for the first six of crows and in the second which takes place in ketterdam you only get that map
The sarcasm in his eyes when he holds up eye of the world 🤣
Daniel : *gushes about Brandon Sanderson maps*
Me: *looks at mistborn map* :/
One of the things I love about the Mistborn maps is what they hint at of the culture as there are in-world artifacts. Like in the initial books that basically everything outside of the central dominance barely mattered, the location of the ash Mounts being more important than the vast majority aof the plantations because they were only full of Ska.
But if what you mean is they are not beautiful pieces of art, okay I am with you. I just like them because they look like maps people would draw and I love the insight into the world.
The city maps are also really interesting especially the ones of Elendel in 2nd era.
@afootineachworld the map is very basic. As it happens I think it makes sense for the universe, but it isn't really one that I would put a poster of on my wall.
Lukdun
Lukdun is a relatively small territory, comparative to Earth’s New York state or Greece in area (roughly 51,000 - 55,000 square miles or 82,000 - 88,500 km2), located on Gaea’s southeastern Tvak’ul (Inner Ocean) coast. It enjoys a humid subtropical climate and, boasting a variety of habitats, from mountains to coastal bays, is rich in both biodiversity and natural resources.
To read more:
www.worldanvil.com/w/delirium-miezko/a/lukdun-article-1
I do love a beautiful and detailed map, it really brings the story to life. I constantly look at it to see locations referred to in the text. I also look at them as a piece of art and necessary structure for a good novel.
One thing that really annoys me about many fantasy maps is the lack of care for geographic and climatic zones. By this I mean a desert would not exist next to a rainforest in the real world, but often in fantasy maps you see what I call careless pairings. For instance in the Roshar map in the video it looks like a hot desert is very near to an area called the Frostlands. For me this can take me out of the story and really affect my enjoyment of the novel.
A good fantasy map needs to take into account weather and latitude when designing countries and climates. The natural environment affects the civilisation and culture characters live in, ignoring this cheapens the work. One example I can think of is the Aiel in WOT, they are fair skinned with blonde/red hair. In real life peoples in hot desert area have darker skin, fair skinned people normally burn easier and don’t cope as well with the heat.
To sum up please consider real world climate and weather when designing your map. If you get it right, it will give you a great start in good world building.
In The Priory of the Orange Tree I like how the the map is split in two - one part for the West, one for the East - same as the sory itself is split by these directions so come to the middle point of the combined map in the end
My biggest map pet peeve the the right-angle mountain range around mordor. I know its fantasy and magic but I'd like some laws of geography to help me suspend disbelief
Got to love maps. Whenever I try to create a story, I start by drawing a map and then going, OK what story happens here. Usually works really well. At least until it comes to writing the first chapter.
Did you ever think of making a podcast? I would love to listen to you talk more deeply about points like these.
I always liked the Middle Earth map but am sometimes left wanting more. Where was Númenor compared to Middle Earth if we were able to map it? What about the lands in the far east - not mapped and little talked about.
When the Elves take boats into the West, do they cross an ocean to another continent, or do they transition to another dimension somewhere on the way?
Is the Middle Earth world a sphere or some multi-dimensional flat world on top of a giant turtle? It doesn't matter for the purposes of the story, but the questions bug me a little.
I also have had issues with the Game of Thrones world. It does seem to be a world somewhat like ours if you look hard enough at the hints (The Sunset Sea may extend eventually to Essos). The Land of Always Winter and for that matter Sothoryos seemed to extend more or less indefinitely. Also, what is it with the seasons of the 'world'? Is it just a magical effect or some sort of accelerated short-term ice age?
It sort of reminds me in that way to Aldiss's Helliconia series. At least the winters there have a scientific basis. As for maps of that world I don't much recall.
You should take a look at The Atlas of Middle Earth (by Karen Wynn Fonstad). It has the answers and maps for most of these things.
Here are my answers, from the top of my head though.
Numenor was in the ocean west of middle earth, about even with Gondor.
Lands to the far east - not mapped in detail, but there are some large scale maps, especially from earlier ages.
Elves: In the Second Age and before, they physically went across the ocean. In the Third Age and beyond, they transition to another dimension.
Sphere or flat: In the Second Age and before, it was flat. (And, if I recall correctly, the entire world, including the ocean, was floating on another ocean.) In the Third Age and beyond, it is round.
I should probably show this dude my fantasy world map then lol.
you should rank your favorite maps oh and my favorite map or one of my favorites will always be middle earth
THIS IS AMAZING!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE I NEVER THOUGHT OF THIS!!! I am now in LOOOOVE with the idea of a map displaying the TONE of the book, like being on the run!!!?! That's genius!!! I'll work with this for my future maps and I'm TOTALLY checking out those Gentlemen Bastards books!!!!!🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 I can't believe I never realized that Maps aren't technically "supposed" to be 100% geographically accurate because that would ruin the tone, the magic, The Wonder of the story! Also I totally thought based on the title that this would be a video about you complaining about all the things that authors do wrong with maps, but I am beyond glad to find that it was an encouraging rant instead of an annoyed rant! That's the best! We need more of that!
Mmhm yes do I love a good fantasy map. I have to on my wall now.
So I had a blog about 4 years ago where I dropped all the short stories I wrote within my fictional world of Atelinor. I made a map that I’m... mostly proud of. I think, having watched this video and having done some small study of cartography, I would have done it a bit differently.
I’ll link it in the comment below. If you don’t see it, YT likely marked it as spam and is awaiting approval.
Not asking anyone to read my short stories, but here’s the map draft I created: talesfromatelinor.wordpress.com/2016/01/11/map-of-atelinor/
I had a Photoshop filter that made maps like the second one.
I keed, I keed! It was an Action (macro).
Grrm’s World Of Ice & Fire go unrivaled for me
I see your Wheel of Time map Daniel Greene.
I just finished the first wheel of time book. And while i don't mind the layout of the map (i think its a bit circular but thats besides the point) i did have a problem with the way it was put on the page. Now i did get a massive reprint paperpack of this so maybe thats why but when i opened the map to get my bearings i could barely read the names and when i figured out our cast was from emonds field i looked for it on the map and literally could not find it. I had to google the map to get a colored version with more pixels and i found that emonds field was towards the middle and when i double checked it with the book the people printing the damn thing decided to hide the opening setting in the seem of the book. All these problems were fixed with the more detailed one as i read but it was still jarring and that mixed with the weird names made it daunting but I'm happy i stuck to it.
Favorite: (excluding Sanderson) Modesitt Jr.’s Recluce and Michael J.Sullivan’s world building from the past and future really invested me into the map as it grows and changes.
Least favorite:
Goodkind’s Sword of Truth map really threw me off. When the battles start to happen the scale of the world goes from epic feeling to small town in Rhode Island receiving the entire population of our planet. The evil wouldn’t have needed to win because the human waste covering the entire world would have ended it anyway. One of the only times the landscape of the world itself made me disconnect from the story a little.
I love fantasy maps! But they’ve become such a staple and so many don’t carry much weight or purpose except to EXIST, because every fantasy book needs a map now. Oh look, an arbitrary border with two cities and a road. HoW eNgAgInG.
Do video game maps count? Because I’ve been wanting a print of the map of Tyria from Guild Wars forever.
Late to the part cause...life.
A couple things...
1) if anyone wants to create their own map -for free- check out inkarate.com
2) have you seen the book “The Writer’s Map”? It’s a book of fiction maps! Sadly, it is not exclusively Fantasy (has a few) but it’s super cool. As a map enthusiast myself, it gets pulled out occasionally for the eye candy. I wish there was a book of only Fantasty maps though.
Traci Bailey Yes, I would definitely buy a Table Book Of fantasy maps.
Andrzej Sapkowski didn't make any maps. But then CDPR did an excellent job with it, that's my fav map.
Midkemia kelewen and novindus maps rock. Garn map as well.
One of my favorite series! Glad it's back.
I can't believe you didn't mention Wheel of Time map. I did notice there is the map mostly used in the books of the mainland, and I have seen a map done of the whole world that included the south lands and the Seanchan lands. Do you have a preference?
(Separate question. I have been following booktubers for a few years and I notice some people's channels grow very slowly and your seems to grow quickly. In a month since I followed you, you have gained 2000 subscribers. What's your secret?)
The WoT world map obviously. Duh- ;-)
Glad that someone else shares my love for Maps!
The edge chronicles has some really excellent maps
My favorite map is the one Artifeixan uses for a lot of his videos like the climate one.