The map is
the second most sought after work of art in a fantasy book (in many cases).
Apart from the book cover, readers of the genre love flipping through the first
couple of pages to behold the layout of the world/land that they are about to
explore (via the characters). Fantasy maps are a great way of bringing
visualization to the author’s world, helping to provide just a drop of imagery
in the reader’s mind. They assist the reader with locale and perspective while
journeying through the pages. They may even help embellish one’s imagination.
Maps in
fantasy go as far back as 1908 when L. Frank Baum presented his map of the Land
of Oz, projected on a large screen, at his multi-media stage shows (The
Fairylogue and Radio-Plays); which were used to promote his first
three Oz books. In 1914 the first printed Oz map was included in Tik-Tok of Oz, the eighth Oz book, along
with another map at the back of the book titled Map of the Countries Near to the Land of Oz.
One will
not find a map in all fantasy books, but any fantasy novel set in a secondary world most commonly will feature some
kind of map. As stated above, this can assist in visualizing a world not like our
own, and help pull the reader into a “belief” of that fantasy world.
Not every
reader of fantasy likes or has respect for maps in fantasy. Some ignore them
completely; others glance over it with a shrug; yet others tend to delve into them
like one on a quest. There are even cases where people will select or reject a
fantasy novel based on whether or not it contains a map—or based on the
judgment of the quality of the map. Like the old saying, “Don’t judge a book by
its cover;” the same should apply to judging books by their map(s).
Fantasy
maps are an extension from the text. The fascinating thing about reading fantasy
books is being able to use one’s imagination; but wrapping that imagination
around a visual relation to the story can often expand that imagination. Yet,
this is not so for all readers. Personally, I tend to be the one who simply
glances over the map and then move on with the story. However, if I find myself
really engrossed in the story, I will look more intently at the map just to
suck up as much as I can of the world that I’m experiencing.
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