Can I just say, maps in books are one of my favourite things. Not because I actually refer to the map during the book to follow the characters’ movements, because, to be honest, I never remember that the map exists when I’m in the middle of reading. Certain not because I can actually read most of the maps, and definitely not because I can draw them. No, the reason I love book maps so much is because seeing the world laid out on the page in map form gives me the intense feeling that this world is real. It has a geography. It has places outside the ones that actually appear on the page. It looks real. It makes me believe that it could be real.
The only downside to this, of course, is that looking at the maps of places that seem like they could be real makes me wish that they were real so that I could travel to these lands and explore them all. I’m not much of a traveller, but I would definitely make an exception if I could visit Cair Paravel, or wander through The Shire. Even more real world locations, like the ones in Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons books are enticing and exciting. I look at these maps, and wish that I could have adventures of my own in these places.
Plus, the other great thing about pretty much all the book maps I’ve ever seen is that they are all gorgeous. Far from just being a basic guide to the essential places from the story, usually they’re also decorative, sometimes with notes connected to the story, or markings that show you the character’s journeys. They’re not only functional, but beautiful as well. Couldn’t you see the map of Middle Earth hanging in a writer’s study, or one of the Hundred Acre Woods in a kid’s room? I could definitely see myself displaying a map or two on my walls if I had them.
I might not use maps while I’m reading the actual book, but I love them for their beauty, the way they make the world seem that much more real to me, and the way they make me want to travel to these lands (and maybe even have an adventure or two of my own while I was there). I only wish that I had the skill to draw maps of my own. As a fantasy writer, having beautiful hand drawn maps of my own worlds would be an absolute dream. Maybe one day I will have to learn so I can make some for myself. But I’d love to know, do you like books with maps? Have you ever drawn maps of your own books? What is the most beautiful book map you’ve ever seen? If you could live in one book’s world, which would you choose?
Maps are amazing! They’re also another reason why I like print books. I like to flip back to the map sometimes when I’m reading to see where characters are at, and it’s hard to do so in e-books.
Yes, I definitely draw out the maps for my stories! As I am not very skilled with graphic design (yet), I had a professional designer make the final map for my series.