Westeros, Middle-earth, and the glories of a good fantasy map

Each of these foldable illustrations was simultaneously unique and familiar. Not just familiar because they contained similar elements like “coastlines, mountain ranges … vast landmasses to the east, [and] only endless ocean to the west,” but because they contained impressions of the real world around us. Growing up in Germany, Daub had the unique experience of receiving images of fantasy worlds from American designers, most of which were based around the vague shape of Western Europe. He was seeing his home reimagined as a new realm, complete with ocean on three sides and a stereotypically exotic far east.

Daub also notes how special it is that the map readers see in a book is the same as the one the characters see in the world of the novel. “The map is that rare totem that is identical in their world and ours,” he writes. “When you look at the map, you meet the character eye to eye.” While the characters and the story are what hook you in and keep you coming back, the map is the key to getting yourself there.

Check out the whole essay for Daub’s further insights, including a look at political baggage that comes along with the well-trod fantasy trope of a mysterious eastern continent.