[errol]

Have a question, my first on the forum!

Having become an avid fantasy reader over the past 2 years I am somewhat disappointed that I never refer to the maps in the books for reference. I don’t find this impedes my reading, I just seem to forget that they are their.

So my question is, does anybody else refer to the maps in books?

[Radthorne]

I seem to recall a thread sometime back that talked about this question. I think the conclusion was that some people swore by them (even to the extent that they cross-checked distances mentioned in the book against the map), and other people ignored them entirely; and of course some larger percentage fell in between, perhaps using them to get a general "lay of the land" so to speak.

I'm more in your camp, not generally too interested in the maps. I did not have one (other than in my head) for my books, but my publisher insisted: "All fantasy books must have maps!" So I created one, and I have heard from folks who felt it helped them out, so I suppose it was a good thing.

And - welcome to the forum! :)

[errol]

Thought as much, well I will keep it in mind. Just checking I wasn't missing something.

Thanks :)

[Esmenet]

Yeah going along with the map thing, it depends on the book that I am reading. I look at the maps sometimes, but other than that I don't really pay any attention to them. Sometimes I'll take a special look at one of them, but thats only because its drawn well, and I happen to be obsessions with art so I look at them for that purpose. But I don't really think they make it easier to read the books and then again some fantasy novels don't even have maps.

[Corporal Blues]

I for one, really enjoy the maps. It helps me get a lay of the land, and an idea as to what else there is in the world. Not only are they useful, but also fun. If I pick up a book in a bookstore one of the first things I look at is the map.

As for refering to it once I am reading, thats a whole different story. I tend to get caught up in the actual story, and often forget about the map. This happened to me most recently while reading The Thousandfold Thought, and while the battle of Shimeh was raging, and Bakker was naming specific points and places in the city, I totally forgot that there was a map. It would have been handy to, lending a better understanding as to where certain factions and characters were located.

But I say YEA to maps. I get frustrated if they aren't there.

[Ouroboros]

I remember the old thread on maps that Radthorne is referring to ... but I can't seem to find it. From what I can recall it was quite extensive, maybe someone else can turn it up?

From my perspective, I think there are certain books where maps are more than just cool add-ons. Most of them, however, are not in the fantasy genre.

An example would be Michael Shara's fantastic 'The Killer Angels', which is one of the finest military historical novels ever written. The simple but clear maps which accompany the narrative are essential to getting the most out of the book, as they show the various stages of the battle of Ghettysburg which is the subject of the work.

I don't think there are many (if any) fantasy works where the reader genuinely benefits, and indeed, requires, the same level of detail.

There are times when it's nice to open up a fold-out map of Middle Earth and take in the wider sweep of events, but you can appreciate the 'Lord of the Rings' just as well without doing it.

And David Gemmell managed to romp all over several worlds for a number of decades without giving his readers the benefit of a map.

[Liathano]

I am a map-oholic. It annoys me when there isn't one in the book. If I don't know North, South, East & West I hate it. I like to be able to visualize everything while I read including where the sun would be during certain times of the day. I know it sounds really anal.:p

[errol]

So Liathano you really are the opposite to me ;) , once I start reading I get lost in the story and the place seems irrelevant. Every time I look for the map I loose interest.

[Liathano]

I just started Gemmell's Legend and it doesn't have a map. I'm so bad that I will look online and print it off if there happens to be one! I like to know where towns and cities lie in relation to one another too. Sigh, it sounds so much worse when you write it!:D

[SteveF]

I really like a fantasy book to have a map; to me it just makes the world feel a little more fleshed out and fully realised. This may primarily be because I'm a geographer.