Maplovers: _Cartographantasies_

[Ted Nolan <tednolan>]

Stumbled across this book review:

https://www.weeklystandard.com/alan-jacobs/the-writers-map-review-cartographantasies

Barring some unforeseen miracle of publishing occurring in
the next few weeks, The Writer's Map will be my book of the
year for 2018. It gathers intelligently charming meditations
from writers and festoons them with map after map after map
after map of imaginary, and sometimes non-imaginary, lands.
(Only after several days of staring at the beautifully
reproduced images did I force myself to read the words, but
I am glad I finally did.) I am so enamored of this book
that I bitterly resent what takes me away from it, whether
that be the need to eat, or sleep, or write this review.
But when duty calls, I sometimes answer.

It's not clear to me how many Fantasy(*) maps are reproduced and
commented on, but at the least there's Lev Grossman's _The Magicians_
and some Harry Potter.

Personally I find I hardly ever look at maps in books. I don't
know why, but it just doesn't draw me. If a character thinks
something is a long hard journey, or *that's* where we have to set
the ambush, that's enough for me.

(*) "Treasure Island" for instance isn't quite a real place, but the book is
not quite a fantasy..

[Dimensional Traveler]

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>
https://www.weeklystandard.com/alan-jacobs/the-writers-map-review-cartographantasies
Barring some unforeseen miracle of publishing occurring in
the next few weeks, The Writer's Map will be my book of the
year for 2018. It gathers intelligently charming meditations
from writers and festoons them with map after map after map
after map of imaginary, and sometimes non-imaginary, lands.
(Only after several days of staring at the beautifully
reproduced images did I force myself to read the words, but
I am glad I finally did.) I am so enamored of this book
that I bitterly resent what takes me away from it, whether
that be the need to eat, or sleep, or write this review.
But when duty calls, I sometimes answer.
It's not clear to me how many Fantasy(*) maps are reproduced and
commented on, but at the least there's Lev Grossman's _The Magicians_
and some Harry Potter.
Personally I find I hardly ever look at maps in books. I don't
know why, but it just doesn't draw me. If a character thinks
something is a long hard journey, or *that's* where we have to set
the ambush, that's enough for me.
(*) "Treasure Island" for instance isn't quite a real place, but the book is
not quite a fantasy..

Maps are cool!

[Robert Carnegie]

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>
https://www.weeklystandard.com/alan-jacobs/the-writers-map-review-cartographantasies
Barring some unforeseen miracle of publishing occurring in
the next few weeks, The Writer's Map will be my book of the
year for 2018. It gathers intelligently charming meditations
from writers and festoons them with map after map after map
after map of imaginary, and sometimes non-imaginary, lands.
(Only after several days of staring at the beautifully
reproduced images did I force myself to read the words, but
I am glad I finally did.) I am so enamored of this book
that I bitterly resent what takes me away from it, whether
that be the need to eat, or sleep, or write this review.
But when duty calls, I sometimes answer.
It's not clear to me how many Fantasy(*) maps are reproduced and
commented on, but at the least there's Lev Grossman's _The Magicians_
and some Harry Potter.
Personally I find I hardly ever look at maps in books. I don't
know why, but it just doesn't draw me. If a character thinks
something is a long hard journey, or *that's* where we have to set
the ambush, that's enough for me.

Tell, don't show??

But one does not simply sat nav into Mordor... and the chart
shows why, and why they went the way that they did.

Do I remember correctly early-ish British library hardcovers of LOTR
coming with maps to unfold, much larger than the book page?

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>
(*) "Treasure Island" for instance isn't quite a real place, but the book is
not quite a fantasy..
--
------
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..

[Chris Buckley]

Post by Robert Carnegie

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>
https://www.weeklystandard.com/alan-jacobs/the-writers-map-review-cartographantasies
Barring some unforeseen miracle of publishing occurring in
the next few weeks, The Writer's Map will be my book of the
year for 2018. It gathers intelligently charming meditations
from writers and festoons them with map after map after map
after map of imaginary, and sometimes non-imaginary, lands.
(Only after several days of staring at the beautifully
reproduced images did I force myself to read the words, but
I am glad I finally did.) I am so enamored of this book
that I bitterly resent what takes me away from it, whether
that be the need to eat, or sleep, or write this review.
But when duty calls, I sometimes answer.
It's not clear to me how many Fantasy(*) maps are reproduced and
commented on, but at the least there's Lev Grossman's _The Magicians_
and some Harry Potter.
Personally I find I hardly ever look at maps in books. I don't
know why, but it just doesn't draw me. If a character thinks
something is a long hard journey, or *that's* where we have to set
the ambush, that's enough for me.

Tell, don't show??
But one does not simply sat nav into Mordor... and the chart
shows why, and why they went the way that they did.
Do I remember correctly early-ish British library hardcovers of LOTR
coming with maps to unfold, much larger than the book page?

My US hardcover set, purchased in 1968, has large maps to unfold, one
per volume.

Chris

[Stephen Harker]

Post by Chris Buckley

Post by Robert Carnegie

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>
[...
Personally I find I hardly ever look at maps in books. I don't
know why, but it just doesn't draw me. If a character thinks
something is a long hard journey, or *that's* where we have to set
the ambush, that's enough for me.

Tell, don't show??
But one does not simply sat nav into Mordor... and the chart
shows why, and why they went the way that they did.
Do I remember correctly early-ish British library hardcovers of LOTR
coming with maps to unfold, much larger than the book page?

My US hardcover set, purchased in 1968, has large maps to unfold, one
per volume.

My mothers George Allen and Unwin hardcover set, second edition first
impression of 1966, has the large foldout maps. I recall reading with
the maps open as much as possible to check the story against the map and
look at (once) unknown areas.

Her later single copy of the George Allen and Unwin hardcover _The Two
Towers_, second edition eighth impression, also has the foldout maps.

[Michael F. Stemper]

Post by Chris Buckley

Post by Robert Carnegie

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>
https://www.weeklystandard.com/alan-jacobs/the-writers-map-review-cartographantasies
It's not clear to me how many Fantasy(*) maps are reproduced and
commented on, but at the least there's Lev Grossman's _The Magicians_
and some Harry Potter.
Personally I find I hardly ever look at maps in books. I don't
know why, but it just doesn't draw me. If a character thinks
something is a long hard journey, or *that's* where we have to set
the ambush, that's enough for me.

Tell, don't show??
But one does not simply sat nav into Mordor... and the chart
shows why, and why they went the way that they did.
Do I remember correctly early-ish British library hardcovers of LOTR
coming with maps to unfold, much larger than the book page?

My US hardcover set, purchased in 1968, has large maps to unfold, one
per volume.

The same is true of my Houghton-Mifflin hardbacks, purchased in 2001.

[P. Taine]

On Sun, 4 Nov 2018 16:41:25 -0800 (PST), Robert Carnegie

Post by Robert Carnegie

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>
https://www.weeklystandard.com/alan-jacobs/the-writers-map-review-cartographantasies
Barring some unforeseen miracle of publishing occurring in
the next few weeks, The Writer's Map will be my book of the
year for 2018. It gathers intelligently charming meditations
from writers and festoons them with map after map after map
after map of imaginary, and sometimes non-imaginary, lands.
(Only after several days of staring at the beautifully
reproduced images did I force myself to read the words, but
I am glad I finally did.) I am so enamored of this book
that I bitterly resent what takes me away from it, whether
that be the need to eat, or sleep, or write this review.
But when duty calls, I sometimes answer.
It's not clear to me how many Fantasy(*) maps are reproduced and
commented on, but at the least there's Lev Grossman's _The Magicians_
and some Harry Potter.
Personally I find I hardly ever look at maps in books. I don't
know why, but it just doesn't draw me. If a character thinks
something is a long hard journey, or *that's* where we have to set
the ambush, that's enough for me.

Tell, don't show??
But one does not simply sat nav into Mordor... and the chart
shows why, and why they went the way that they did.
Do I remember correctly early-ish British library hardcovers of LOTR
coming with maps to unfold, much larger than the book page?

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>
(*) "Treasure Island" for instance isn't quite a real place, but the book is
not quite a fantasy..
--
------
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..

My 1953/4 American hardcover copies have fold-out maps too.

(The "Fellowship of the Ring" is undated, but the other two are dated 1954. From
some now forgotten source I gleaned that that the first volume was issued in
1953.)

P. Taine

[Titus G]

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>
https://www.weeklystandard.com/alan-jacobs/the-writers-map-review-cartographantasies
Barring some unforeseen miracle of publishing occurring in
the next few weeks, The Writer's Map will be my book of the
year for 2018. It gathers intelligently charming meditations
from writers and festoons them with map after map after map
after map of imaginary, and sometimes non-imaginary, lands.
(Only after several days of staring at the beautifully
reproduced images did I force myself to read the words, but
I am glad I finally did.) I am so enamored of this book
that I bitterly resent what takes me away from it, whether
that be the need to eat, or sleep, or write this review.
But when duty calls, I sometimes answer.
It's not clear to me how many Fantasy(*) maps are reproduced and
commented on, but at the least there's Lev Grossman's _The Magicians_
and some Harry Potter.
Personally I find I hardly ever look at maps in books. I don't
know why, but it just doesn't draw me. If a character thinks
something is a long hard journey, or *that's* where we have to set
the ambush, that's enough for me.

snip

It is enough for me too though I peruse them before beginning reading
and recall becoming confused at some point in Martin's Threnody of Lice
and Ire and having to consult a map so I don't discount them entirely,
and it is sort of like the attraction of the cover, an extra thrill of
anticipation. Though I would be disappointed if study of a map was
important in understanding or following the text.

Having never left Dirt for more than about half a day or so at maximum,
I am also not very familiar with our Solar System other than the basics
and beyond that everything I know is from Science Fiction, some of which
may be fictional but I don't need "maps" when reading that either. Among
other treats, I have read several books of the Expanse series this year
and more than often have no idea where places are but it doesn't matter
because I know who else is there and if proximity to other places or
events is relevant, that has been obvious from events or disclosed in
characters conversations. Ignorance, bliss, but I also enjoy maps
separate from reading so have saved the link to read later.

[Quadibloc]

I know I enjoyed the book "The Atlas of Fantasy" which reprinted maps of various
imaginary realms.

John Savard

[Greg Goss]

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>
Personally I find I hardly ever look at maps in books. I don't
know why, but it just doesn't draw me. If a character thinks
something is a long hard journey, or *that's* where we have to set
the ambush, that's enough for me.

Some of the 1632 books depend fairly heavily on their maps.
Unfortunately I do all my book reading these days on my phone.
Nobodys perfected a fold-out phone yet, so the maps are
incomprehensible.

[Kevrob]

Post by Greg Goss

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>
Personally I find I hardly ever look at maps in books. I don't
know why, but it just doesn't draw me. If a character thinks
something is a long hard journey, or *that's* where we have to set
the ambush, that's enough for me.

Some of the 1632 books depend fairly heavily on their maps.
Unfortunately I do all my book reading these days on my phone.
Nobodys perfected a fold-out phone yet, so the maps are
incomprehensible.

I miss phones with fold-out keyboards. I had a smartphone that
/I/ /k/i/l/l/e/d/ died that had a fold-out keyboard that I loved.
I used to ride the bus a lot, and I would fat-finger the onscreen
keypad constantly as we trundled over pothole and railroad crossing.
The physical pad was much more forgiving.

Kevin R

[Bill Gill]

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>
https://www.weeklystandard.com/alan-jacobs/the-writers-map-review-cartographantasies
Barring some unforeseen miracle of publishing occurring in
the next few weeks, The Writer's Map will be my book of the
year for 2018. It gathers intelligently charming meditations
from writers and festoons them with map after map after map
after map of imaginary, and sometimes non-imaginary, lands.
(Only after several days of staring at the beautifully
reproduced images did I force myself to read the words, but
I am glad I finally did.) I am so enamored of this book
that I bitterly resent what takes me away from it, whether
that be the need to eat, or sleep, or write this review.
But when duty calls, I sometimes answer.
It's not clear to me how many Fantasy(*) maps are reproduced and
commented on, but at the least there's Lev Grossman's _The Magicians_
and some Harry Potter.
Personally I find I hardly ever look at maps in books. I don't
know why, but it just doesn't draw me. If a character thinks
something is a long hard journey, or *that's* where we have to set
the ambush, that's enough for me.
(*) "Treasure Island" for instance isn't quite a real place, but the book is
not quite a fantasy..

Well as far as maps in Fantasy are concerned Diana Wynne Jones' book
"The Tough Guide to Fanatasyland" has the definitive map.

Bill

[Lynn McGuire]

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>
https://www.weeklystandard.com/alan-jacobs/the-writers-map-review-cartographantasies
Barring some unforeseen miracle of publishing occurring in
the next few weeks, The Writer's Map will be my book of the
year for 2018. It gathers intelligently charming meditations
from writers and festoons them with map after map after map
after map of imaginary, and sometimes non-imaginary, lands.
(Only after several days of staring at the beautifully
reproduced images did I force myself to read the words, but
I am glad I finally did.) I am so enamored of this book
that I bitterly resent what takes me away from it, whether
that be the need to eat, or sleep, or write this review.
But when duty calls, I sometimes answer.
It's not clear to me how many Fantasy(*) maps are reproduced and
commented on, but at the least there's Lev Grossman's _The Magicians_
and some Harry Potter.
Personally I find I hardly ever look at maps in books. I don't
know why, but it just doesn't draw me. If a character thinks
something is a long hard journey, or *that's* where we have to set
the ambush, that's enough for me.
(*) "Treasure Island" for instance isn't quite a real place, but the book is
not quite a fantasy..

The maps in David Weber's Safehold books helped explain several of the
battles.

Lynn