Fantasy maps in literature

Merryn Henderson drew my attention to a brilliant thread of tweets from Frank Cottrell-Boyce with maps from classic literary fiction. I’m not sure if these are #MapsintheWild but they are an absolute delight so I thought I would share them with you (apologies for the way some tweets in a thread get duplicated)

At the opposite end of the scale, this one of Milly Molly Mandy's village was great because you could BUILD the village for your little sis and be Billy Blunt to her MMM pic.twitter.com/0g8f0XtIYV
— Frank Cottrell-Boyce (@frankcottrell_b) January 23, 2019

I was wondering where this started. Treasure Island? Stevenson drew the map himself for his step-son before he wrote the book … pic.twitter.com/kkJ5ttI85a
— Frank Cottrell-Boyce (@frankcottrell_b) January 23, 2019

Then remembered that there were maps of the pilgrim's progress in Pilgrim's Progress … and maps were a big part of the story (the shepherds give Christian a map in the Delectable Mountains) pic.twitter.com/tVC1T489Vi
— Frank Cottrell-Boyce (@frankcottrell_b) January 23, 2019

It's a bit moving that this looks like a proper siege map from the War of Spanish Succession or something – he did maps of real places too.
— Frank Cottrell-Boyce (@frankcottrell_b) January 23, 2019

Despite Pauline Baines brilliantly evocative drawings, the geography of Narnia is a bit basic and the geography of Middle Earth – which seems so convincing close up – just looks silly on a map. The Dawn Treader map was OK though … pic.twitter.com/iXXpXHsxcd
— Frank Cottrell-Boyce (@frankcottrell_b) January 23, 2019

Then there was this … from the Weirdstone of Brisingamen … which was thrilling because it was a real place! You could go there! And find the magic. You could use it as a guide. Spent ages looking for the gates of Fundindelve while my Dad shouted "I can see Runcorn!" pic.twitter.com/yz0Bq1AMsf
— Frank Cottrell-Boyce (@frankcottrell_b) January 23, 2019

The map of OZ … looks more like those allegorical maps pic.twitter.com/JAEL5YfTnv
— Frank Cottrell-Boyce (@frankcottrell_b) January 23, 2019

I guess the most important fictional map is the Selenographia – map of the Moon. Simultaneously accurate map of the bumps and totally fanatical about what they are – Sea of Tranquility etc. Like all fiction – a car crash of reality and imagination pic.twitter.com/8lsWWzhd1t
— Frank Cottrell-Boyce (@frankcottrell_b) January 23, 2019

Thanks @mdgtame for reminding me that Alderley Edge and the Moon are not the only real places with fictional maps … here's Ashdown Forest reimagined pic.twitter.com/qAU7Ee77ym
— Frank Cottrell-Boyce (@frankcottrell_b) January 23, 2019

The thread goes on for quite a while with loads of people chipping in other fantasy maps. Well worth a peruse

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