The Geography of Fictional Worlds
By Kanesha the GeoVeg
From the Nick Jr. series Dora the Explorer to the Chronicles of Narnia by the late C.S. Lewis, the realm of fiction is home to many maps. In the days of budget cuts, leading to loss of college and university Geography departments, it is nice to know that maps do have a place in this (or any) world. Like many forms of communication, maps have evolved from their once static, paper forms to living, breathing (and occasionally speaking) entities. This article will review some of the fiction world’s famous maps and explore their roles in the stories they help to tell.
Maps and Novels
The Chronicles of Narnia
The seven book series is considered one of the pioneers of high fantasy, alongside the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien. This subgenre of fantasy is defined by the use of invented or parallel worlds. The world of Narnia is composed of several countries and unincorporated lands: Narnia, Archenland, Calormen, Ettinsmoor, the Wild Lands to the North, the Eastern Ocean archipelagoes and others. In order to make this world come to life through words, C.S. Lewis, had maps drawn by late Pauline Baynes. This visual allowed him to describe in great detail and consistency, the world in which his characters traveled and developed.
Maps and Television
Dora the Explorer
The hit, children’s television show, Dora the Explorer, is about a seven-year-old explorer named Dora (pretty self-explanatory). Dora is all about adventure. She loves to explorer forests, mountains and even outer space with her cohorts: Boots, Backpack and Map. Dora never goes on an adventure without them. Map is an essential member the team, providing directions in each episode to various locations in Dora’s world. He even knows his way in space, where he is called Star Map (cute, right?). Every time a child (or adult) joins Dora and her friends for an adventure, they must relay Map’s instructions to her in order for her to know her way. Though this usually results in raised voices (for me, at least), Dora finally gets the message and takes off. Her adventures would be nothing without him
Maps and Video Games
World of Warcraft (WOW)
This massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) by Blizzard Entertainment has taken the video game industry by storm. It has even been reinvented as a tabletop game, collectible cards, books and comics. There has even been discussion about a full-length motion picture. The Warcraft universe takes place on a planet called Azeroth, which is mainly comprised of three continents: Eastern Kingdoms, Kalimdor and Northrend. There are two factions on Azeroth that are constantly at war with one another. The Eastern Kingdoms is home to the Alliance faction which includes the following races: Humans, Dwarves, Draenei, Gnomes and Night Elves. The opposition, the Horde, live on Kalimor, a more rugged land of magical forest. The Horde faction includes: Orcs, Forsaken, Tauren, Trolls and Blood Elves. Many official and fan-made maps of this world exist; their significance in the game is to assist players of both factions in the navigation, exploration and hopeful conquest of the Warcraft universe.
See, Tony, Geography is still relevant in fiction!
