# When reading a high-fantasy novel, how much do you study the maps? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 5, 2008, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-reading-a-high-fantasy-novel-how-much-do-you-study-the-maps/440125 "2008-03-05T01:46:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-reading-a-high-fantasy-novel-how-much-do-you-study-the-maps/440125/41 "2008-03-05T16:13:34Z")
I don’t really bother with them. I kind of treat it like LA time in _24_. The characters get to places when they get there and I don’t really want to worry about impracticalities in this regard. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-reading-a-high-fantasy-novel-how-much-do-you-study-the-maps/440125/42 "2008-03-05T16:13:35Z")
Real-life maps interest me much less than fictional maps. They’re useful, certainly, and I like to have maps of any area I’m going to be navigating in, but I generally don’t study them for their own sake. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2008, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-reading-a-high-fantasy-novel-how-much-do-you-study-the-maps/440125/43 "2008-03-05T17:24:09Z")
But how far from Intercourse is Gobbler’s Knob? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2008, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-reading-a-high-fantasy-novel-how-much-do-you-study-the-maps/440125/44 "2008-03-05T19:05:48Z")
[QUOTE=schnuckiputzi] I don’t tend to be obsessive on maps, but I will check them to see where places are in relation to each other as I read through the story. In Song of Ice and Fire I was always trying to see where the children were in relation to each other. I’m in the middle of Stirling’s Meeting at Corvallis, and I keep checking the map in the front, but it’s hand drawn and needs to be about 3x bigger for my ageing eyes. ☹ [/QUOTE] Here are some “[real](http://hem.bredband.net/b108107/stirling/amac-links.html)” maps of the area. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2008, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-reading-a-high-fantasy-novel-how-much-do-you-study-the-maps/440125/45 "2008-03-05T19:10:35Z")
[QUOTE=Dr. Rieux] But how far from Intercourse is Gobbler’s Knob? 😉 [/QUOTE] The more salient question is “How far from Intercourse are Blue Ball and Paradise?” ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-reading-a-high-fantasy-novel-how-much-do-you-study-the-maps/440125/46 "2008-03-05T19:14:18Z")
I study maps in fantasy books, both because I love maps, and because I wanted to draw them, once upon a time. I don’t have an artistic bone in my body, but I can do fantasy cartography fairly well. I used to while away the time drawing up various maps of imaginary fantasy lands when I was younger. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2008, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-reading-a-high-fantasy-novel-how-much-do-you-study-the-maps/440125/47 "2008-03-05T19:54:11Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] I think maps really help. Maps and invented languages. Maps, invented languages and arch-type fantasy races. Maps, invented languages, arch-type fantasy races, genealogies, creation myths, etc. … Sorry about that. [\quote] Wouldn’t it have been quicker to write “Tolkien rocks!!!” ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2008, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-reading-a-high-fantasy-novel-how-much-do-you-study-the-maps/440125/48 "2008-03-05T20:11:57Z")
[QUOTE=Skald the Rhymer] [QUOTE=What Exit?] I think maps really help. Maps and invented languages. Maps, invented languages and arch-type fantasy races. Maps, invented languages, arch-type fantasy races, genealogies, creation myths, etc. … Sorry about that. [/quote] Wouldn’t it have been quicker to write “Tolkien rocks!!!” [/QUOTE] Yes, but not as much fun. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-reading-a-high-fantasy-novel-how-much-do-you-study-the-maps/440125/49 "2008-03-05T20:35:02Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] Yes, but not as much fun. 😉 [/QUOTE] But the professor does rock. Well, did rock, till September of 73. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2008, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-reading-a-high-fantasy-novel-how-much-do-you-study-the-maps/440125/50 "2008-03-05T21:02:45Z")
I take a quick look before reading, then quick peaks back to refresh my memory if I get confused during the book. I don’t really consider it all that important, though. If they say they’re going east to Wherever instead of south to The Other Place, I usuallyl just shrug mentally and read on. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-reading-a-high-fantasy-novel-how-much-do-you-study-the-maps/440125.md?page=2)