highly sensitive power

Oh, maps … oops. Sorry, I had to stop and wipe the drool off my keyboard. If you want to hypnotize me or calm me down, just shove a map in front of my face. My eyes will glaze, I’ll acquire a foolish grin, and my hand will reach involuntarily toward the map.

And if the map is imaginary, I’ll be lost. I’ll gladly roam the unfamiliar world, curious to discover not only another land but another mind.

These are (so far) my favourite sources for imaginary map adventures:

Strange Maps ~ I heartily thank the apparently anonymous creator of this website for regularly making me giggle, gape, and ogle. The author wrote this in the site’s long-ago first post: “I like maps. I like weird maps, the kind you won’t find in a regular atlas. Maps of countries that never existed – or never will exist. … here are the weirdest maps I found on the internet.”

Holly Lisle’s article “How I Drew a Map and Sold Three Books and a World” ~ Holly Lisle is one of my favourite online sources of writing encouragement and resources. Make sure to click on the little pictures in the article to see larger versions of her map creation.

You Are Here: Personal Geographies and Other Maps of the Imagination, by Katharine Harmon ~ I wish this book had been produced in a larger format. Nevertheless, the variety and oddness of the maps and the analyses offered make it a captivating gem well worth exploring.

The Dictionary of Imaginary Places, by Alberto Manguel ~ Although this vast dictionary is not only (or even primarily) about maps, it does contain many maps of “the imaginary lands and cities of literature.” If you can’t quite picture a bird’s-eye-view of Narnia or the countries surrounding Oz, this dictionary will make it all clear.

Slightly off-topic bonuses:

The Agile Rabbit Book of Historical And Curious Maps, by Pepin Press ~ The maps in this book aren’t imaginary, but they’re so spectacular and strange that they might as well be.

The World of Donald Evans, by Willy Eisenhart ~ I’m a long-time fan of this odd, interesting man who died too young. He created and painted tiny, gorgeous postage stamps from countries he imagined.

Flickr photo: Early Morning Balloon Trip, by bestfor.

Related reading: Being Home, Pep Talk | Grope