The Atlas of the Land
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| The Atlas of the Land | |
| Author | Karen Wynn Fonstad |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Karen Wynn Fonstad |
| Language | English |
| Series | Chronicles of Thomas Covenant |
| Genre(s) | Fiction |
| Publisher | Del Rey |
| Publication date | 1985 |
| Media type | Print () |
| Pages | 204 |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-345-31433-6 |
The Atlas Of The Land by Karen Wynn Fonstad provides a cartographer's point of view to the fictional world known as "the Land" from Stephen R. Donaldson's fantasy novel series, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever.
Throughout this book, Fonstad provides detailed cartography along with annotated descriptions for each map. Some of the larger scaled maps also plot out the travels of various characters and their companions throughout the novels. On some of these maps, Fonstad also goes so far as to detail camp sites, length of travel, moon phases, and even Sun Bane cycles.
A useful Notes section categorizes maps by location/topic, and an Index of Place Names aids the reader in locating areas quickly. The Selected References section is also worth noting, as Fonstad not only used Donaldson's novels, and personal interviews, but several non-fiction books (and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Department of Geography's cartographic equipment) to create the tonal line drawn maps (Black, Gray, White, and Rust).
But, the book does not end with Maps. Fonstad also offers detailed drawings of huts, buildings, trees, caves, and ships. This gives us a visual reference for when we, as readers, try to comprehend what the various villages or incredible building looked like.
