From Middle-earth to Westeros: How Maps Create Fantasy Worlds

Maps are among the most iconic features of fantasy literature. They situate stories, provide orientation and lend credibility to imagined worlds. 

Drawing on well-known examples such as Middle-earth and Westeros, Professor Thomas Honegger explores how fantasy maps function and why they are central to the process of worldbuilding. The lecture examines the cultural, narrative and aesthetic roles of maps in fantasy fiction, highlighting how they shape readers’ perceptions of fictional spaces. It also considers the ways in which maps mediate between imagination and reality, helping to bring invented worlds vividly to life. 

Free of charge. Please register in advance. The event will take place on site at the Zentralbibliothek Zürich and will be held only in German. 

Audio aids (including induction loops for hearing aids) are available for people with hearing impairments at ZB events (guided tours, courses, lectures). If required, please contact kommunikation@zb.uzh.ch.

Figure: H. W. Cribb’s map for William Morris’s The Sundering Flood (1897). Courtesy of Ex Carta, private collection, EC027.