Time for me to put on my geek shoes, because this week’s Fantasy Favorites topic is maps.

I love maps.

Like, seriously.

I’m what you’d call a map nerd. Drawing maps was a hobby of mine in my younger, less complicated and busy years. I would spend hours at the dining room table, immersed in my work, creating masterpieces.

In my mind, anyway.

Naturally, when I started writing, my love of maps came along for the ride. Since I write sci-fi and fantasy and create my own worlds, I need maps. Perfect excuse.

Anyway, we’re talking about favorite fantasy map. Most of the fantasy books I’ve read include at least one map, sometimes several (ahem, LOTR). That’s a good thing, because what’s a fantasy book without a world, and what’s a fantasy world without a map for guidance?

A missed opportunity, in my not-so-humble opinion.

As I pointed out last week, the world is a key part of any fantasy story. Maps are the visual piece of the puzzle, taking the world and giving us something to touch and see. A map gives a world deeper appearance of being an actual place and not just an intangible realm in the author’s head.

Okay, I’m done geeking out over maps now. Time for business.

My favorite fantasy map is…

Another tough decision, since I also love the map of Roshar and the map for the Wheel of Time books. But even if giving the Lord of the Rings answer is cliché, I don’t care. Tolkien’s map of Middle-earth is my favorite.

1. Style

I love the style of the Middle-earth maps, and it’s actually how I’ve patterned the way I draw my own fantasy maps. Yeah, those digitally created maps on Deviant Art are awesome, and I could spend all day perusing them, but for hand-drawn maps, Middle-earth rules.

2. Layout

It’s hard to put a finger on this one, but I find the whole layout of Middle-earth appealing. The placement of the realms, the mountain ranges, the forests, the rivers—it all adds to the visual experience.

I can picture Middle-earth and imagine I’m there through the medium of the map. Not saying this isn’t true for other maps, because any good map conveys a sense of the world, but the Middle-earth map does an amazing job.

3. Sentimental Reasons

Lord of the Rings was one of my first introductions to fantasy, and as a map-lover, I couldn’t get enough of the inserts at the back of the book. I poured over them. I’m a visual person, and seeing where the characters were on their adventure was a necessity to my mental wellbeing.

What’s your favorite fantasy map? Do you enjoy looking at maps of other worlds? I would love to hear your thoughts.