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Imaginary geography

Worldbuilding, lore & consistency
Fantasy
Science fiction
Historical

A useful imaginary geography is a map that explains why one city is rich, and which forces an army through one specific pass.

Definition

Imaginary geography isn't just a map of Celtic-sounding names. It's a system of spatial constraints: mountains slow armies, rivers enrich cities, ports open or close cultures. Without geographic logic, the world floats.

What it's for

Geography decides the possible and impossible: who meets, who ignores whom, who trades with whom, who can invade whom. It also shapes narrative time (a three-day journey doesn't weigh the same as a three-month one) and the sensory layer (food, clothing, accents).

Variants by genre

  • Tolkienian geography: central map, journey as narrative engine, peoples bound to biomes.
  • Tight feudal geography: Martin — Seven Kingdoms, roads of clan hatred.
  • Post-apocalyptic geography: McCarthy (The Road), Atwood (MaddAddam) — emptied spaces, meaningful ruins.
  • Baroque urban geography: Miéville — New Crobuzon, city as protagonist.
  • Island / archipelago geography: Le Guin — Earthsea, structuring maritime routes.
  • Planetary SF geography: Robinson (Mars trilogy) — real Martian relief as constraint.
  • Francophone geography: Damasio — La Horde du Contrevent, world organized by wind direction.

Common pitfalls

  • An ornamental empty map, never used in the plot.
  • Inconsistent climates (desert and jungle 30 miles apart).
  • Every desert is Arabia, every forest the Black Forest.
  • Travels are instant or endless as the plot requires.
  • Cities with no economic logic (a capital in the middle of nowhere).

Examples

  • J. R. R. Tolkien — The Lord of the Rings: geography as story spine.
  • George R. R. Martin — Westeros: feudal geography, the Wall, deserts, the Narrow Sea.
  • Ursula K. Le Guin — Earthsea: archipelago structuring identities and cultures.
  • Kim Stanley Robinson — Mars trilogy: real Martian topography as constraint.
  • China Miéville — Perdido Street Station: New Crobuzon as labyrinthine protagonist.
  • Alain Damasio — La Horde du Contrevent: a linear world dictated by weather.
  • Robin Hobb — Farseer: Six Duchies, maritime geography plus hinterland.

Writing tips

  • Draw a map, even ugly: a scribbled map fixes 80% of distance/travel inconsistencies. The reader needn't see it — you must have it.
  • Compute realistic travel times: 40 km/day on horseback, 25 km/day on foot. A journey "in 3 days" that should take 15 breaks credibility.
  • Diversify biomes: a 100% forest or 100% desert map wearies. Aim for 3-5 terrain types that influence culture, economy, magic.
  • Name with logic (linguistic roots, colonisation, geology): a continent where "Volgard", "Xylophea" and "Nice-on-Sea" coexist screams improvisation.

Learn more: The 7 sins of worldbuilding in fiction and How to Create a Coherent Narrative World: Complete Guide.

Revision checklist

  • Is each major city there for an economic or strategic reason?
  • Do journeys carry a realistic cost in time and risk?
  • Is the climate consistent across large zones (no jungle next to desert)?
  • Does geography influence at least one major plot decision?

Editorial & expertise

ST

SagaScope Team

The team behind SagaScope, passionate about writing and technology.