h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm reading LOTR at the moment (well, nearly finished, as it happens) which I haven't read for about 3 or 4 years. I'll hit The Silmarillion next. Haven't read that in a while either.

Anyway. While I was at my mum's in February, my bro came up with his offspring. My nephew is 14 and we don't really know each other at all. He and my bro were admiring my mum's latest Discworld book - not sure what it was but there was a pocket in the back with a street map of Ankh-Morpok. (I have one - but it's just a separate map, like an OS street map)

we got talking and I mentioned that I want to frame my map of A-M and put it on the wall, then get a map of middle earth, and put that up too. And my nephew - bless his socks - suggested I read LOTR if I like maps.

Anyway, I decided that we should both have one so I've got him one for his birthday, and one for me at the same time. They arrived today and they are totally spiffy.

One of my favourite maps (and it practically qualifies as a fantasy world map) is the 1989 British Rail network map

Have to confess that I really want an atlas of Middle Earth ... one day ...

Mol

Nice

I'm about a third of the way into the Silmarillion after a break of several years. I can't seem to visualise some of the narrative the way I used to though. I once had very vivid images of all the places and the action, but some of them aren't there, in my bonce, any more.

Mol, I had an ambition for a while to make a map of the UK using pages from old AA books... until I realised how big it would be But I did buy several flat unfolded OS sheets and put them together on my wall. Manchester and London I think.

What I mean by that od course is that I had Manchester (and environs) on one wall and London on another.

My Urban Planning lecturer had maps of 3 cities on her office walls. New York, Karlsruhe, and Deep Space Nine. She said the latter was a perfect example of having to cater for every possible function of living within a limited space...

The Silmarillion, yes. I should re-read that again. Just to prevent me from reading "The Meaning of Liff" and "The Deeper Meaning of Liff". The only Adams-books I haven't read yet. After that there will be nothing more new from him to read

I might have a journey through the DNA oeuvre again soon. It's probably been long enough now. I've only read the HHGG books through once, and I think enough time has past for lots of it to be as new.

Nice story, Sho - sounds like you need to get to know that nephew better!

we're facebook friends now and he sends me the odd thing to look at - it's probably as good as it's going to get given the distance between us.

I had a beautiful map of Narnia as a kid, in the very early 70s, it was quite difficult to get back then, and in one of our many moves it got lost or was disposed of.

I thought I'd try eBay for a replacement: $450 (in Twitter mode: #WhenIWinTheLottery)

and hmmmm a map of Deep Space 9!

Can I confess (again): I'm not keen on the HHGG books. I like Dirk Gently and I pretty much like the first two Hichhikers. After that - not so much.

The biggest problem with the map in the Silmarillion is that it doesn't show Angband. That's a bit like having a map of LOTR that doesn't show Mordor. The Encyclopedia of Arda site had done a nice one with Angband in the right place.

it's been a while since I've looked at my Silmarillion. But I haven't often followed the story in the map with that one as I have done with LOTR.

Our German copies of LOTR have lovely maps in them - I suppose I could have removed them for the wall. Hmmmmmm.

One of my sons has a little chest of drawers (9 drawers, each about 4 ins square, arranged 3 x 3) in plywood, given to him by an artistic previous girlfriend - she painted the map of Middle Earth by hand across the front. Honestly, I was NEVER tempted to take the drawers out and put them back in different positions.

Sho, don't remove the maps from the book. Photocopy them instead. Get a good color photocopy enlargement and have that framed.

I have 2 sets of the books, and as they're in German it's neither here nor there to me if I take the maps out (sorry 'bout that)

My own LOTR books are not allowed to be touched. By. Anyone. Except. Me. On. Pain. Of. Worse. Than. DEATH!

In the German editions, do they translate any of the place names into German? For example, the Shire, Bywater, Rivendell, Silverlode?

I've never read them - If I get time I'll have a look this evening. As far as I remember the maps are Black/White with a bit of red and are rather nice.

Yes, the place names are translated (as far as 'necessary', some stay the same).

the Shire - das Auenland
Rivendell - Bruchtal
Bywater - Wasserau
SIlverlode - Silberlauf

(because then I can use all my maps and drive crazy)

There is a Danish edition (illustrated by our queen) with dubious translation of place names. Never liked those, but love the way she depicted the nazgul

http://io9.com/5968792/the-middle-earth-illustrators-jrr-tolkien-lovedand-the-ones-he-abhorred

Great gal that Margaret. I always have been a fan. The illustrations are not how I imagined the nazgul, but they do have a great atmosphere about them.