Many fantasy and science-fiction novels begin with maps of the lands in which they're set. And this does a few things: it gives the reader a sense of scope, it welcomes us into the landscape of the story, and frankly, they're often very beautiful to look at. But what about the work that goes into these maps? What's the process? We speak to illustrator (and avid mapmaker), Charis Loke, about these very things. And then in Footnotes, we discuss whether we, as readers, are sufficiently appreciative of these maps.  

Image Credit: Charis Loke and The Foxglove King.