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Even writers of fiction often set their stories in real places. From Dickens' London to Joyce's Dublin to the New York of Edith Wharton and Henry James, great writers have borrowed the associations and resonances of real-world places to lend color and depth to their works.
The Atlas of Fiction uses the Google Maps interface to show these locations. You can use it to get new insight into the geography of your favorite writer's works; or you can see what writers have drawn inspiration from your own home town, and maybe even your own street.
The maps are the heart of the Atlas. Click on one of the pull-down links above to view a map of a specific city or country, or click on "World Map" to see the world map.
Click on "List of Books and Authors" above to see which works are currently included in the Atlas, or to view all of the locations in a single book, or in books by a single author.
For more information about the site, see the Frequently Asked Questions below.
What books are included in the Atlas of Fiction?
Mostly books I happen to be reading anyway, or books which I think will fill in a gap in the Atlas' coverage. Because Google Maps includes map data only for certain countries, locations outside thethese countries are more difficult, and less useful, to map precisely. Therefore I try to include mostly books which take place primarily in the Unites States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, or Canada. However, many locations from around the world are included where appropriate.
Other than that, there are only a few requirements for including a book or story in the Atlas. Most importantly, it must be a written work of fiction. The Atlas does not include travel books or other nonfiction—even highly literary travel books like Travels with Charley or highly dubious ones like The Travels of Sir John Mandeville. Short stories, novels, and poetry are all eligible; however, the Atlas does not include locations from plays, films, or other dramatic, musical or stage works.
In general, I prefer to include works by authors with an established literary reputation, or at least a longstanding popular reputation. I prefer not to include historical novels where all of the locations would reflect only historical, rather than the fictional, events.
What locations are included in the Atlas of Fiction?
The Atlas includes locations from the books which directly correlate to locations in the real world. This means at the minimum a county, city, street or address which exists in the real world. The Atlas does not include locations which the author chose to fictionalize even lightly, such as Mark Twain's "St. Petersburg," (which stands in for Hannibal, Missouri in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.) or David Lodge's "Rummidge" or "Esseph" (fictionalized versions of Birmingham and San Francisco).
The Atlas does not include locations from outside the text, such as the location where the book was written, or where the author was born.
How precise is each locations?
As precise as I can be, considering that many of the locations in question are—well, fictional.
How precise a location has to be before I include it depends on a number of factors: its importance to the story, the type of location, and how many other books are set in the same area. In major cities, most entries correspond to streets or landmarks, while in more rural areas they may identify cities or counties. The title of each entry should indicate how precisely the author located each place. So if the entry is headed "West 34th Street," for example, the book probably mentioned only the street name, and the pointer will be placed near the middle of the street on the map. If the entry is headed "Gloucestershire," the book only mentioned the county, not a town or location within the county. Where it's possible to be precise, I have attempted to be so.
Why do some of the location windows look jumbled up?
On some browsers, the location windows don't load correctly because of the book cover image. In most cases, you can correct this problem by simply clicking on the location again to reload the window.
Can I view all of the locations in a particular book, or all of the locations in books by a particular author?
Yes. Just click on "List of Books and Locations" above and follow the links on that page.
It looks like one of the markers is in the wrong location!
First, zoom in on the map to make sure. Google Maps pointers sometimes appear to be in slightly the wrong location if you're zoomed too far out. If it still appears wrong close up, please email me and let me know.
I think you should include...
If you have a location you think should be included, send me an email which includes:
I reserve the right to edit any submissions, and I will make the final decision as to whether to include any locations you submit. Please review the first few FAQs to see which books and locations I generally include in the project. If you're not sure, please contact me and ask before you start geocoding.
How can I contact you?
You can email me at: feedback@atlasoffiction.com.
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