The Atlas of Pern
Encyclopedia
The Atlas of Pern by Karen Wynn Fonstad
is an authorized companion book to the science fiction
Dragonriders of Pern
series by Anne McCaffrey
. It was completed in 1984 based on the first seven Pern novels and collaboration with McCaffrey.
The Atlas is a large-format book comprising regional maps, chronologies for the seven published novels, local maps and drawings of "Hall, Hold, and Weyr", thematic maps on a world scale, and notes. The Notes are page references to the canon, a list of reference works, and an index of place names.
McCaffrey wrote in her "Welcome" that she had received in November 1983 "the first of Karen's renditions of my Pern, which rendered clearly what had been partially obscured by a myopic mind's eye: this is Pern! ... all lifted from the depths of my imagination and captured by Karen's draftsmanship and geographical expertise ...".
Fonstad had earned a Master's degree in Geography, specializing in cartography
, from the University of Oklahoma
, and worked as Director of Cartographic Services at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh before "retirement" to raising children and writing atlases of fictional worlds. Pern was her second, following The Atlas of Middle-earth
(Houghton-Mifflin, 1981) based on the fantasy fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien
. Her acknowledgments for The Atlas of Pern include "my husband, Todd, associate professor of geography", the UW Oshkosh Department of Geography, several UWO faculty members.
Karen Wynn Fonstad
Karen Wynn Fonstad, née Wynn was the author of several atlases of fictional worlds.Born Karen Lea Wynn in Oklahoma City to parents James and Estis Wynn, she graduated from Norman High School in Norman, Oklahoma, and then earned a B.S. degree in Physical Therapy and an M.A...
is an authorized companion book to the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
Dragonriders of Pern
Dragonriders of Pern
Dragonriders of Pern is a science fiction series written primarily by the late American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey, who initiated it in 1967. Beginning 2003, her middle child Todd McCaffrey has written Pern novels, both solo and jointly with Anne. The series comprises 22 novels and several short...
series by Anne McCaffrey
Anne McCaffrey
Anne Inez McCaffrey was an American-born Irish writer, best known for her Dragonriders of Pern series. Over the course of her 46 year career she won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award...
. It was completed in 1984 based on the first seven Pern novels and collaboration with McCaffrey.
The Atlas is a large-format book comprising regional maps, chronologies for the seven published novels, local maps and drawings of "Hall, Hold, and Weyr", thematic maps on a world scale, and notes. The Notes are page references to the canon, a list of reference works, and an index of place names.
McCaffrey wrote in her "Welcome" that she had received in November 1983 "the first of Karen's renditions of my Pern, which rendered clearly what had been partially obscured by a myopic mind's eye: this is Pern! ... all lifted from the depths of my imagination and captured by Karen's draftsmanship and geographical expertise ...".
Fonstad had earned a Master's degree in Geography, specializing in cartography
Cartography
Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to:*Set the map's...
, from the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
, and worked as Director of Cartographic Services at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh before "retirement" to raising children and writing atlases of fictional worlds. Pern was her second, following The Atlas of Middle-earth
The Atlas of Middle-earth
The Atlas of Middle-earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad is an atlas of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional realm of Middle-earth. It was published in 1981, after Tolkien's major works The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion....
(Houghton-Mifflin, 1981) based on the fantasy fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
. Her acknowledgments for The Atlas of Pern include "my husband, Todd, associate professor of geography", the UW Oshkosh Department of Geography, several UWO faculty members.