Map of the Planet Salt, from the novel by Adam Roberts

[Robulous]

I'm currently reading scifi author Adam Roberts' 2000 novel Salt - it has a tiny, really terrible map! It does amaze me how bad the maps are that get published - I thought even I could do better!

So here's what I came up with in an hour or two, WIP. I've not even finished the book yet so there may be more to add.

FYI: Salt is a dry desert world almost entirely consisting of white salt flats, with only three small shallow seas. It was colonised from Earth by, essentially, a bunch of religious crazies - so not surprisingly they end up having a big war almost as soon as they've landed.

salt original.jpg
Original

salt v1.png
My version

[Diamond]

Nice. It's already 100 times better. Sounds like an interesting book, too.

[AzureWings]

A great improvement already, indeed! The font choice seems to mesh particularly nicely with the map projection style and brings in a bit more of the sci-fi feel you might expect of an exoplanetary colony (though I'm not familiar with the novel so I'll admit I'm just assuming as to whether that is a tonal match or not!). The stark, pale grayscale gives a distinct feel, especially since you still make the map elements very visually distinguishable, so I'd chalk that up to an overall great use of - well not color, but value .

One thing I'd like to point out (though it might be just me) is that your seas seem to look more like they're popping out/up from the surrounding land rather than inset into it, and it looks more like the latter might have been your intent?

Again I'm not familiar with the novel but looking at the information included on your map makes me want to know where the other three nations of Salt are! I assume De Morgan is one of them since it doesn't appear in the lists on the right?

[Robulous]

seas seem to look more like they're popping out/up

Yes I realised that looked odd, I've changed it for the next draft, thanks.

looking at the information included on your map makes me want to know where the other three nations of Salt are! I assume De Morgan is one of them since it doesn't appear in the lists on the right?

Ha yes I'm wondering that too. Only about halfway through the book but I think they're just not mentioned, which is frustrating for a map. Also the book says there were 13 colony ships (the nations are named after the ships), but only 11 nations were founded. So it's unclear what happened to the other two!

It's a good book - similar themes to Ursula Le Guin's The Dispossessed. I'm considering contacting the author and just asking him

[johnvanvliet]

nice i like it , looks way better already

[Robulous]

Been a while but here's my latest version I think it's near completion! Let me know.

salt adam roberts v4.png