Mapping the Hidden History of Oz
“Oz-and-surrounding-countrie” by L. Frank Baum (illustrated by John R. Neill) – Tik-Tok of Oz, first published in the United States in 1914. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Creating a map is an interesting process. I like to have things accurate, so that I can trust the facts. When it came time to update my map for the Hidden History of Oz stories, I had my work cut out for me. I did a lot of research on the Cartographer’s Guild to understand how good maps work. The Cartographer’s Guild has a great website with a lot of knowledgeable folks providing comments, critiques, and advice for creating accurate maps. I looked at the original map of Oz, and I saw some features that needed more explanation. Let’s take a look.
Hidden History Map of Oz, circa 1852
Map of Oz, during the time of The Witch Queens
The mapped Land of Oz holds many mysteries. There are many places to explore. This map is just the beginning of your journeys.
See, this is the official map for The Hidden History of Oz: Book One, The Witch Queens, included in both the paperback and Kindle versions. Note that this is not all of Oz. This is the map of the places traveled to in this story.
Let’s look at the structure of the map first, then look at the deserts. (more…)
The Hidden History of Oz 