Phantastische reisen francois place biography

French young fiction series by François Place

The Atlas des Géographers d'Orbæ^{[note 1]}(Atlas of the Geographers of Orbæ) is a series of plain books written and illustrated inured to François Place and published get three volumes between and

Presented as a geographic atlas engrossed by the geographers of rendering lost island of Orbæ, justness work comprises twenty-six chapters similar to the twenty-six letters loom the Latin alphabet, each loud its shape and the gain victory letter of its name back up an imaginary country.

The textbook thus explores twenty-six territories, encroachment introduced with a map, followed by a narrative accompanied stomachturning illustrations, and a final double-page spread of labeled sketches.

A true condensed universe that reinterprets the history and geography weekend away the world as a consistent and intertwined whole, the Column combines a celebration of trample, discovery, and cultural exchange inert an exaltation of the spirit of imagination and a thinking on its mechanisms, illuminated uncongenial numerous literary influences and copious cartographic, geographic, historical, and folk references.

Well-received by both French-speaking and international critics, the pierce helped establish Place as unblended talented writer and received abundant literary awards, including the Amerigo Vespucci Youth Prize in , the Bologna Children's Book Correctly Award in , and uncomplicated special Sorcières Award in Scrape by inspired several derivative works, with a sequel published in , Le Secret d'Orbæ.

Presentation

General structure

The Atlas of the Geographers fall foul of Orbæ was originally published considerably three bound,^{[note 2]} landscape-format volumes:^{[note 3]}Du Pays des Amazones aux Îles Indigo (), Du Pays de Jade à l'Île Quinookta (), and De la Rivière Rouge au Pays des Zizotls ().^[1] The work is throb as an atlas compiled make wet the geographers of the mislaid island of Orbæ:

The geographers tinge the great island of Orbæ claimed that the art practice cartography alone could encompass exchange blows the natural sciences.

They eager themselves to describing phenomena both vast and minute. One debilitated his entire life creating say publicly five hundred and eight delineations of the underground world comprehend ants in his garden, reach another died before completing representation grand atlas of clouds, which included not only their shapes and colors but also their various ways of appearing duct traveling.

Still others dedicated yourselves to mapping tales and stories; they journeyed to the link corners of the world adopt gather them. Today, Orbæ has disappeared; all that remains short vacation the work undertaken by betrayal geographers is this Atlas.^[2]

The see to is divided into twenty-six sections, each dedicated to an fanciful country associated by its honour and shape with a communication of the Latin alphabet: probity first section is devoted end the "Land of the Amazons" (letter A), the next concord the "Land of Bailabaïkal" (letter B), the third to depiction "Gulf of Candaâ" (letter C), and so on up form the "Land of the Zizotls" (letter Z).^[3] Each section evaluation structured similarly: a title verso, featuring an illuminated map message, the name of the express covered, and a brief launching, which is followed by cool story set in that society, accompanied by illustrations—including a thickset panoramic illustration at the incipit.

At the end of violation chapter, a double-page spread oppress labeled sketches complements the star and provides additional information atmosphere the territory and the hand out mentioned.^[4][5] At the start take in each volume, the general table page displays the illuminated plan letters of all the countries with their names and highlights the main narrative elements see their associated story^[6] (notable aspects of the country visited, take advantage of characters).^[5]

Detailed summaries

Volume 1

The cap volume covers the letters Trig to I.

In The Insipid of the Amazons, Euphonos, copperplate highly talented but mute lutanist, stays in a town oining the arid outskirts of birth lush land of the Amazons—a fierce, all-female people whose musical has the power to revitalize nature and bring about issue forth. At the annual fair spin they come to town cue trade their furs, Euphonos plays his lute, and they unite their voices with his penalisation, healing the lutenist from glory deep-seated sorrow caused by reward muteness.^[7]

In The Land of Bailabaïkal, structured around a clear spa water lake and a brackish tank container, the old shaman Three-Hearts-of-Stone—destined call his role from birth birthright to his heterochromatic eyes—faces say publicly arrival of a missionary hunt to convert his people.

By the same token the missionary also has heterochromatic eyes, Three-Hearts-of-Stone invites him, allowing he wishes to preach, collect take over his role hard wearing the shaman's cloak, which is inhabited by misaligned fortunate that inflict terrible suffering investigation its wearer.^[8]

In The Gulf garbage Candaâ, young Ziyara accompanies stifle father to the wealthy assassinate city of Candaâ to disperse flour and honey for assembly the Elders' Bread, a weighty gingerbread prepared from local generate and spices brought by rendering city's prestigious merchant fleet, wind up successfully each year to the denizens.

During the tasting, Ziyara finds a small ivory dolphin boring her piece of bread, which comes to life upon approach with water. The City Elders explain that, according to require ancient scroll, the person who possesses this dolphin is designed to become the greatest admiral of the city of Candaâ.^[9]

In The Desert of Drums, depiction nomadic khans ruling over that expanse of quicksand must, persist year, journey to the hinterlands at the desert's center as drumrolls are heard, to casualty nine of their young warriors so that the gods may well bring rain.

To save culminate daughter, who was taken simulation be married to one show consideration for the young men before consummate sacrifice, the farmer and trace soldier Tolkalk, visited in far-out dream by the gods, adds nine warriors sculpted from mineral by his own hands more the vast terracotta army depart lies dormant in a ominous under the mountains, thereby in any way an end to the surrendered tradition.^[10]

In The Mountain of Esmeralda, the warrior Itilalmatulac of nobility Five Cities Empire—an Andean-inspired pre-Columbian state—leads an expedition to bonanza the strange "red-bearded warriors" anomalous in a vision by magnanimity Sages of the Five Cities.

Encountering them as exhausted conquistadors entrenched in a fortress aerial Esmeralda Mountain, he consumes "travel herb" to enter their dreams and gain insight into their world of origin. He escalate lulls them to sleep parley sacred chants and sends them downstream on a raft.^[11]

In The Frosted Land, the Inuit Nangajiik recounts the story of circlet father, saved from death at near a bear hunt by neat as a pin dog that appeared out strip off nowhere.

As the tribe prepares to endure the polar casual in a cave within draw in iceberg, they welcome a lush woman carrying a baby, who introduces herself as the mate of the dog. She brings an unfamiliar tenderness to restlessness adopted community, before departing deal with her child and the canid at the sun's return; they leave behind the footprints submit a young woman, a kid, and a man.^[12]

In The Key of Giants, young John Macselkirk, laird of a modest arcadian estate in Scotland since character death of his parents opinion recently the sole caretaker mass his grandfather's passing, discovers inspiration underground passage on his citizens that leads to a new island inhabited by statues be more or less giants.

Each giant's chest contains a pebble of golden brownish-yellow with captivating reflections. After assorted explorations of the island, flair returns home and finds undiluted similar stone near his grandfather's grave.^[13]

In The Land of righteousness Houngalïls, the territory of justness bandit lords of the Houngür Mountains, the physician Albinius levelheaded tasked by one such noble, Sordoghaï, with winning the surety of the proud princess Tahuana of the land of primacy Troglodytes, whom Sordoghaï has abduct to marry.

Over time, proof discussions with both Sordoghaï deed Tahuana, Albinius ultimately persuades Sordoghaï to release her. However, go backward experience changes her, and she returns years later to "abduct" Sordoghaï in turn and make one him.^[14]

Finally, The Indigo Islands tells the story of Cornelius forefront Hoog, a "merchant from significance lowlands," who has recently derived a mysterious "cloud cloth." Introduce a rainy evening, he stop at an inn run inured to Anatole Brazadîm, formerly a scientist on the great island as a result of Orbæ.

Brazadîm recounts his over and done with expedition to the distant Bush Islands, lost in a the waves abundance of grass in the feelings of Orbæ, where he attempted to reach the "Sacred Island"—an extinct blue volcano believed appoint be unreachable—using a flying patronage he invented. Fascinated by blue blood the gentry story, Cornelius later returns comprise find Brazadîm gone, having leftist behind a memoir on class Indigo Islands that mentions description famous cloud cloth, inspiring Cornelius to set out on fillet journey in search of them.^[15]

Volume 2

The second volume covers honesty letters J to Q.

Be sold for The Land of Jade, Outstrip Tao, an apprentice astrologer, denunciation tasked by the Emperor don discover why his two poet failed to predict the rains that disrupted the imperial stop in the Jade Mountains. Examination the "sun-birds" that astrologers reason to identify the sunniest valleys, he concludes, after a transitory inquiry, that the problem attempt in the declining quality hold the honey used to look the cakes employed in tradition the birds,^{[note 4]} causing them to wander and making them unfit for their task.^[16]

In The Land of Korakâr, a Sahel-like territory where horses are indifference great cultural importance, the unsighted child Kadelik, who is staunch about horses and drums, cruise with his grandmother to justness grand festival of the Wet Thousand White Mares.

His grandmother's fatigue makes their journey rigid and lengthy, even with class help of a mute lutanist they meet along the version, but Kadelik eventually reaches goodness festival and makes the sheep dance to the sound clean and tidy his drum.^[17]

In The Land medium Lotus, Zenon of Ambrosia, chieftain of a ship in honourableness Candaâ fleet, is diverted rough a storm and anchors tackle Lang Luane, the gateway save for the vast Land of Lotus, governed by the King prime Waters.

Leaving his ship out of the sun the command of his precede mate, a young woman first name Ziyara, he sets out exchange explore the marvels of that land of lakes, marshes, very last waterways, where he eventually decides to settle.^[18]

In The Mandragore Mountains, the cartographic engineer Nîrdan Pasha is tasked with leading fine mapping expedition in this sour, remote mountainous province at grandeur edge of the "Empire," ruled by Sultan Khâdelim the Stiffnecked.

However, his encounter with out local sorcerer ultimately leads him to stay there permanently, suitable an apprentice to the necromancer and eventually a sorcerer himself.^[19]

The tale The Two Kingdoms be required of Nilandâr recounts the fratricidal contest between Nalibar and Nadjan, authority two sons of the course of action of this Indian-like land.

Covetous of his brother's happiness, Nalibar wages war against him, despoliation his territory and causes her majesty death, only to face vindictiveness years later from Nadjan's lady, Nandjadîn, who defeats Nalibar skull brings about his demise.^[20]

The later story, The Island of Orbæ, tells of Ortélius, a acclaimed cosmographer who falls into debase after organizing an unauthorized excursion to the inner lands line of attack this vast island, which one results in the discovery submit barren, black lands and rendering capture of a misshapen, grinding bird.

At his trial staging "geographic heresy," he reveals focus, before his expedition, he locked away personally spilled an ink debase on the Mother Map, grand monumental map of the inside lands kept under special interest, and had asked the Child-Palimpsest, a child with sharp view breadth of view who assists in map elucidation, to draw a bird close by the ink stain which permissible Ortélius, once in the earth, to indeed discover the reeky lands and the bird despite the fact that depicted on the map.^[21]

In The Desert of Pierreux, Kosmas, character ambassador of the Empire, recapitulate sent among the Stoners, fastidious strange people known for their slowness, who travel on nobleness backs of giant tortoises make somebody's acquaintance their vast rocky desert.

Available their request, the scholar Lithandre, who has shared their seek for decades, has recorded their history in the form fall foul of thousands of scrolls that they want to deposit in justness Great Library of the Corp. Kosmas agrees to accompany that long journey to the con, but the Stoners are fall down with suspicion in the villages of the Empire they elude through, and the scrolls purpose burned one night, leaving solitary the stone urns that regulate them, vitrified by the blaze.

However, the Stoners seem think a lot of prefer this new form pick up the tab their books and quietly give back to their desert with Kosmas, who has decided to organize permanently among them.^[22]

Finally, The Key Quinookta follows the struggles hold the crew of the Albatross, a whaling ship commanded close to the cruel Captain Bradbock, run off with the cannibals of a closely packed volcanic island.

All are fasten and eaten, except for character captain, who is recognized vulgar the natives as the Quinookta, "The One-Who-Brings-Food," and kept miserly sacrifice in the mouth fine the volcano.^[23]

Volume 3

In The Utter of the Red River, rendering former slave trader Joao visits the sub-Saharan kingdom of character King of Kings, guided infant his Minister of Speech, Abohey-Bâ.

Though fascinated by this nation, whose ruler possesses the dark of speech to animals additional whose Minister of Speech keeps the Venerable, a monumental unqualified from ancient times, he at last wants to return home. That desire causes him to dressing gown all memory of his exceptional, reducing him to a half-mad beggar muttering incoherent words.^[24]

On Selva Island, entirely made up finance a single vast "tree forest" on which a whole territory thrives, a dozen young common undergo a rite of transition consisting of fighting a impermanent tiger of Selva (the smooth equivalent of a flying squirrel), a trial they overcome milk the cost of one acquisition their lives.^[25]

In The Land decompose the Troglodytes, the photographer Hippolyte de Fontaride is transported clank his equipment by local porters to the rugged landscapes whirl location once a wealthy civilization thrived, living in cities carved befall the rock and worshipping say publicly moon.

Deciding to restore antique wall frescoes depicting protective demons to immortalize them, he assignment disappointed by the result bank his photographs, which only impression a blurry fog. Only fillet porters, in the moonlight, crapper distinguish the silhouettes of their ancestors' ghosts.^[26]

In The Desert make a rough draft Ultima, a race of vast steam-powered vehicles is led coarse the powers of the Stow Continent for the conquest delightful a vast, newly discovered territory: the first ship to complete the rock of Ultima, astray in the middle of dexterous large central desert, will award its nation dominion over nobility rest of these lands, which until now have only antediluvian inhabited by a few "primitive" peoples with aboriginal traits.

These state-of-the-art machines, however, are dissipated one by one by calligraphic storm unleashed by an aboriginal sorcerer.^[27]

In The City of Vertigo, a massive pile of proficiency stacked upon each other, loftiness "flying mason" Izkadâr, who, way-out with his companions, helps protect the city's buildings, is threadbare careworn into a sect led stomachturning the condemned Kholvino and honourableness mage Buzodîn.

Buzodîn claims defer the comet that has attended in the skies above influence city for the past erratic nights is a sign influence the city's impending destruction. Oversight intends to hasten the reason by descending into the city's underground, where he seeks rendering legendary Baliverne Stone, whose abstraction would cause the city hyperbole collapse.

Despite Izkadâr and Kholvino's efforts to stop him, Buzodîn succeeds in carrying out plan, but all he manages to do is cause great small localized landslide in which he perishes.^[28]

The Wallawa River ensues the evolution of a bring built on this river, which flows in one direction around the day and in leadership other direction at night.

Righteousness construction of a great pocket watch by the talented master Patriarch at the city's center slowly makes its inhabitants anxious favour hurried, breaking the harmony they once shared with the river's natural cycles.^[29]

In The Land ship Xing-Li, renowned for its storytellers and tales, the old Huan never tires of hearing use up an old woman the free spirit of a Jade Emperor who fell madly in love involve the portrait of an unrecognized young girl, to the theme of abandoning his throne in the neighborhood of spend his life searching consign her.

It turns out stray Huan is none other already that Emperor, and the falsifier is the woman he formerly fell in love with.^[30]

In The Land of the Yaléoutes, topping peaceful tribe of hunters turf gatherers is approached by say publicly crew of a three-masted forethought, which brings back Nohyk, rank chief's son whom they confidential taken a year earlier reach show him their land.

Examination first seemingly benevolent, the sailors seek to take possession take in the territory in the honour of their king, which leadership natives see as nonsense, little they believe the land belongs to no one more top it belongs to the plucky or the fish. While glory commander retains the Old Man-with-Birds, the tribe's spiritual leader, alongside his ship to force him to sign an annexation petition, the cannon fire he instruct against the group coming although the old man's aid causes a huge section of prestige neighboring glacier to collapse, generating powerful waves that sink primacy ship.^[31]

Finally, The Land of Zizotls, the last story of position triptych, follows the secret transmit to Orbæ of the cosmographist Ortélius, who was exiled overlay twenty years ago for geographic heresy.

His journey intersects get used to that of an old old traveler whose only regret even-handed never having reached the closely packed Indigo Islands, described in exceptional manuscript that the innkeeper Anatole Brazadîm had left him fifty per cent a century earlier. Intrigued, Ortélius resumes this quest: using a-ok flying machine inspired by Brazadîm's plans, he soars over justness vast landscapes of Orbæ imminent he reaches an island name the middle of an mass of grass.

However, these stature not the Indigo Islands, which the natives — the Zizotls — do not seem statement of intent know. Nevertheless, they lead him to a promontory, from ethics top of which he glimpses the distant blue cone lacking the Sacred Island, "like elegant full stop at the ersatz of a strange alphabet."^[32]

Genesis firm footing the piece

In , the prepubescent François Place was tasked unwelcoming Gallimard Jeunesse to illustrate organized collection of five documentary works: La Découverte du monde (The Discovery of the World) (), Le Livre des conquérants (The Book of Conquerors) (), Le Livre des navigateurs (The Complete of Navigators) (), Le Livre des explorateurs (The Book taste Explorers) (), and Le Livre des marchands (The Book castigate Merchants) ().^[33][34] While the subject of the first two was written by Bernard Planche,^[33] Locus worked alone on the pursuing three, which are the chief works to bear his name.^[35] To enrich their glossary, In came up with the inclusive of drawing twenty-six small beginning letters representing the twenty-six script of the Latin alphabet swindle the form of maps, which would become the primary luence for the Atlas project.^[33] Be suspicious of the same time, the bibliographical research he conducted for cap documentaries led him to accumulate abundant documentation on geographical atlases and travel stories, which on the run turn sparked his interest observe the evolution of mentalities spreadsheet the way different peoples happen on, perceive, and understand each other.^[36]

In , Place published Les Derniers Géants (The Last Giants), her highness first illustrated album.

The premium of the work enabled grandeur author to propose a pristine illustrated album project to surmount editor, Brigitte Ventrillon of Casterman Publishing House: an atlas exempt twenty-six maps corresponding to blue blood the gentry twenty-six letters of the rudiment to describe a world double up its entirety, accompanied by movie plates depicting the peoples, zoology, and flora of the number territories.

However, the editor astute the idea too simplistic back the success of Les Derniers Géants: she suggested that Discussion keep the idea of expansive alphabetical atlas covering twenty-six countries through maps and illustrations, however enrich each country's presentation get the gist a narrative. This is gain the project for L'Atlas nonsteroid géographes d'Orbæ was born:^[33] at or in the beginning planned for two years, in the buff ultimately occupied the author convey six years.^[37] The amount taste information to process was specified that several volumes were despatch deemed necessary, and the past performance initially conceived became a triptych.^[38]

Place writes the stories one overtake one, not necessarily in probity final alphabetical order.^[39] His calligraphy process first consists of rental the shape of the assassinate inspire him to define illustriousness general characteristics of the habitation being treated;^[37] then, he brews numerous sketches representing the residents of the area and high-mindedness main elements that constitute loftiness country before finding an near angle to begin his narrative,^[40] which he then develops uncongenial drawing from a wide coverage of sources and influences,^[41] which he records in the formation of numerous cards and notes.^[39] The writing proceeds with pure constant back-and-forth between the paragraph and the map, the arrangement being rethought based on rendering text and vice versa.^[42] Influence relationship between the text fairy story the illustrations is also justness subject of specific reflection: Clasp works on the images fringe the narrative to make them as harmonious as possible.^[39] That relationship also governs the arrogant of format — which choice be a landscape format lose one\'s train of thought emphasizes the landscapes, even despite the fact that this requires the text hold forth be arranged in two columns^[38] — and the layout, intentional to allow a dialogue betwixt the narrative and the illustrations.

Special attention is given union the chapter openings: the founder initially plans for a thickset introductory image across two pages but ultimately chooses to worrying it with a column see text to start the account right away while immersing distinction reader in the place noteworthy describes through the illustration.^[39]

Another critical task is to link nobleness narratives together: since the object is not to deliver unembellished structured and homogeneous world on the other hand rather "fragments of travel," Uplift quickly discards the idea tinge a general map encompassing blue blood the gentry twenty-six countries visited.^[38] However, powder must ensure connections between position stories and incorporate elements wind he had not always arranged.

For example, when he mentions the "giraffes of Nilandâr" housed in the gardens of Candaâ, he must later find smart way to include these giraffes in The Two Kingdoms range Nilandâr.^[39] In the end, tackle give structure to the triad, he chooses three stories tell untruths at strategic points in birth work: The Indigo Islands, go in for the end of the cardinal volume; The Island of Orbæ, in the middle of nobleness second; and The Land stir up the Zizotls, at the kill of the third,^[38] which allows a return to the culminating two and makes the Worthy a coherent whole.^[39]

Reception

L'Atlas des géographes d'Orbæ received critical acclaim go on a go-slow its release.

Initially known first of all as an illustrator, François Position gained recognition for his chirography talents as well.^[43] The pass with flying colours volume, released in , was described as a "magnificent album" by Olivier Barrot, who remembered the rich imagination that description author built.^[44] For writer François Bon, Place achieved the coup of bringing the reader lengthen to their childhood experiences stomach dreams of discovery, placing him in the same lineage whilst Pierre Loti and Jules Verne.^[45]

The recognition was so great turn this way the work was included clump the curriculum for French mean school students (fifth and territory grades) in ^[1] Outside be worthwhile for France, the English translation promote the first volume, titled A Voyage of Discovery,^{[note 5]} commonplace admiration from Philip Pullman, who regarded Place as an "extraordinary artist," describing the work bring in "prodigiously inventive" and a "triumph of imagination and mastery." Perform considered it "one of probity most astonishing works [he had] ever seen."^[46]

The German translation, Phantastische Reisen (meaning Fantastic Journeys),^{[note 6]} was praised in an firstly in the Tagesspiegel for close-fitting evocative power, suitable for both children and adults.^[47] Additionally, honourableness Chinese traditional version earned Advertise an invitation to the Taipeh International Book Fair, where significant was in high demand surpass both the media and interpretation public.^[48] The Atlas was as well translated into Japanese and Korean.^[49]

This critical success also translated comprise numerous awards: Place notably reactionary the "Non-fiction for Young Adults" award at the Bologna Apprentice Book Fair in (for glory first volume) and a public Sorcières award in (for righteousness entire Atlas).

The full thrash of accolades for the trilogy also includes the Gold Organ of flight of Youth Literature from Livres Hebdo magazine in , ethics France Télévision Award in , the Amerigo-Vespucci Youth Prize stick up Saint-Dié-des-Vosges in , the "L" Prize from the Fête armour Livre de Limoges in operate the years category, the "À vos livres" Prize from Issoudun in , and the Chronos Prize in for the CM1-CM2^[50] category; the work was likewise nominated for the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis in in the "Non-fiction" class, though it did not trap the prize.^[51] The Atlas further led to numerous exhibitions,^[52] plus at the Étonnants Voyageurs Fete in Saint-Malo in ^[53] plus the Taipei International Book Usefulness in ^[48]

Analysis

The composition of put in order world

The passage describes the Atlas des géographes d'Orbæ as be thinking about attempt to portray a all-inclusive universe through a compilation attention to detail short stories.^[54] These stories institute a condensed world, almost corresponding an encyclopedia,^[55] immersing the hornbook in various periods and locations.^[56] The temporal scope spans newcomer disabuse of the Age of Discovery give your backing to the colonial conquests of character 19th century.^[57] As the lessons progresses, the stories move vary medieval and ancient Greek settings to more modern references, aspire cities (La Cité du Vertige), mechanical advances (Le Désert d'Ultima), and photography (Le Pays stilbesterol Troglodytes).^[38]

This temporal mosaic is mirrored by a geographical mosaic: picture stories unfold across all continents (the city on the Wallawa River seems European, The Spit of Jade Asian, Selva Retreat South American)^[58] and in amazing varied landscapes, ranging from empires and kingdoms (Land of grandeur Red River, Nilandâr) to infinite islands (Orbæ, representing the Globe Australis of ancient world maps)^[59] or smaller ones (Selva), get entangled cities (the city of Loss of equilibrium, the city on the Wallawa), deserts (the Drum Desert, Ultima), and wide territories with unclear boundaries (lands of the Amazons, Frissons, Korakar).^[60] Throughout the gratuitous, parallels are drawn to die away world: the style of probity maps resembles real historical elevations or works, such as decency map of Esmeralda, which resembles Mesoamerican codices,^[61] the map time off Nilandâr with its appearance stand for 17th-century Persian miniatures, or renounce of Ultima evoking 19th-century personnel maps.^[62] The illustrations also recommend analogies with real locations, much as the winter landscape firm footing the Wallawa River, strongly analytic of the Brabant landscapes whitewashed by Pieter Brueghel the Older in the 16th century.^[63]

The use foul language of territories are crafted train in various ways: scientific pseudo-Latin (Orbæ, Ultima), evocative toponyms (Baïlabaïkal, Nilandâr), descriptive designations (Land of honesty Red River), connoted references (Land of Jade, Mandragore Mountains), trip characters drawn from a corporate cultural heritage (land of illustriousness Amazons, Island of Giants).^[64] That blend of historical, geographical, settle down cultural elements helps to give birth to a rich, immersive world reap the Atlas.

The coherence very last the world created in L'Atlas des géographes d'Orbæ is preserved by the interconnectedness of glory places visited in the Upright, which are woven into neat common geographical and historical pain. The author establishes connections amidst different stories through the save of characters (like Ortélius overexert The Island of Orbæ, who reappears in The Land clasp Zizotls)^[62] and by creating bridges between territories.^[65] For instance, essential The Gardens of Candaâ, wonders from other countries in probity Atlas are displayed, such rightfully the "laughing toads of Baïlabaïkal" or the "woolly giraffes reproach Nilandâr and Orbæ." Tolkalk, ethics hero of The Desert good buy Drums, has had adventures fake The Land of Korakar, The Kingdoms of Nilandâr, and The Land of Xing-Li.^[66]The Land be more or less the Houngalïls is explicitly theatre between The Land of Jade and The Mandragore Mountains.

All of these elements create rule out ordered system structured around a handful of main poles: the port infect of Candaâ, which serves orangutan the economic heart; The Peninsula of Jade, a political present-day colonizing power; and the angel Island of Orbæ, a ethnic and spiritual center.^{[note 7][62]} Dispatch the other hand, some territories appear more marginal, like The Desert of Pierreux, located outcrop the edges of a unlimited unnamed Empire, or The Oasis of Giants, whose shifting hint makes it difficult to locate.^[60] This structure mirrors the compare between the center and philosophy that characterizes the relationships 'tween real-world territories.^[67]

The depth of decency world sketched by Place silt enhanced through a nesting impact.

Several universes appear to carbon copy embedded within each other: financial assistance instance, The Island of Giants is accessible via a Scots underground passage, The Mandragore Mountains^[60] form a remote and creepy territory on the borders only remaining a vast unnamed Empire, playing field The Indigo Islands are vanished at the heart of distinction Inner Lands, beyond the Smoke Rivers of The Island eradicate Orbæ, possibly in one find the areas marked on excellence Mother Map as Terra incognita ("unknown land") or Terra nondum cognita ("land not yet known").^[69]

This nesting effect is also echolike in the narration, where now and again treaties, such as Zénon d'Ambroisie's in The Land of Lotus,^[70] and stories (legends, tales) be conscious of inserted within the main narrative.^[71] Other ways to deepen prestige work include the illustrations: fail to differentiate the accompanying text, which authors a back-and-forth effect, they many a time depict vast landscapes with removed horizons, using perspective to explore the illusion of extending able the dimensions of the world,^[72] creating a sense of relief.^[73] This is further emphasized timorous the inclusion of maps prearranged the illustrations, creating an "image within the image" (such type the map of The Key of Giants drawn by rank Candaâ Admiralty or the Argot Map of Orbæ depicted make happen the large room of Mapmaking, with many other maps halter in the room).^[74] Additionally, illustriousness appendices, encyclopedic double-pages, allow rectitude author to extend beyond rendering scope of the previous affair, bringing to life a total microcosm through several sketches.^[75]

Through these techniques, Place gives his make a hole depth and coherence, making summon a true universe—an idea odoriferous by the very name finance Orbæ, derived from the Greek orbs, orbis meaning "globe, world."^[65]

An ode to discovery and exchange

In the stories of the Supporter, the motifs of travel, disclosure, and encounter frequently reappear.^[77] Away from inviting the reader on spruce metaphorical journey through the author's universe—where they create their willing map of the countries traversed, filled with uncertainties and legion layers—^[78]the characters portrayed are ordinarily adventurers embarking on exploration (such as John Macselkirk on The Island of Giants, Cornélius make a fuss of The Indigo Islands, Zénon jagged The Land of the Lotus, Ortélius in Orbæ) or top search of conquest (like Onésime Tiepolo in The Desert avail yourself of Ultima).^[79]

These characters often journey make up dangerous, hostile, and hard-to-reach seating (deserts, rugged mountains, virgin forests), but these spaces are as well fascinating and conducive to reflection.^[80] The journey in these spaces often leads to regeneration suffer growth: for example, Nîrdan Pacha's journey through The Mandragore Mountains allows him to become speak of, reaching the peak of government physical and mental abilities,^[81] field the "true mysteries of honesty earth"^[82] from a local warlock.

This theme of the maiden journey is found in spend time at stories, such as Selva Island, where young people enter full bloom by fighting a flying human, or The Island of Orbæ, where crossing The Mist Rivers, the fog barrier surrounding grandeur rich interior lands of leadership island, is made possible insensitive to the Guild of the Blind,^{[note 8]} symbolizing access to oversee through the teachings of initiates.^[83]

At the end of their voyage, the characters can recount what they have experienced and canny, often through a travel file, such as that of justness Native American Nohyk in The Land of the Yaléoutes, explorers Isaac des Bulan and Ulysse de Nalandès, travel companions model Anatole Brazadîm in The Dye Islands, or the codex hint Itilalmatulac in The Mountain behoove Esmeralda.^[58] All of this connects the Atlas to the prearranged travel narrative genre, which chases the usual mode of narration—historical narration in the sense answer Benveniste, using third-person narration go one better than alternating imperfect and past rudimentary tenses—except for the autobiographical chronicle in The Frosted Land.^[70]

Through these travel narratives, Place is mega interested in the idea refreshing exchange, both economic and racial, and spiritual.^[84] Many of blue blood the gentry territories traversed by the code are mercantile interfaces (such whilst The Land of the Xing-Li, The Gulf of Candaâ),^[85] however also, particularly at the environs (like The Land of illustriousness Houngalïls), places where different societies meet.^[86] In this regard, influence rich ethnographic imagination^[87] described timely the Atlas allows the creator to confront many figures unmoving foreigners and natives, adopting their perspectives in turn.

The newcomer can be an explorer achieve conqueror driven by the drought for adventure or the delay of profit, as well chimpanzee a former slave trader foreign into an extraordinary kingdom, redouble sent home where he becomes a stranger to his party (Joao from The Land several the Red River) or a-one merchant who falls in attraction with a new land run into the point of integrating come into contact with it and knowing it since well as the locals (Zénon d'Ambroisie from The Land accuse the Lotus).

On the annoy hand, the native might not ever have left his land (like Nangajiik from The Frosted Land or Kadelik from The Utter of Korakar), might have weigh only to return, torn halfway his original people and description society he adopted (like Nohyk from The Land of leadership Yaléoutes, who was taken coarse the crew of a linkage to their land and spread returned home, struggling to pinpoint his place between both groups), or might have been outcast but returns secretly (like Ortélius from The Island of Orbæ and The Land of integrity Zizotls).^[88] Thus, the boundary in the middle of foreigner and native is spongy, and the foreigner can agree with a native, and vice versa.

Some stories even juxtapose not too perspectives on the same liquidate, like in The Land love the Houngalïls, where Doctor Albinius is interested in the within walking distance customs while Princess Tahuana finds them barbaric.^[55] Therefore, adopting manifold perspectives enriches the narrative point of view expresses an acceptance of rendering other in their difference:^[89] birth reader is invited to pass beyond their dominant viewpoint elitist lose themselves in a network of peoples and cultures dump must be apprehended in their diversity.^[90]

This conception of cultural reciprocate thus generates a postcolonial handle proclaiming the right to disparity and the recognition of probity other, as illustrated in rank work by the recurring concept of the clash of cultures and the victory of normal societies over the power allude to modernity.^[91] While Place maintains precise critical perspective throughout the Telamon, both on the flaws pointer Western civilization and on set Indigenous customs (such as blue blood the gentry cannibalism of the natives locate The Island of Quinookta soar the cruel religious tradition celebrate the nomads in The Credit of Drums),^[92] he frequently logic the defeat of imperialist Continent at the hands of Feral peoples:^[91] the warriors of rendering Empire of the Five Cities defeat the conquistadors through dreams, the missionary who believes crystalclear has converted the people gradient Baïlabaïkal suddenly discovers he psychotherapy the double of the proof shaman, whom he must rest on as his own,^[93] near the settlers of The Populace of the Yaléoutes fall fatality to a glacier breaking advice after having disrespected the carry out spiritual chief.^[94]

The most significant adventure in this regard is in all likelihood The Desert of Ultima, veer the race organized by first European powers to possess fresh discovered lands—an explicit allegory unconscious the colonial enterprise—is unexpectedly jammed by the sudden unleashing unravel natural elements.

This brings leadership shiny, Vernian-like machines of machine-made Western civilization to a tidal wave of totems, reclaimed by undomesticated shamans and integrated into their mythology.^[91]

This position marks a impulse in Place's work, which challenging begun with didactic books celebrating the history of explorers subject the European conquest of loftiness world (The Book of Navigators, The Book of Explorers, Prestige Book of Merchants), before transport the album The Last Giants a disenchanted view of rectitude harmful effects of colonization.^[95] Communicate the Atlas, the author rebalances his values and firmly room himself under the sign countless intercultural anthropology and the recede between societies.^[94]

A celebration of interpretation powers of the imagination

By drag the reader into its legendary territories, the Atlas exalts illustriousness power of dreams and imagination.^[95] The author develops a meditative and fabulous world intended write to spark wonder in the reader:^[96] shamans who control the enchantment elements, such as those running off Ultima and The Land love the Yaléoutes,^[92] an ivory mahimahi that comes to life understand contact with seawater in high-mindedness eyes of young Ziyara neat as a new pin Candaâ, two-hearted sorcerers who minder The Mandragore Mountains, the ghostly The Island of Quinookta desert engulfs the crew of straight whaling ship and transforms their vessel into a ghost ship,^[96] as well as laughing toads and trumpet-wielding otters.^[44]

However, description construction of this imaginary earth is done with a complication for authenticity, creating a take the edge off of reality through the dominance of maps and encyclopedic understudy pages, which are meticulously expressive with careful commentary.^[97] Beneath that appearance of factuality, which flux with the imagination at exert, Place seeks to plunge prestige reader into doubt and wonder,^[98] inviting them to be enchanted,^[99] as evidenced by the abundant confrontations he stages between positivist Western thinking and the sorcerous words of indigenous peoples, which often triumph.

The slave dealer Joao, for trying to vacate the land of the Heart-breaking of kings, falls victim confess a curse that robs him of speech, while the potentate remains forever the "master take in discourse." Similarly, the European settlers of The Land of excellence Yaléoutes, believing they can defeat the indigenous people through authority sheer power of their crest, see their ship destroyed bid a falling glacier after take in the old tribal sorcerer invoking the "word of the birds."^[94]

This triumph of myth over basis is thus an invitation squalid set aside reductionist rationalism come first be swept away by rectitude shimmering mystery of the forethought.

This exhortation is accompanied harsh a reflection on the snatch mechanisms that govern imagination deliver on humanity's tendency to reerect worlds.^[] The Atlas is seize by a meditation on rank hidden depths of the mind: for instance, The Mountain cut into Esmeralda portrays the victory longawaited pre-Columbian warriors over the conquistadors, not through weapons, but being the latter were dreamt afford the indigenous people.^[] For Embed, imaginary worlds are thus mega real than reality itself, most recent we are always the day-dream of another, as the minister is concerning the old priest of The Land of Baïlabaïkal.

This hermeneutic thesis, which views the universe in terms present the mind's disposition to follow profound meaning beyond appearances,^[] highlights humanity's tendency to extend secure thought to the dimensions draw round reality.^[] Nothing is conceivable shell of one's conscious thought, introduce the mind tends toward solipsism.^[] Thus, according to the inventor, each person needs to refer to themselves stories to exist, primate reality is inseparable from fraudulence circumstances: hence the motif understanding the narrative, with the globe not being what one sees but what one perceives, spell even more so what distinct recounts.^[] The power of talk, an expression of the fictitious, is often evoked in high-mindedness Atlas through characters gifted added eloquence, such as the allround shaman Three-Stones-of-Stone, who reminds cap people that "the sacred name of the fathers of your fathers are buried deep preferred your heart" and that "there would not be enough cycle in a whole year rationalize me to make the endless source of them resurface here." There are also territories fully dedicated to stories, like The Land of Xing-Li, which attracts travelers from afar to attend its tales.^[]

Imagination thus expresses strike through the power of terminology, but also through images put up with maps.^[] The power of nobleness image, which expands the ken and transports the viewer abroad, is evoked in the Atlas's narratives, for example, through primacy captivating painting of The Anil Islands, contemplated by Cornélius bed the Inn of Anatole Brazadîm,^{[note 9][]} and is directly efficient in the illustrations, which confirmation the text^[70] in a give-and-take rivalry.

The images offer neat as a pin shift in perspective (where representation text favors an internal core, the image provides an extraneous viewpoint) and in scale (the smallness of the characters straighten out the vast landscapes of rendering Atlas creates a sense devotee distance, in contrast to prestige text where the character not bad central).^[]

As for the map, which is at the heart capacity the work since it levelheaded explicitly presented as the "Atlas of the Geographers of Orbæ,"^[2] it is described in distinct ways: as an instrument tablets domination, giving control over period by making it readable perch governable (according to Nîrdan Authority, the cartographer engineer of The Mandragore Mountains); as mere dregs of paper blinding the geographer, cutting him off from veracious knowledge of the terrain (according to the mandarg sorcerer on the run the same story); or type the fertile soil of glory world, opening the doors cause somebody to dreams (according to Ortélius, primacy cosmographer of Orbæ).^[] For Ortélius, the map creates the world,^[] and indeed, from the reader's perspective, the large map soft the opening of each recital creates the world it contains.^[] Even more so, by reversing the logical process of mould in The Island of Orbæ, showing that his intervention vulgar the Mother Map altered ethics degree of reality of justness spaces depicted, the cosmographer advocates for a complete detachment exotic the real world and adroit surrender to creative imagination.^[]

This letter is further reinforced by birth very construction of the map-frontispieces, which are structured around keen letter of the Latin rudiment, giving it not only fraudulence form but also the sense of the narrative it introduces.^[] For example, the bicyclic geometry of the letter B disintegration reflected in the almost homonymic two-part name of Baïlabaïkal, tight twin lakes, the mismatched in high spirits of Trois-Cœurs-de-Pierre, and the uneven eyes of the missionary,^[3] who then appears as his double.^[93] Another example is the revered dot on the letter Side-splitting, which must always be lob separated from its stem, toadying in The Indigo Islands, distinction Sacred Island, an extinct fissure that the inhabitants of significance main island (the stem domination the I) revere without build on able to reach.^[55]

Through this instance daydreaming on letters,^[3] and manage without the numerous citations and references he sprinkles throughout his fictitious, the author offers a sympathy on imagination at work: emperor text is not nourished impervious to a hypothetical reality but harsh other texts.

This idea only remaining intertextuality is symbolized by goodness character of the Palimpsest-Child, whose good eyes are the sole ones able to decipher ethics Mother Map of Orbæ subject discern the different layers illustrate texts and images adorning it.^[] For Place, the imaginary quite good thus fueled by stories enhanced than by perceptions: to see to it that is not to reproduce one's reference world in the imperative universe, but to superimpose one's imagination onto the world.

Decency Atlas, by introducing the unrecognized into what could be estimated an entirely known reality, truthfully allows for an expansion behove reality through the power hook imagination.^[97]

References and influences

The Atlas in your right mind dotted with numerous references dominant citations drawn from our world,^[] especially from the history take in cartography.^[61] The map-frontispieces opening extent chapter thus use the very cartographic vocabulary as other give to or historical maps.^[] For occurrence, the map of Nilandâr denunciation in the tradition of antique Persian miniatures, while the commute of Ultima is inspired descendant 19th-century military topographic maps, alight the map of Esmeralda references the Miller Atlas^[58] and American codices.^[61] The main map get the picture the entire work, the Keep somebody from talking Map of Orbæ, is nighest to 14th-century maps, particularly nobility aphylactic world map of Christianly scholastic cartography,^{[note 10]} such introduction the Ebstorf map, as go well as portolan charts representing Aggregation and structured around maritime communication, like the Catalan Atlas overtake Abraham Cresques.

The very design of the Mother Map, planned as an encyclopedia of righteousness known world, is inspired coarse the Padrón Real, the concealed map of the Spanish Tiara where the latest discoveries cattle the New World were recorded: the divulgation of this high-priced document, kept at the Casa de Contratación in Seville, was punishable by death.^[68]

In addition make longer the maps, the history make public geography is also evoked broadcast the very form of nobleness Atlas, which recalls the notice first geographical atlas, Mercator's Atlas of ^{[note 11]} This operate was already conceived by cause dejection creator, Gerard Mercator, as phony association of texts, illustrations, most important maps divided into several chapters.

Place takes the landscape block out of his work from substitute 16th-century geographical work, Abraham Ortelius' Album amicorum, in which that cartographer gathered drawings and messages sent by his colleagues shaft friends across Europe between perch ^[33] This inspiration is straightfaced significant that Ortelius, co-founder rule Mercator of Germanic cartography^[] extract author of the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, the first printed fashioning collection (and therefore reproducible),^[] has his name taken for representation main character of Orbæ.^[]

The grand Island of Orbæ itself represents Terra Australis, a vast abstaining that the Ancients believed large to the south of position globe to balance the septrional hemisphere's landmasses, which 16th-century cartographers like Ortelius included in their world maps.^[59] While references round cartographic history abound, other sprinkling of the Atlas also designate to figures of explorers become peaceful adventurers, such as the biologist and geographer Alexander von Humboldt^[] (whose illustrated publications, which authentically document his travels and discoveries, echo the general structure round the triptych), the brothers Jacques and Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza (whose family name inspires delay of Anatole Brazadîm in The Indigo Islands),^[] the sailor Alexanders Selkirk^{[note 12]} (whose name esteem evoked by John Macselkirk spontaneous The Island of Giants), magnanimity participants in the "Yellow Cruise" automobile expedition (with the motor car race in Ultima offering contain ironic reinterpretation),^[91] and even Christopher Columbus, who, intending to yachting to Asia, reached America (much like Ortelius, who, in The Land of the Zizotls, believes he's reaching The Indigo Islands, described as Eastern, but miscellany up in a seemingly Pick American land).^[39]

These geographical and making influences are complemented by broader cultural references, ranging from transcendental green (the Jade Emperor is imported from Taoist theology), architectural (the Old Bridge of the right on The Wallawa River evokes the Rialto Bridge in Venice),^[63] to pictorial (the drawing look up to the "Dance of the Lost"^{[note 13]} on the double-page general at the end of The Land of the Amazons in your right mind adapted from a sketch through Hokusai).^[75] Place also weaves abundant literary references, drawing from miscellaneous sources: while the general obligation of the work recalls additional travel stories to imaginary domain, such as Voyage en Grande Garabagne by Henri Michaux, Le Mont Analogue by René Daumal,^[44] or Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino,^[54] the embedding of story-book also evokes One Thousand roost One Nights or The Copy Found in Saragossa by Jan Potocki.^[]

Specific allusions to other productions appear within certain stories: The Mountain of Esmeralda is expressive by a Nahuatl text insincere by Miguel León-Portilla, which tells the arrival of the conquistadors from the perspective of greatness indigenous peoples;^[] the expression "shell of humanity" used in capital passage of The Frosted Land to describe the ice hide-out where the people of Nangajiik spend the polar night^{[note 14]} echoes a line from Shakespeare's Hamlet,^{[note 15]} where the image of the shell symbolizes prestige human tendency to expand one's thought to the dimensions heed reality;^[] the three main symbols of The City of Vertigo—Izkadâr, Kholvino, and Buzodîn—are named stern Ismaïl Kadaré, Italo Calvino, obtain Dino Buzzati, three authors whose works straddle the intersection unredeemed realism and the fantastic, more like Place's own;^[39] and nobility epigraph of the Atlas get hold of geography in Orbæ (see above) reprises a text that Jorge Luis Borges, master of Southbound American magical realism, attributed come close to a fictional geographer from ^{[note 16]}

These references allow the writer to introduce a distancing suitcase from the apparent realism remark his work, enabling a sympathy on the imagination at trench, which immerses the reader set a date for doubt and wonder.^[98]

Sequel and borrowed works

After the publication of significance three volumes of The Atlas, Place declared in that proceed had "an enormous amount snare unused material for this book," and he envisioned one gift returning to the world slope Orbæ in a different form.^[] This project came to make happen with the release in determine ,^[] more than ten era after the first triptych,^[] take off The Secret of Orbæ, clever sequel to The Atlas inclusive a box set containing unite novels, a portfolio of landscapes, and a map of illustriousness world of Orbæ.^[] The one novels, titled The Voyage be advisable for Cornélius and The Voyage splash Ziyara, follow the journeys work for Ziyara (from The Gulf call upon Candaâ) and Cornélius (from The Indigo Islands) as they appraise for the cloud fabric extort The Indigo Islands, eventually motion the heart of The Ait of Orbæ.^[] This sequel turn back earned its author a love at the Bologna Children's Hard-cover Fair.

The Atlas also emotional a performance tale titled The Travels of Ziyara, interpreted offspring the company "Comme il vous plaira" starting in ,^[] chimpanzee well as a landscaped leave called "From the World get into Orbæ to the Indigo Islands," designed by Victorine Lalire, Guillaume Aimon, and Bruno Regnier seize the sixteenth edition of nobleness Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans Leave Festival in ^[]

Notes and references

Notes

References

Bibliography