Karen Wynn Fonstad passes away

[Keeper of Secrets]

Sad news. Thanks for letting us know. I really thought her work was wonderful.

 

[Barak]

Indeed. I never realized how much making good maps for "made-up" Worlds was hard work until trying to make one of my own (for my own world, no less). A good Fantasy cartographer is quite a title to hold.

Sad news.

 

[Shadowdancer]

Sad news indeed. My thoughts and prayers go out to her and her family.

As several others have already said, her maps were fantastic and a great resource as well as just being fun to look at. I've been obsessed with maps since I was a child, and I spent many hours pouring over her lovingly detailed maps of Pern, Middle-Earth, the Forgotten Realms, The Land and others.

 

[Steel_Wind]

We have used her drawings in the DragonLance atlas extensively as concept art and "the bible" when doing 3d modeling at DLA.

Sad news indeed.

 

[devilish]

Just wanted to add my voice -- my heart sank when I read the title in
the forum list. Her Atlas of the Land made the TC Chronciles more alive
and her Atlas of Middle Earth allowed me to appreciate the expanse
of the Tolkein world.

deepest condolences.

 

[Alaric_Prympax]

I've got 3: The Land, Pern and my personal favorite- LotR. They're great books. She will be missed.

 

[Mangrum]

That's a pity. The level of detail in her work was a source of inspiration when I was compiling the annotated Ravenloft timeline, back in the day. That timeline was my first step toward meeting the folks at TSR/WotC and writing on the RL line, so my debt to her is not small.

 

[Ranger REG]

My deepest sympathy. She made maps for our gaming worlds so believable. There will be no other cartographer like her for us in the fantasy/sci-fi genre.

 

[mac1504]

Very sad... on a bright note, I never knew she was a fellow Wisconsinite from Oshkosh!

 

[qstor]

Bummer I loved her work. I have all three of the 4 of her atlases.m (ME, Kyrnn and FR)

Mike