World, Flat or Round

[Lady Mila]

Slightly OT but I was watching this thing on the science channel about the moon and they were talking about what would have happened if we had two smaller moons instead of one big one. Apparently the gravitational pulls of the two moons would mess with the tilt of earth and cause erratic, unpredictable seasons. :o

[SerBlackfyre]

It's flat and the sky is blue because they live inside the "eye of a blue-eyed giant named McCumber.”

[Werthead]

I just read on another board that there was a glimpse of a world map on the Blu Ray which apparently showed some more continents beyond the three we've seen. Is that true?

Yup, but it was created as a proof-of-concept thing for the title sequence. The extra continents were made up by the artists for colour. Notably, Essos past the Free Cities is just a big lump, missing Valyria, Slaver's Bay or any other familiar features. Contrary to reports at the time, the landmass to the west is a seperate continent, not the eastern-most part of Essos on that map (Essos is pretty small on that map, actually). Someone also said a while back that GRRM had said at a con that image was non-canon, but I don't recall where that report came from.

[BlackTalon]

Contrary to reports at the time, the landmass to the west is a seperate continent, not the eastern-most part of Essos on that map

Interesting ... maybe in book six or seven we will find out that Brandon the Shipwright was not lost at sea but that he and his descendants have secretly been building an army of Starks all those centuries and return just in time to save Westeros...

[stormborns]

I think the whole 'word' os ASOIAF is like Earth, but bigger. The only way I can explain it is imagining each region of Westeros as a country, for eg the Eyrie part - England-ish, Dorne - India.

[the Houndini]

IT IS ROUND! GRRM said so.

Buuuut WHAT IF the north isnt due north, but northwest.

So if you tilt the known map 45 degrees counter clockwise...

[the Houndini]

with the possibility of the lands of always winter almost connecting to the eastern most part of Essos... just a possibility.

[TheNerdRemembers]

I just read on another board that there was a glimpse of a world map on the Blu Ray which apparently showed some more continents beyond the three we've seen. Is that true?

It is true. There are 2 more large continents. 1 is north to Essos, the other is west to Westeros.

[Ran]

Those are not from GRRM. They were added by Elastic just to fill space. George specifically stated that they were not drawn from his materials, and should not be taken as canon.

George has said there are other continents, but those aren't them.

[Frey Pie]

Always had to be round so Dany can go east to go west.Thats what i always though anyway that she would circumnavigate the world but its probably more symbolic then actual

[Arya Nymeria Stark]

The title sequence from the show gives the impression that it's an interior world, with some mechanical, heat producing object at the centre. While that could explain the erratic seasons (the object is old, and needs maintainance), I would prefer to believe that the world is a normal planet orbiting a variable star, and the titles are simply for effect.

I disagree with what you said about it being an interior world. How could that be possible if there are stars, the sun and moon, and especially the red comet (ACOK)?

[Red Wedding Participant]

The title sequence from the show gives the impression that it's an interior world, with some mechanical, heat producing object at the centre. While that could explain the erratic seasons (the object is old, and needs maintainance), I would prefer to believe that the world is a normal planet orbiting a variable star, and the titles are simply for effect.

WHAT?? I think anyone would prefer to believe that Martinworld is a normal planet orbitting a normal star. I'm pretty sure the title sequence of the show is defininitvely noncanonical, and furthermore just a stylization designed to give people who haven't seen the inside covers of the books an idea what the map looks like. I really don't think that there is a mechanical nature to the world

[redqueen]

I'm sure Martin has done significant world building. He probably has mapped out all the continents even the ones that the characters don't know about. It would make sense for him to keep that to himself since it's for his own behalf, not the reader. Most science fiction or fantasy writers want to be consistent about their world's feature so they make maps, drawings, write histories for their own eyes.

[Howling Mad]

GRRM recently commented in an interview that he only has IIRC 9 words of high valyrian and he will invent a 10th when he needs to. I think he approaches the world map the same way.

[Werthead]

Yeah, GRRM has said there other continents, but I severely doubt he's mapped them out, and nor will he since they are not of no bearing on ASoIaF at all.

[Red Wedding Participant]

GRRM recently commented in an interview that he only has IIRC 9 words of high valyrian and he will invent a 10th when he needs to. I think he approaches the world map the same way.

Possibly, but to be fair, different authors care more about different aspects of their worlds. Martin may well be more interested in geography than language; someone like Tolkien, being a linguist, of course, invented several working languages. Of coruse then again he was thorough in pretty much all regards.

[Free Northman]

A shipwreck from Ashai washed up on the Frozen Shore, which resulted in Mance Rayder getting some expensive silks or something for his cloak.

So it seems that the Sunset Sea at least is unbroken between Westeros and Ashai. Or did I misinterpret that reference in Clash of Kings?

Was it a Westerosi ship carrying silks from Ashai, or was it an actual trading ship from Ashai that got wrecked in Wildling territory?

[Red Wedding Participant]

A shipwreck from Ashai washed up on the Frozen Shore, which resulted in Mance Rayder getting some expensive silks or something for his cloak.

So it seems that the Sunset Sea at least is unbroken between Westeros and Ashai. Or did I misinterpret that reference in Clash of Kings?

Was it a Westerosi ship carrying silks from Ashai, or was it an actual trading ship from Ashai that got wrecked in Wildling territory?

I don't recall that part, but I guess that means you can go around the world, because The Frozen Shore is on the west side of the Beyond the Wall. Unless the ship went through the Summer Sea and around Dorne and up the Sunset Sea?

[Ran]

There's a glimpse of a new continent in The Lands of Ice and Fire... ;)

[Werthead]

A shipwreck from Ashai washed up on the Frozen Shore, which resulted in Mance Rayder getting some expensive silks or something for his cloak.

It depends if the Jade Sea opens into the far eastern ocean,or if the sole way into the Jade Sea is via the Jade Gates/Straits of Qarth. In the latter case, it wouldn't make any sense for a ship from Asshai to directly end up shipwrecked on the Frozen Shore. Unless Asshai's territory extends to an opposite coast, I suppose. Otherwise it is possible. Shipwrecks can end up many thousands of miles away from where they started off, depending on currents. If so it suggests there is no intervening landmass, or if there is it doesn't girdle the planet pole to pole like America/Seanchan (cough).

More likely, it was a ship sailing to Oldtown that got wrecked there and somehow ended up further up the coast of Westeros. Or an ironborn raider captured it and it was blown too far up the coast in a storm. Who knows?

There's a glimpse of a new continent in The Lands of Ice and Fire...

Interesting. I can imagine this being a northern polar ice cap continent (Otheros), a yet further eastern continent past the Jade Sea (Furtheros Essos Redundantos) or a hint of a western continent beyond the Sunset Sea (Americanos) :)