When I first joined the SFWA, I admitted on their forums that I’m a geology sort of person. This eventually led me to being contacted by the wonderful lady that runs the Clarion Foundation Blog and offered the chance to write the occasional bit about geology. My first piece is now up over there:
It’s a basic overview of the tectonic processes that are involved in creating most mountain ranges – and what those mountain ranges generally look like on maps. Which I hope will be helpful for people who are worldbuilding.
Not that I’m implying anyone making a map for a fantasy world is at all interested in realism, or ought to be. If your mountains are that way because the god that created the world wanted them there, good for you.
But I’ll admit, there’s been a time or two where I’ve looked at a map for a fantasy world and giggled – I’m looking at you, Mr. Tolkien. Which is silly, I know, since this is fantasy. But what can you do, I guess we each have a little item or two that just destroys the suspension of disbelief. It’s the same reason I can’t look at maps from WoW without snickering – I could practically write a book about how silly they are.