Have you ever imagined an orbital city inhabited by robots, with unknown jungles and desert regions floating above a planet? That is the world I had to draw in this science fiction map for La ciutat del Cel. Porcs, the new novel by Jordi de Manuel published in Catalan by Jollibre, an imprint of Santillana.
Science fiction map
How the commission started
The publisher contacted me while preparing the second book in the series that began with El món fosc. Talps. They wanted a double map to guide readers through the new adventure: a general view and a more detailed one, both set on a huge orbital structure above the planet Gaia. They sent very clear references and, to my surprise, one of them was a map of mine.
Their brief was simple: readers should be able to get lost in the orbital rings, recognise the farming areas, the deserts and the wild habitats, and even find the city where the great mysteries of the past took place.
The orbital structure at a glance
The orbital structure circles Gaia about 400 km above the surface and is made of crossing rings where biomes and human architecture blend together. The key was to convey that monumental scale without losing clarity, so I worked with clean lines, strong black and white contrast and details that invite readers to explore.
Details that tell stories
The second map zooms in. Each ring has its own function:
- Selva d’Orjan, a jungle where strange species grow.
- Camps de trífids, fields of triffids, a nod to John Wyndham’s classic.
- Northern and southern farms that supply food to the station.
- Desert and steppe strips that mark out unexplored regions.
- La Ciutat del Cel, the Sky City, where everything seems about to be revealed.
Every label is integrated into the drawing and follows the typographic design of the first novel, so both books feel like part of the same series.
About the novel
One hundred days after arriving from the depths of the planet, a group of young people get the chance to travel to the Sky City, an orbiting structure believed to be ruled by robots. Edgar Grim is convinced he will find his mother there. The station’s rings hide jungles, deserts, farms and a forgotten city, but also secrets nobody can imagine. It is the continuation of Jordi de Manuel’s El món fosc universe, a young adult science fiction saga.
My process as a map illustrator
My job is not only to represent places but to amplify the story. I read the key passages, test scale and contrast with pencil sketches, and then move on to digital inking, where every line counts. This map took about two weeks between sketches, layout tests and final inking, with continuous reviews with the publisher.
The Jollibre and Santillana team was especially clear and collaborative. From the first sketch to the final delivery we worked side by side so the map would be a narrative piece, not just decoration.
What makes this science fiction map special
- Clear visual storytelling: each area is designed so readers know where they are without long explanations.
- Graphic consistency with the map of the previous novel.
- Science fiction and biogeography combined, from the triffids to the steel tower.
- An invitation to explore the details again and again while reading.
Do you need a map for your science fiction novel?
Science fiction worlds are often harder to map than fantasy ones: space stations, rings, planets and invented technologies need a clear visual logic. You can see more examples on my science fiction illustration and map illustration pages.
If you are writing a science fiction or fantasy novel and need a map, get in touch and tell me about your world.
