As the site where the Independents lost their struggle and the Alliance cemented its nearly uncontested dominance of the Verse, its surprising how little we know about Serenity Valley that is, until now.
Thanks to the exhaustive labors of Verse historian and QMx artisan Ben Mund (better known among Browncoats as Whitefall, creator of the Serenity Ship Papers), we have at last an exceptionally detailed map of this historic site where an empire was forged and freedom was struck a near-fatal blow. This 30 x 26.5 lithograph is printed on 100-pound, satin-finish paper and contains a complete topographical rendering of the infamous valley, including many landmarks and other details of historic importance dating back to 2506, just prior to the outbreak of hostilities that would become known as the Unification War.
This map is being presented as part of Quantum Mechanixs Serenity lithographs series, and each print in the 1,500 limited edition will be hand-signed and numbered by Mr. Mund himself.
Back Story
One place in all of Joss Whedons Verse has always held special fascination for me: Serenity Valley. Why was it so important? Who lived there? What did it look like?
Other than a few brief glimpses in the show, we dont know the answers. This map grew out of a desire to fill in some of those gaps and provide hints as to why Serenity Valley hosted the final confrontation between the Independents and the Alliance. If you look closely, youll see a lot of small details that suggest why this was the case.
The lithograph is intended to give the intricate feel of a 19th century map combined with the multicultural futurism weve all grown to love. There are also hints and suggestions that link to the series and film. And I couldnt resist a tribute to one of my favorite characters. See if you can spot her name(s).
Thanks to Geoffrey Mandel, Andy Gore and Chris Bridges for their sharp eyes and design suggestions. And special thanks to the David Rumsey Map Collection for giving me an indispensable reference for period maps. Ben Mund (alias Whitefall)
