Indexes for fiction seems to be a recurring topic among indexers. I do not know of anyone who has actually written an index like this, but we sure like to talk about it. Someone recently raised the issue again on one of the indexing email lists, and it just so happened that shortly before that exchange, I found an online index for the fourteen-volume fantasy series by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, The Wheel of Time, which is one of my favourite fantasy series.
So, here are some thoughts to join the conversation, first on indexing fiction, in general, and then on The Wheel of Time index specifically.
Issues in Indexing Fiction
One of the biggest concerns in indexing fiction is spoilers. How much of the plot should be revealed? Should the ending be included, even if buried in a subheading? Or should nothing about the plot be revealed, with the index consisting of undifferentiated locators (no subheadings) for people, places, and things?
To help discern an answer, we should consider who is most likely to use the index. Is it a new reader or is it a repeat reader? Repeat readers may actually want spoilers, because they already know what happens anyway, and they may be searching the index for specific information or scenes that they recall, which would require a fairly detailed index.
I think it is also helpful to consider other supplementary material that can accompany fiction, like wikis and companion books. For The Wheel of Time, the “A Wheel of Time Wiki” has on its home page the following statement: “This wiki contains spoilers for all books in the series! Read articles at your own risk.” The Wheel of Time Companion: The People, Places, and History of the Bestselling Series, also states in its introduction that the book contains spoilers. It seems reasonable to say that spoilers are inevitable, and often expected, in supplementary material, including, I would say, indexes. A certain amount of information needs to be included in order for that resource to serve its purpose. Perhaps spoilers are not as big an issue as we may think, though again, this circles back to the purpose of the index and its audience.
A related issue, focusing on the index content, is the scope of the index. Should the focus be solely on people, places, and things? What about the culture, technology, or social issues described in the book? Should major themes be picked up? Should the index attempt to break down the plot, or follow character arcs? Should subheadings be used, which can facilitate breaking down the story, or should locators be undifferentiated, which could lead to long strings of page numbers but at least the plot is safely hidden. In writing the index, of course, the book should not be rewritten, but I think that there are still degrees of complexity and scope that can be considered. A good novel should be multifaceted and immersive. Should the index be similar?
The last main issue that comes to mind is that of locators. Fiction, especially popular fiction, can often be reprinted in multiple editions over time. Which edition should the index be keyed to, or will the index have to be adjusted for each edition? If the index is for a series, like The Wheel of Time, for which I think an index would be most useful, there is the added question of how will the index be published? Will it be a standalone volume? Published online? This logistical issue is not insurmountable, but it should be considered from the outset.
The Wheel of Time Index
I have actually thought about an index for The Wheel of Time for many years, though partly for the issues outlined above and partly for lack of time and pay I have not followed through on the idea. So I am really excited to find this online index, which you can view here. It is part of the larger website Encyclopedia WoT, which is one of several fan-created The Wheel of Time websites.
As you can see when you browse the main page, the main headings focus on people, places, and things. There are a few concepts, such as agelessness and channelling, which are specific to the world, but otherwise conceptual entries are not included. Still, given the parameters I am impressed by how thorough the term selection is. Even characters and places with very minor references are included.
Interestingly, names are not inverted and are alphabetically sorted by first name. Perhaps readers are more familiar with first names than last? A more serious issue, I think, is that terms are not differentiated or explained. There are a few instances of two minor characters having the same name but no indication of which entry is for which. There are also a lot of terms which I simply do not recognize, probably because it has been a few years since I have read most of the books, and probably because some of these references are quite minor. I think simple glosses would be helpful. For example:
hedgehog (ter’angreal)
Mehar (Saldaean town)
Sarand (Andoran noble house)
Glosses like these would make the index much easier to browse. In its current state, the index requires the user to recognize all of the terms and to already know what they want to find, while glosses would make searching easier for the casual browser.
My last critique about the main headings is the lack of cross-references. This lack is particularly noticeable as some of the entries do not have their own page. For example, the entry for Mondel Gate automatically redirects to the page for the city of Caemlyn, within which are references to Mondel Gate, but the user has to search for those references. It is not obvious why I was sent to a different page than expected, or where the relevant information is. Some sort of cross-reference could explain where the information actually is or why I am being redirected, and give direction for how to use the index.
The individual entries are also quite interesting, and show how much more information can be included in an online index compared to a back-of-the-book index. The entries definitely contain spoilers, as they contain extensive information about what the reader can find. For example, the following subheadings, we will call them, appear in the entry for Basel Gill:
Gill is very upset that Maighdin has disappeared.
Gill and his companions reach the Jehannah Road. Travelers report that the way north is impassable so they head east.
Rand tries to remember what Gill told him about Galad.
Elyas scouts the Whitecloak camp and recognizes Gill. Perrin begins planning how to free them.
The information provided is split into a number of different sections. The first is a brief explanation of the entry, such as this one for Basel Gill: “The innkeeper of The Queen’s Blessing in Caemlyn”. If the entry is a person, there is usually then a physical description, including locators for where the person is described. Next is a list of actions and events the character appears in, in chronological order, followed by other mentions.
Entries for places, things, and groups follow a similar structure, and may also include a list of related entries (a form of cross-reference), such as everyone mentioned from a particular village.
As mentioned, a lot of information, in sentence format, is given in the description for each locator. The entries also appear to be in chronological order, so similar entries are not grouped together. While this means that readers have to search to find the specific information they want, the entry does provide a comprehensive overview.
I find the locators to be one of the most interesting aspects of this index. The locators bypass the issue of which edition of the series to use by linking to chapter summaries instead of page numbers. This provides context for the entries, but if the reader still wants to find the specific mention, they will have to reread the chapter. Perhaps this is why so much description is given within each entry, as the chapter summaries are fairly brief. This makes the entries, in a way, more important than the locators. Still, I think this is quite an ingenious solution.
In addition to the index, at the top of each page there are a number of links to pages on each of the books, history, geography, characters, items, etc… Some of the information listed in these pages overlaps with the index, while others, such as history and geography, in a way serve as conceptual entries, gathering together relevant subheadings. The index is integrated into the larger website, blurring the lines between the website as a whole and the page that is formally labeled “Index.”
All in all, I am very impressed by this index for The Wheel of Time. I cannot imagine how much work must have gone into its creation. I think there are some ways to make the index easier to search and use, and more could be done to expand into more conceptual entries, but these are fairly minor quibbles compared to what this index actually does achieve. This is a fantastic resource for fans. I wish that similar indexes were available for other series as well.