Catherynne M Valente's "A Buyer's Guide to Maps of Antarctica" (short story, free): Life stories of 2 of the early explorers of Antarctica

Good story, but even better is its unusual structure.

Story summary.

Story is really descriptions of a bunch of auction lots - of museum or collector interest items. Mostly original Antarctica maps from early twentieth century of two rival cartographers & explorers from Argentina - Nahuel Acuña & Villalba Maldonado. We get textual description of the maps being sold - what they depict, decorations, damage, etc, plus the story behind the maps & some legends.

Collected in.

1. Rich Horton (Ed)'s "Unplugged: The Best of Online Fiction".
   

Fact sheet.

First published: Clarkesworld, May 2008.
Rating: A.
Download full text from publisher's site.
Added to my best of the year 2008 list.