Anpao covers a period of time ranging from the creation of the world to the coming of white people (the "Big Knives"), smallpox, and fire-breathing locomotives. The story is told from the perspective of North Americans, according to whom the world has a distinct landscape full of North American flora and fauna. Much of the story seems to take place in the American West, particularly the deserts and mountains of the Southwest. But despite the realistic landscape, no specific locations can be identified; rather, both time and place exist in a mythic world.