Science & Technology in fantasy...?

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Therish

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In writing about technology available to a people within a fantasy world, one must consider how developed the science of that people would be. Logical, yes? But how about outright anachronisms? How far would be taking it "too far"?

I really enjoy stories with a few sly technological anachronisms slipped in, but within my own, I'm not sure what would seem appropriate. What are some anachronisms you've read about that seemed jarringly out of place (taking into consideration both the world's known development and that anachronisms are out of place to begin with)?

I confused myself typing that. Any takers?
 

Conant

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It really depends on the setup of the world. If one nation or group has a strong enough drive for technological development, they could be very far beyond the others. It's simply a matter of putting them into a position that balances their power against the other groups. I mean, the Native Americans had bows and arrows, and when the first settlers of the new world arrived with guns, it wasn't simply a one-sided slaughter. In fantasy, I enjoy seeing magic-technology hybrids. Like an engine powered by a bound fire elemental or something along those lines. As long as it works in the story, I don't think there is a line unless you draw one.
 

Patrice

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I found "Guns, Germs, and Steel" very helpful when considering that question. If you think about any of the South American civilizations, for example, they are pre-industrialized cultures, as much of fantasy literature is, and yet not low-tech.
 

Sargentodiaz

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I'm currently working on a science/Fantasy novel in which the MC loses his parents to an evil priestess who seeks him to stop him from a quest he's about to be sent on.

The boy deals with various forms of magic and meets dwarves, elves and other so-called magical creatures.

But, the sub-plot is that "gods" who are really technically advanced individuals, have endowed him with advanced genetical enhancement which are further enhanced by objects that appear normal. Even though he is taken before them, everything in his eyes is presented as magic to make his time period correct.

I've tried to make the story about a simple shepherd having his normal life destroyed, chased by evil people, setting out with aid and guidance by an ancient Druid, a dwarf, he dog, and later a girl and her dog. He is given the daunting task of crossing many leages of land and ocean to face the evil priestess and her army, then enter an ice cave to face a dragon to rach a place where he can complete his quest - thus lifting the seals that have made the earth a bad place to live.

I'm probably not describing it clearly and that's why I've had a hard time selling it to anybody. (But, I'll keep at it until I do!!!
 

Therish

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@Ivcabbie: I like your concept. I'd read it! Definitely work on your pitch, though. You just need some fine-tuning, and maybe some focus on the major plot points.

Writing about a technologically advanced race is one way to make anachronistic tech work. How about anachronisms that are completely out of place? No advanced race or magic as a crutch. Any thoughts?
 

Dommo

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A while back I was outlining a fantasy that took place in a world where the great nations of the world were ruled by a Mageocracy.

Magic in that world, was a genetic trait that was more or less random, but had a favoring of specific bloodlines(e.g. two wizards are more likely to have magical offspring perhaps as high as 50/50 chance, at the cost of low fertility), to the point where perhaps 1 or 2 in a hundred people born had the magical gift, and of those perhaps 1 out of 10 were truly powerful.

Thus the societies were built around a magical feudal systems, where the most powerful mages(being proportionality infertile), were the rulers and had massive harems in order to try to continue their blood line. As the magical ability of person decreased, they took their respective positions on the feudal totem pole, with the majority of the "non-magical" making up the serf class. When a child born amongst a serf family had the magical gift(which by law was detected by forcing all children to be tested at a few months of age), the child was removed from the household and trained in the magical arts. Depending on his/her abilities, that more or less determined their social standing. However a person could always try to advance through a fight to the death, and in some empires it wasn't uncommon to have rulers overthrown every few years.

In this world I made up, there was one small nation that was isolated from the rest of the world(On a mountainous island in the northern part of the western ocean), that was magically stunted and the population was devoid of magical ability. For thousands of years, they plied the oceans, and only made contact with the mainland for purposes of trade. This made the non-mages more less small potatoes to the various mage nations, and no significant interest was taken, given that the super continent of the world was more or less staked out, and few of the mage nations had navies(almost all of the battles were land based).

Eventually the non-magic nation started to advance in technology, and they started to trade ever more complex trinkets, and other devices(the mage based societies technology more or less was frozen at about 14th century tech, albeit having through magical means a lifestyle that was about 19th century level for a noble), and eventually drew the attention of the various magical based empires. This eventually leads to the discovery of the location of this island(which is pretty large), and the mages manage to ascertain the development of the non magical nation. Seeing the state of it(it was of about early 19th century technology, they'd just discovered the steam engine and had been using flintlocks), the mages meet and form a large alliance between the warring nations to wipe out this threat.

The story I was working on took place about 1000 years later(it took about the first 40 years of that for the mages to finally conquer the island, at the cost of many hundreds of thousands of lives), when the technologically advanced people are all but wiped out. However, the technology based people, seeing the desparate situation that was happening during the invasion, managed to kidnap and brainwash(through horrendous torture) a powerful mage to enchant a 6 shooter with all of the knowledge of their people, however it was enchanted in such a way as to kill any magic using person(it caused the person to turn the gun on themselves and blow their brains out). After its completion, a small team of men was selected to flee to the mainland, as a means of being the "insurance" in case the islanders couldn't repel the invasion. Unfortunately due to a large storm the small sailing ship of this islander team floundered on the rocks at the shore of the supercontinent, thus ending forever the existence of the islanders.

However, the gun(it was sealed in a special "suitcase" that was largely impervious to the outside elements, given that it was made of bronze and had a vacuum drawn in the case to force it closed) was later rediscovered, at a point in time when the islanders had become little more than a legend(the mages murdered all of the non-magical soldiery that were involved in the war, and purged most of the knowledge of the event from recorded history). The story begins here when a thirty year old fisherman, discoveres the "suitcase" after he dredges it up in his gill net.

I always liked the idea, but I'm just kind of hung up on how to fill out the story. It's just an idea of mine that's been bouncing around.
 
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gonovelgo

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I'm currently writing a YA fantasy novel where the 'average' level of technology for the part of the world the main character lives in is about the same as real-world WWI-era. So far I haven't noticed any inherent problems with the idea, although I may feel differently once it's actually finished!
 
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