Comments on: Magic versus Science?

By: July 14, 2008 | Bloggle

July 14, 2008 | Bloggle — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:17:09 +0000

[...] Magic vs. Science [...]

By: Jeff VanderMeer

Jeff VanderMeer — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 17:45:13 +0000

Ebear–ha! I don’t even recall the original context.

By: Sarah Monette

Sarah Monette — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:50:02 +0000

Motorized prayer wheels! A la “The Nine Billion Names of God.”

It’s true that there isn’t a lot of fantasy with mass production of widgets, but I think that says more about the nature of fantasy writers than it does about the nature of fantasy. It’s not that magic CANNOT be compatible with industrialization, it’s that most fantasy writers don’t want to go there–in much the same way that scientific work isn’t objective, but scientists want it to be.

By: ebear

ebear — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:36:47 +0000

I find Ted’s thesis just a little… weird. Because there are certainly scientists in SF who operate much like mad magicians, and there are certainly magicians who operate like scientists, with experiments and geeking and mass-produced magical widgets.

I’m just not sure that anyone can make those kinds of blanket statements about the use of magic or science in literature.

Magic can be mechanistic. Totally so. That’s how D&D works, after all….

And science can seem pretty subjective. How many of us have prayed to and pleaded with our stalling cars on a cold January morning?

It… yanno… it’s just not that simple….

(How do you manage to lock yourself out of the house with a laptop and several bottles of vodka? Were you on your way home from the coffeehouse AND the liquor store?)

By: Janie Harrison

Janie Harrison — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 06:14:21 +0000

I wish Ann had gotten there sooner! I am not sure this is Progress. Laughing. In my opinion, it’s all really about two languages, one of words and one of numbers. Both are magical and misguiding. And you and the Evil Monkey need something stronger than vodka…

By: Jeff VanderMeer

Jeff VanderMeer — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 14:48:24 +0000

Arthur: It’s scheduled for late May 2009. The writing is going very well.

Jeff

By: Arthur

Arthur — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:57:11 +0000

Hi Jeff

I had a totally unrelated question, about Finch. When exactly is this coming out, is this known? Looks like a great book.

Or do I need to ask the guys at Underland?