Episode 139: Science vs Magic

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Today, Fable and the Verbivore unpack the story elements of science vs. magic in fiction.

Focusing on the line within speculative fiction that separates sci-fi and fantasy, we talk about the squishy land of story that sometimes falls in-between.

We start by defining science fiction and fantasy, and with the fairly straightforward examples of the defined technology of Star Trek as science fiction and the space wizards of Star Wars as fantasy.

But then, we dig in a little further and acknowledge the gray areas using the following quotes:

  • Science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke famously said that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

  • In her MasterClass on science fiction and fantasy, author N. K. Jemisin says that the converse is also true. “Any magic that is sufficiently systematized is indistinguishable from science.”

In our conversation, we bring up story examples Aurora Rising, Interworld, Six of Crows, and The Fifth Season that to differing levels play within the sandbox of science and magic - while also acknowledging that each specific sub-genre has unique expectations in regard to story structure and elements. We further note that some of these books are even categorized under the hybrid science fantasy and touch on comics as a form of storytelling that often crosses these boundaries.

Towards the end, we talk about art that crosses genres and paying attention to the author’s classification of a book which helps a reader understand their intention. We bring up speculative fiction books Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (which she defines as Africanfuturism science fiction) and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (which she defines as horror). Both of these books almost transcend one specific sub-genre but listening to the authors reasons for their categorization helps connect with the story on a deeper level.

We hope you enjoy this episode. Keep reading, writing, and putting your voice out there!

Into the woods,

Fable & The Verbivore

Notes:

Definitions:

  • Fantasy is a sub-genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and drama.

  • Science fiction is a sub-genre of speculative fiction that typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universes, and extraterrestrial life.

The Verbivore reads two quotes towards the beginning of the episode. They are:

  • “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” - science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke

  • “Any magic that is sufficiently systematized is indistinguishable from science.” - science fantasy writer N. K. Jemisin

The Verbivore talks about a conversation between James Cameron and George Lucas about if Star Wars is science fiction on James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction series. George Lucas has said previously, "Star Wars isn't a science-fiction film, it's a fantasy film and a space opera."

Here are some articles and videos that we found helpful in preparation for this conversation:

Masterclasses Mentioned:

Books and Movies Mentioned:

Music from: https://filmmusic.io
‘Friendly day’ by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
Licence: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Bethany Stedman