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Well my friends, you probably saw this title, and are thinking “What is this crazy guy up to now?” Well, that would be an appropriate question, but let me dive head first into today’s topic anyway.

It’s quite simple. Fantasy and Magic are two extremely different things, and they should not be confused or conflated with each other.

Now, I figured that if I was going to write this up, then I might as well make a video too, so if you would rather watch me rant, then you can go to this link.

Now, lets dive right into how exactly Fantasy and Magic are different and how the two seem to be confused, starting with some definitions:

Definition of Fantasy According to Molding Minds (333k views on youtube): Imaginary, Pretend, or Make Believe, but it isn’t just fiction, it contains unreal things that could not be real in our world, or are very much speculative and conjectured and not based in reality

Wiki Definition of Fantasy: Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction set in a fictional universe or world

Granted, a book in the real world with made up fantastical things is also technically a type of low fantasy. Some people take the fantasy universe or world aspect of the word fantasy so far as to make up a world, but have no fantastical elements in it, such as The Ranger’s Apprentice or The False Prince.

Magic Wiki Definition: the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious (in the magician sense) or supernatural forces. People throw around word magic in card tricks and the things that good ol’ David Blaine does, but to be technically correct, those are illusions, seeing that they do not harness supernatural power. If they did harness supernatural power of course, then it would be magic/witchcraft.

Webster: the use of means (such as charms or spells) believed to have supernatural power over natural forces. In other words, harnessing or using supernatural power from a spiritual or sub-natural realm.

According to Wiki (and this is mostly accurate): Most fantasy uses magic or other supernatural elements as a main plot element, theme, or setting.

Magic System According to Wiki: A magic system, which might also be referred to as a magical system, is a set of rules that regulate the magical effects that can be produced in a fictional setting.

Supernatural: Anything that is not in the natural realm of that world, things from a spiritual or sub-natural realm, such as demons, angels, little g gods, witchcraft, sorcery (or of course, anything that uses the word magic)

 

Now that I’ve covered the definitions and uses, it should be clear that if the word magic is used, it means supernatural, not just fantastical, it means supernatural or demonic. So, let me elucidate further:

If I write a fantasy book, that means there are fantastical elements in that book, and it is set in a world or universe (almost always anyway). What it does not mean is that magic is inherently in it, or any other supernatural elements.

Now, if I use the word magic or magic system in a book, that means there must be some supernatural element at play. Somebody, or someone in that fantasy world is harnessing power from the spiritual or sub-natural realm.

So, if I write a fantasy book, and in that fantasy world, people with a certain blood line can move rocks with their minds, that is not magic or supernatural, UNLESS I make it that way by using the word magic, and/or making it seem like dark arts or demonic powers are at play. If I write a fantasy book where all men can pick up mountains with superstrength, and I call it magic, that means I intend for a supernatural element to be at play, and that those men are harnessing power from a non-natural realm. To state my point one more time: If I make a fantasy world, and in that world there are fantastical abilities (such as shooting lightning from your hands), animals, or objects, those fantastical elements are NATURAL (not supernatural or sub-natural) to that world UNLESS I make them supernatural(power from the spiritual realm) by using the word magic, or witchcraft, or sorcery.

With those examples, the differences should be clear, but you might be asking, Noah, why are you making this distinction with such avid vigor? Here’s why: Most fantasy books use the word magic, or even if they don’t, the readers still say that there is a magic system in that book. Because of this fact, I am trying to say two things, one to the authors, one to the readers:

To the authors: Only use the word magic in your book if you mean for the elements in your book to be from the spiritual realm, to be supernatural, to not be part of that fantasy world’s natural world building. If you want your special elements to be part of the natural world, and to just be fantastical without being demonic/spiritual/supernatural, then DO NOT USE THE WORD MAGIC.

To the readers: Don’t call the fantastical elements of that world the magic system, unless the stuff in that world is clearly supernatural (i.e, the author uses the word magic, or it feels very much like demonic arts are at work). This leads me into the phrase “magic system.” When a person says this, no matter what they think they are saying, what they are actually saying is there are supernatural and spiritual abilities or objects at work in the book. This is more exasperating than I can communicate to me, a person who does not want supernatural elements in a book he is reading or writing (for reasons I might get into another time). So, final word to readers, please don’t use the phrase magic system or word magic unless the book is using supernatural or spiritual abilities in the book.

Now, I would like to make two claims here, that though I only have opinionated evidence for, I feel are true: First, I think that many times authors (and definitely readers) use the word magic when all they mean is the fantastical element or ability they created as a natural part of their world, I do not think they mean it is supernatural. Second, I think that using words like magic, sorcery, wizards, witchcraft, or the like, make a book seem trite, immature (I mean no offence to those of you who do have these things, so don’t go too hard on me xD), naive, and cheesier than your favorite dish of macaroni. Obviously, this is just my opinion, but not only do I not read books with magic (or those other supernatural things) because of religious reasons, I also think books with that are just plain out goofy and childish for adding supernatural elements in them in often corny ways (plus, as I said, it might be ignorance due to the fact that they don’t know what the word magic means, as I mentioned in my former point).

Now, if I communicated my points fluently enough, it should be obvious that magic is not fantasy, and that if you use the word magic you are saying that there are supernatural elements in your book, and that those supernatural elements are not part of the natural world you spent so much time creating. I have also covered why this distinction matters to me (to stop confusion, religious reasons, and that it makes books childish and cheesy).

To finish this off, I would like to state a call for action: Writers, please stop using the word magic, sorcery, witchcraft, or wizardry in your book unless you truly intend for the cool fantastical abilities, objects, and element you created in your world to be supernatural, and to be harnessing power from the non-natural realms. But if the supernatural fantasy is your goal, I would recommend you reconsider. I think it’s the cheap way out, it makes books weak, and is often childish. As for you readers, please stop using the phrase “magic system” in regard to books unless they clearly use magic and supernatural elements.  If some guy is shooting fire out of his eyes, but it is because some natural part of that world and the word magic is not used, then don’t call it the magic system, because it’s not, it’s a fantastical element or ability of that world, it’s the fantastical ability system, FAS if you would like.

Hopefully I have made my points coherent enough. I appreciate you taking the time to read (or watch), let me know your thoughts on this subject, and if you agree or disagree with the opinions I stated at the end.