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R.M. Archer replied to the topic Fantasy Is NOT the Same Thing As Magic in the forum Fantasy Writers 5 years, 1 month ago
First of all: Yes.
Second of all: No. XD
While your definition is accurate to the real world, and by those standards I fully agree that it’s a term that should be used carefully… your definition does not take into account change of use and meaning. Now, I would be willing to hear an argument that the meaning should not be changed since it’s a result of careless word usage. However. As it currently stands, the word “magic” is just as often used to refer to natural-in-fantasy powers that are supernatural to the real world and therefore carries that connotation just as much as (if not more than, to most fantasy readers) its original meaning. At this point, few writers mean it in its literal form, and this is understood by most readers. (As I said, though, an argument could be made that this is a problem since it’s come about due to careless usage.)
I also don’t think that writing “magic” in the truly supernatural sense is inherently cheesy or lazy. Miracles, supernatural intervention, and even witchcraft can be portrayed—very, very, very carefully—for thematic purpose and to convey the world in its fullness. The spiritual realm is no less real for being invisible, and the same ought to be true of a fictional world. And when used with the appropriate level of care and thought and prayer, this is anything but cheesy or lazy. I don’t think we should portray magic in a cheesy or lazy manner, because it’s a very serious thing in the real world and ought also to be a very serious thing in fiction. But I don’t think that means we ought to discontinue its portrayal altogether.
I would be curious how you would propose replacing the term “magic” when referring to natural-to-fantasy abilities in way that would catch on not only with writers but also with readers; no offense, but “fantastical ability system” is a bit of a mouthful and I’m not sure about the abbreviation… though the abbreviation part might just be me. It might also be interesting to question whether we even need such a term, since these abilities are natural to the fantasy world. Could we convince authors and readers to simply accept them as part of fantasy, without the need for a particular term? Or are we too tied to reality, ironically, to cease labeling those things that are different in a fantasy reality from things in our own? And is that a good thing or a bad thing? (That’s a bit tangential, but…)
I definitely do agree as far as “magic” in the common sense being distinct from “magic” in the technical, real-world sense, since fantastical abilities in fantasy are usually an inherent part of the world. There’s little notable about them within the world, as far as actual ability goes; they perhaps ought to be seen more (by characters within the world) as an additional skill like woodworking or gardening; or perhaps even like a language, in the sense that they might be bewildering to someone encountering them for the first time.
But anyway. Now my brain is really going off in another direction, so probably best for me to leave my rambling there. XD












