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Selik
Joined: 20 Jan 2005
Posts: 1524
Location: South Shields
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 Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 7:32 pm Post subject: Magic or no magic? |
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Here's a question for everyone...since I can't get the poll to work. 
Does a fantasy book always have to contain magic for it to be considered pure fantasy? Or can you get away with a fantasy world without the magic?
All thoughts most welcome.
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OLD NEW GUY
Joined: 10 Dec 2007
Posts: 129
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| Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 8:30 am Post subject: |
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I think its very easy to get away with a fantasy book without magic, in fact magic is often a cop out, even the great Gemmell fell into the magic cop out with sipstrassi, too many times it was a convenient escape.
i have read a few very good series with no magic at all. |
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Max Power
Joined: 06 Dec 2004
Posts: 467
Location: United Kingdom
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| Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 4:06 pm Post subject: |
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To paraphrase Bill Clinton, "it's the characters, stupid". Any book for me stands or falls on the characters, then the plot. It can be used subtley (most of Scott Lynch's debut, most of George RR Martin), or in your face, but it's just a device for me.
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butterfly
Joined: 08 Sep 2004
Posts: 47
Location: Ireland
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| Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 8:19 am Post subject: |
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It depends on the world and how it is set up. If its present from the begining then it is a part of that world and to remove it would cause damage. However, I hate it when magic suddenly appears in a story and then to me it can feel lazy.
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Deornoth
Joined: 08 Oct 2007
Posts: 446
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| Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 3:31 pm Post subject: Re: Magic or no magic? |
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| Selik wrote: | | Or can you get away with a fantasy world without the magic? |
I think so, it's more about the setting and characters rather then whether there's magic. K.J. Parker's 'The Company' is definitely fantasy and there's no magic there at all...
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Max Power
Joined: 06 Dec 2004
Posts: 467
Location: United Kingdom
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| Posted: Thu May 07, 2009 9:56 pm Post subject: |
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| butterfly wrote: | | It depends on the world and how it is set up. If its present from the begining then it is a part of that world and to remove it would cause damage. However, I hate it when magic suddenly appears in a story and then to me it can feel lazy. |
And then having a character who's too powerful and has to disappear every so often to keep the story in balance.
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Selik
Joined: 20 Jan 2005
Posts: 1524
Location: South Shields
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| Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 4:26 pm Post subject: |
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hehe, thanks for the replies. Much appreciated. I have to say i've never actually read a fantasy book without magic, so I may go on the look out for the aforementioned titles. 
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Grace
Joined: 28 May 2006
Posts: 302
Location: Bristol
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| Posted: Sat May 16, 2009 2:07 pm Post subject: |
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My own fantasy trilogy doesn't contain magic; I don't feel magic is necessary to the story. Anne McCaffery's Pern is definately fantasy, but there's no magic in there either...
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Selik
Joined: 20 Jan 2005
Posts: 1524
Location: South Shields
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| Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 10:51 pm Post subject: |
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Hmm, not read Anne McCaffery if i'm honest...hence the post really. I've never read a fantasy that didn't contain magic.... man, my life is so meaningless 
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