No Tech in Fantasy = System Glitch
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credit to @nasa on unsplash
The lack of technology in fantasy stories has always puzzled me. I’m not talking about fantasy stories that take place in a modern-society setting, since they tend to have things like cars, trains, computers and cell phones. I’m talking about fantasy stories set in medieval-esque times, which avoid technology like the plague.
First, I feel it’s important to reiterate that technology doesn’t just mean machinery, but also the things we can do because of machinery. Things like organ transplants and staying connected with others. To me, it seems like it wouldn’t be difficult to include these things in fantasy.
Magic is the perfect excuse to have literally whatever you want going on in a fantasy story. And yes, this includes things that are considered science. To quote the late Arthur C. Clarke:
“Magic is just science we don’t understand yet.”
Let’s run with an example I gave before. Does a character need an organ transplant or some other life-saving, life-changing medical procedure? Explain it away with magic. If there’s any sort of water magic in a fantasy setting, it could be used on blood — almost half of total blood volume is water!
If a spell could be used to stop a flood, it could also be used to stop internal bleeding. In fact, it would probably take up less magical energy, too. A mage or wizard would probably be able to do it for a prolonged amount of time. Think bloodbending from Avatar: The Last Airbender, but less creepy and, you know, used for good.
Or if that organ needs to be put on ice, use some ice magic! With enough set-up that these kinds of spells aren’t whipped out as a convenient plot device at the exact moment they’re needed, there’s no reason this wouldn’t work.
a movie poster for studio ghibli’s howl’s moving castle
Of course, magic isn’t the only option, either. Deals with demons or devils are perfect, too. In the Studio Ghibli movie Howl’s Moving Castle, Howl has, well, a moving castle. It looks like a giant machine. When I first saw the movie, that’s what I thought it was. Later, I learned the castle was actually being controlled by Calcifer, a fire demon that Howl made a deal with.
If Howl could do that, why didn’t Frodo make a deal with a demon for a first-class flight to Mordor? Ah, so many missed opportunities.
But to get back on track, there’s one other way I can think of to include technology besides magic and demons — just don’t explain it. It’s fantasy. It’s fiction. The audience doesn’t need an explanation for everything.
“The machine” from 20th century Fox’s The princess bride
An example of this that comes to mind is in the movie The Princess Bride. One character, Wesley, is kidnapped and hooked up to a torture device aptly named “The Machine.” It’s shown to be run by a water wheel, some bellows and a very impressive array of gears.
Despite these lovely visuals, how The Machine actually drains years of life from a victim is never elaborated on. I never even realized this until I started to write this post, and I find that not knowing doesn’t bother me at all. I saw the way that it worked, and that’s good enough. The rest is part of the mystery of the fantasy genre. And really, isn’t that all part of the fun?
Simona Casale
Simona is an aspiring editor and fiction author. In her free time she like to crochet, play video games, and read fanfiction. If you need to find her, check the nearest restaurant that serves ahi tuna bowls — look for the girl in pink.
