FictionQuest
Scribe
If there is no magic and nothing supernatural, is it still fantasy? Can you have an imaginary world with imaginary creatures and leave out the magic?
-
Welcome to the Fantasy Writing Forums. Register Now to join us!
Is magic mandatory?
- Thread starter FictionQuest
- Start date
Seth son of Tom
Minstrel
i think imaginary world and creatures is enough. i'd say the main thing that makes it fantasy is that it's in a world that doesn't exist, even if it's a world within our world. (e.g. harry potter) that said magic can just be a lot of fun, but i don't think it's mandatory.
Johnny Cosmo
Inkling
I'm excluding magic, but my world is a little magical. It's in an imaginary world, there are myth-inspired creatures, and the ethnicities are somewhat more distinct than real world equivalents. So there's no real magic in my story, and I think that's fine.
Of course magic is mandatory! That's why they call it the literary arts. Or didn't I understand the question?
Last edited:
Johnny Cosmo
Inkling
You've lost me. Explain?
I'm sorry, I'm probably using a little too much snark here. I only mean that its more important for the "magic" to come from the artistic elements of the story rather than anything else.
Johnny Cosmo
Inkling
Ah, I thought you misunderstood. Of course the artistic elements are important! But that's off-topic... 
To really answer the question, "Fantasy" is an over-broad category which includes just about anything in an unreal world or a story in the real world with supernatural elements. I think someone somewhere has probably created subcategories of fantasy, where wizards and elves are elements of "classical fantasy" or something similar. I'm not sure anyone here seriously draws those lines.
Last edited:
Map the Dragon
Sage
Yes
Yes
Not that this helps much. However, fantasy is not a prerequisite by any means. There are many more elements to be included as useful traits of the fantasy genre.
- Thread starter
- #10
FictionQuest
Scribe
I am glad to see positive responses to my question. I think magic can make a story exciting but I also feel it is a little too easy to rely on it for effect. It is often used inconsistently and illogically I feel. Having said that, I am looking for stories with or without magic for FictionQuest.
Elder the Dwarf
Maester
To respond to the original question, I don't think so, although most people do associate the two. My current work is in a world with very little magic, because the magic has disappeared (due to several reasons, but I won't get in to that). A good example of works with little magic in them is the Drenai series. There is magic in the world, but in most of the books it has a very minor role.
Solomon Tan
Minstrel
I think magic is not mandatory. It's your choice in your fantasy world. of course, with magic, it's easier to link it to fantasy world setting. Throwing a fireball seems a standard for fantasy story.. Can't find that in a romance story.. haha
Terra Arkay
Minstrel
I say hell to the no.
Hello!! =) I think that magic is not really mandatory when you write Fantasy stories... I mean, it's very fun to use magic and it's like the trademark of fantasy settings, but if your story is about a different world with different creatures and other fantastical elements then it can be Fantasy even without magic!!
In my stories my magic is like really really powerful and all my mages can do things like nuking cities and causing reality warping to a massive scale, so I don't feel comfortable with the idea of writing a story with little or no magic... but it can be done and it would be very original =)
Sheila
In my stories my magic is like really really powerful and all my mages can do things like nuking cities and causing reality warping to a massive scale, so I don't feel comfortable with the idea of writing a story with little or no magic... but it can be done and it would be very original =)
Sheila
I'm more impressed by my highly skilled swordsmen and other non-magic characters because of how much they can accomplish alongside or against supernatural beings and magic-users. I think you can have a great fantasy novel in which people rely on the natural abilities and trained talents of mind and body.
One thing worth keeping in mind--even a non-magic character can appear to be magical or extraordinary. For example, think of a hero who has an adrenaline rush and, along with the phenomenal increase in physical prowess, he starts seeing things happening before him in slow motion. To the casual observer, this hero is super-human.
To the writer, perhaps this^ hero has trained himself to "will" this intense adrenaline surge. (Questionably-realistic martial arts fantasy?) Or maybe this is just a fluke--a one-time thing that brings attention to the hero who is just a normal person. (Realistic accidental hero fantasy?)
One thing worth keeping in mind--even a non-magic character can appear to be magical or extraordinary. For example, think of a hero who has an adrenaline rush and, along with the phenomenal increase in physical prowess, he starts seeing things happening before him in slow motion. To the casual observer, this hero is super-human.
To the writer, perhaps this^ hero has trained himself to "will" this intense adrenaline surge. (Questionably-realistic martial arts fantasy?) Or maybe this is just a fluke--a one-time thing that brings attention to the hero who is just a normal person. (Realistic accidental hero fantasy?)
Thalian
Scribe
I wouldn't say magic is mandatory, but it does help explain some occurences and objects. Like Tolkien did in Middle-Earth, his magic is very background because you don't see Gandalf walking through a legion of orcs and killing them all with one spell, yet magic is very much present in Middle-Earth. But no, magical isn't mandatory even though magic and fantasy always seem to go hand-in-hand. One can still create a very realistic world and its inhabitants without the use of magic, provided you are dedicated to taking your time to explain everything where needed that still makes sense without the use of magic.
Worldbreaker
Acolyte
I wouldn't say it's mandatory but a lot of times it can add a lot more depth to a story(if it's done right, there should be a logical system to it, and limits to what you can do with the magic.) but it really just depends on the story you are telling.
I agree that sometimes non-magical characters are more inspiring and more impressive than powerful mages, and I think that happens because you can relate to them more easily and you feel they are more... real
I did not come up with super mages in my stories because I want to impress readers, I do it because I am totally obsessed with power and so my magical characters end up being extremely powerful and I love them that way =)
Sheila
Thalian
Scribe
Not to mention that powerful magical beings tend to be smug and look down at everyone else in the story, so I can never seem to get to know them and relate to them.
It's like you are describing my characters!! They look down at the common people so badly that they don't even care to rule their worlds... there's a part when a Queen of the commoners is commanding her armies, and then, riding, she leads the charge against an army of monsters even though she knows that death is certain and there's no way to survive- I felt very inspired by her, she felt so real compared to the mages =)
