Do video games employ sci-fantasy more than anything else?

September 12, 2007 at 3:20 pm (Fantasy, Science Fiction)

I’m starting to think that video games, as opposed to TV/movies and actual written works, own the biggest piece of the sci-fantasy pie. Take a look at Final Fantasy X, which is my most favorite example of sci-fantasy; I’m beginning to think it’s spawned a whole line of sci-fantasy RPGs, not just within the Final Fantasy series. I acquired the game Rogue Galaxy (PS2) last weekend, and I was immediately struck by the similarities.

However, unlike FFX, Rogue Galaxy makes no attempt (so far*) to explain how and why magic and technology can coexist. Everything is considered an “ability” – nothing is called a “spell.” There are ability points, but no sign of mana. A robot named Steve can shoot icy beams from his eyes – but is this a technological ability inherent in his model, or a magical spell? A human bounty hunter can light his sword on fire without any external help – that, to me, qualifies as magic. A squat little man with a missile launcher can summon a dragon made of fire to deal widespread damage. That’s magic, too. We are also running around with space pirates on a ship that looks like a real pirate ship… you know, the kind you find on the ocean, not among the stars. There are monsters – “beasts” – floating around just about everywhere. I’m not convinced space is a vacuum in this ‘verse – no one’s needed a helmet while on the deck so far!

Is Rogue Galaxy an example of well-integrated sci-fantasy, or does it simply lack the well-thought-out background to explain the convergence of magic and technology that FFX and many other ‘verses boast?

*Please keep in mind that I’ve not finished the game, so the absence of an explanation and backstory may be a plot point in the future. I’m a bit of a slow gamer, so it might be a few weeks before we find out!

I really do need to amass a more sizeable list of games, movies, TV shows, and books that fall in the sci-fantasy category. Reports from a good friend inform me that the Dresden series should definitely be included, but I’m fairly sure there’s a genre for magic being used in an otherwise realistic, modern world. “Modern fantasy”? “Paranormal fiction”? Something like that. In my mind, sci-fantasy more involves entirely new worlds and universes, rather than just tossing some magic onto good ol’ Earth.

What do you think? Do books that employ magic in an otherwise normal setting count as sci-fantasy?

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Good morning, sci-fantasy fans!

September 5, 2007 at 7:57 am (Science Fiction)

I know, I know… this blogs needs to be updated more often… but! O Happy Day, internet will return to my abode this weekend! Expect more ramblings on the nature of sci-fantasy very, very soon. And more frequently. And possibly with actual links and researched… thingies… to entertain and fascinate you.

Anyways. In a post earlier on, I proposed that some sci-fantasy came to be as a result of a dynamic, evolving fantasy world built on magic. Such worlds are inclined to invent new gadgets that, eventually, leads them to partake in science fiction-like technology. In many fictional worlds, this process of evolution leads to the extinction of magic; in sci-fantasy worlds, magic coexists alongside technology. (By ‘coexists’, I mean ‘exists simultaneously’… some worlds are torn into opposed factions of magic and technology, and others consider magic or technology a cult, and its opposite to be the “true” way of life. Sci-fantasy worlds don’t necessarily combine magic and technology seamlessly or peacefully. Take a look at Final Fantasy X (PS2) for a good example – technology is considered blasphemous, whereas magic is an extremely common skill to have in its various incarnations.)

(Wow, I need to learn to summarize less wordily. And use less parentheses.)

So, that theory covers sci-fantasy worlds wherein which magic came first. But what if science came first? What if the world starts as a technologically-advanced world, or industrial steam-punk, or any other type of unmagical place? How does magic get introduced to the scene?

This one’s trickier. I’ve seen a lot of cases where they find scientific explanations for magic, but they don’t call it ‘magic’ – it’s considered a new form of science or technology. Take Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (PS2) for example:

“But despite this science fiction atmosphere, a form of magic exists in the universe: symbology, also translated as heraldry in the Japanese version and in Star Ocean: The Second Story. Standard symbology involves tattooing crests and runes onto one’s flesh to draw out apparently latent power in the form of spells, and numerous underdeveloped planets make extensive use of it. Despite its supernatural connotations, Symbology is treated a legitimate field of scientific study in-universe.” (From Wikipedia, the ever-handy resource.)

That right there is a fantastic example of what I’m talking about – the world or ‘verse starts as sci-fi, yet incorporates magic as a branch of science. Does this make Star Ocean a sci-fantasy ‘verse, or just elaborately-constructed science fiction?

I once heard a quote… and forgive me, I don’t recall the author… that goes something like this: “Sufficiently advanced technology seems like magic, and sufficiently advanced magic seems like technology.” Adage of the sci-fantasy concept, or a good quote for a slim percentage of sci-fantasy worlds? I’m leaning towards the latter… but, in the case of Star Ocean, it fits perfectly.

If you can explain magic with technology or in terms of science, does that mean it ceases to be magic? Is it science fiction, or sci-fantasy?

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