Technofantasy ( Eng. Technofantasy, Technomancy ) is a specific genre of fiction [1] , a fantasy subgenre that describes worlds where technological advances coexist with manifestations of magic [2] , or where science and magic transform into each other [3] . John Cluth in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction uses this definition of techno-fantasy: fantasy with scientific or technological attributes and tools, but unlike science fiction without a scientific or pseudo-scientific substantiation of their existence [1] . The term techno-fantasy was introduced by the western science fiction writer John Klyut to specify the broader concept of scientific fantasy (in Russia, techno-fantasy and scientific fantasy act as synonyms) [3] . A distinctive feature of techno-fantasy is that the technique is simply combined with magic incompatible with it, no quasi-scientific explanation is given for this [4] . Thus, by its nature, techno-fantasy lies closer to the fantasy genre [5] .
 | Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.Arthur Clark [6] |  |
For example, John Cluth in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction refers to techno-fantasy such a classic science fiction as Frankenstein , since the scientific justification in it is only references to the secret forces of electricity and, according to Mary Shelley herself, is a description of a nightmare [7 ] . Sometimes the term techno-fantasy is used as a synonym for steampunk , which in this context is considered as fairy tales about alternative worlds on technological anachronisms [8] .
Content
Science and Magic
The interaction of science and magic ( born Science and Sorcery [9] ) is a common scenario of techno-fantasy [5] . Boris Nevsky in his article “Dragons and Starships. The diversity of techno-fantasy ”identifies 6 ways of interaction between technology and magic, characteristic of techno-fantasy and, sometimes, distinguished as the main features of narrower subgenres [3] .
- Magic coexists with technology - simple worlds of science and magic, where magic and technology coexist with each other. In this case, as a rule, mechanical union is applied; in a number of works (for example, “ The Queen 's Necklace ” by Teresa Edgerton, “Anvil of the World” Cage Baker , “ Not Time for the Dragons ” by Nick Perumov and Sergey Lukyanenko and “The War of Flowers” by Ted Williams ) magic races, creatures, artifacts and art are simply combined with steam engines, firearms and railways. In one of the variants of this area of techno-fantasy, the fictional world is based on a real story, supplemented by magic (“Cara Caballa” by George Henry Smith and “Eyes of Silver” by Michael Stackpole ). And finally, there is an option in which there is a self-contained magical world where technology exists as a given and even has its own cosmogony (The Irtin Dominions by Alfred Attanasio and The Hermit Islands by Leland Exton Modezitt ) [3] .
- Magic replaces technology - worlds where magic replaces science and technology. In this version, science can either be replaced almost everywhere by magic (Randall Garrett’s detective fantasy cycle about Lord Darcy), or completely supplanted by magic ( Robert Heinlein ’s novel “Magic, Incorporated”). In this genre, the role that technical inventions play in the real world is magic. For example, in the novel “Operation Chaos” by Paul Anderson, instead of electricity, the Lights of St. Elm from General Electric are used, and instead of cars, Chevrolet carpets [3] .
- Magic is opposed to science - worlds in which science and magic are opposed to each other [3] , an example of such a work is the novel by Roger Zhelyazny “Jack from the Shadow”, a similar opposition is described in his dilogy “ Substituted ” - “ Obsessed with magic ”.
- Cyber fantasy is a combination of cyberpunk and techno-fantasy, called cyber-fantasy [3] .
- “Sword and planet” ( Sword and planet ) is a techno-fantasy variation of the space opera. Representatives of this trend are the fictional world of “ Warhammer 40,000 ”, the pieces “The Chip of War” by Lawrence Watt-Evans , “The Star Shield” by Margaret Ways and Tracy Hickman , “The War of Darkness” by Glenn Cook , “The Imperial Witches” by Svyatoslav Loginov [3] .
- Magic replaces science - a mixture of science fiction and fantasy, the action of which takes place in a world where (for example, as a result of a cataclysm) science is replaced by magic. A typical example is the series of short stories by Jack Vance, “Dying earth” [3] ; Pendleton Ward 's animated series "Adventure time".
Techno-fantasy in anime
Since the genre of techno-fantasy has several directions, the fictional world is described differently in different animes in this style. In some works, magic and technology are combined with each other. This direction has two different options: either in the technological world there are elements of magic, for example, supernatural powers in people (examples of this option are “ A certain magic index ”, “ Triplexogolic ”, etc.), or in the magic world there is technology, for example, weapons or cars, airships, etc. (examples: Howl 's Moving Castle , Dee: Vampire Hunter , etc.). Other areas are: the magical world, where technology was in the past and forgotten at the time of the product’s deployment (example: The Last Fantasy series of games), the technological world where magic was either considered non-existent or was in the past (example: the anime “ Occult Academy ” ) and two worlds, technological and magical, which exist parallel to each other, and the main characters move from one to another with the help of technology or magic (example: the anime “ Fullmetal Alchemist ”) [2] . One of the characteristic representatives of techno-fantasy may also be the Lyrical sorceress Nanoha , where magic and technology are one and the same. .
See also
- Science fiction
- City fantasy
- Steampunk
- Technopunk
- Post apocalyptic
- Cyberpunk derivatives
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 V.S. Martynenko. O. A. Sysoeva. To the problem of functioning megazhans in modern mass literature
- ↑ 1 2 Samoilova E.O. Semiotics of cyberspace in anime genres // Philosophical problems of information technology and cyberspace. - 2012. - Issue. 1 . - S. 161-166 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Boris Nevsky. Dragons and starships. A variety of techno-fantasy . No. 29; January 2006 . World of fiction (01.24.06).
- ↑ Kulik, O. P. The Question of “Scientific Fantasy” in Contemporary Russian Literature (Rus.) // Science Notes. Seriya "Philology". - Ostrog, 2010. - Issue. 15 . - S. 170-175 .
- ↑ 1 2 Technofantasy (Eng.) // The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction . - 2014 .-- October 25.
- ↑ Technofantasy // Encyclopedia of Fantasy / edited by John Clute and John Grant. - 1997.
- ↑ Technofantasy - article from The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
- ↑ John Clute. Encyclopedia of Fantasy (1997) Steampunk . The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.
- ↑ Science and Sorcery // The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction . - 2014 .-- May 30.
Literature
- Technofantasy - article from The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
- Boris Nevsky. Dragons and starships. A variety of techno-fantasy . No. 29; January 2006 . World of fiction (01.24.06).
- Samoilova E.O. Semiotics of cyberspace in anime genres // Philosophical problems of information technology and cyberspace. - 2012. - Issue. 1 . - S. 161-166 .