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Technomagic Systems: Magitech & TechnopathySuperhuman cyber tech, artificial entities and realities, and magically influenced technology galore... Technomagic is an exciting branch of magic to play with!byTaylor FrymierTable of ContentsMagic and Technology in Fantasy: An OverviewMagitech vs. TechnopathySystems That Fuse Magic and TechnologyThemes Found in Technomagic SystemsExamples of Technomagic in Books, Film, and GamesTechnomagic Systems: Closing Thoughts11 Minute ReadSeemingly as incompatible as oil and water, magic and science have long been at opposite ends of the fantasy versus science fiction binary. Any science fantasy enthusiast who’s spent time with these genres knows this dichotomy to be false, however, and that science and magic can have a beautiful relationship rooted in technology.We call this marriage technomagic.In this article we will discuss:A brief history of technology and magic together in speculative fiction.The difference between magitech and technopathy.Some magic systems that utilize both.Common themes explored in settings with technomagic.A few examples of technomagic in literature, gaming, film, and TV.So, sit back and relax in your MageHand™ massage chair, strap on your real virtuality headset (please ensure its lightning elemental batteries are fully charged), and fire up your coffee maker crafted by the finest gnomish artificers. We’re plugging into the matrix of technomagic systems.Magic and Technology in Fantasy: An OverviewBefore we get any further, it’s important to note that technology is a big term on its own. Pencils, paper, boats, and even the wheel were once considered advanced technology and, by definition, remain “technology.”Photo: PexelsWhat we’re discussing in this article is sufficiently advanced technology. In other words, technology that is considered advanced relative to the setting’s time. For a deeper dive into this subject and tips on crafting your own original technologies, Morgan Biscup has a fantastic piece on writing believable technologies in fiction.So, can magic and technology play nicely together? Absolutely!All you need for technomagic is a piece of semi-ubiquitous, advanced technology that utilizes, or is utilized by, some form of magic. Here are some quick examples:Combustion engines powered by captured fire elementals.Flintlock rifles carved with runes to help them fire farther and with greater efficiency (or perhaps magically altered gunpowder that fires even when wet).Power armor that runs on and can unleash souls of the slain.One of the earliest examples of technomagic in speculative fiction is found in Robert A. Heinlein’s novella Magic, Inc., which takes place in a (then) present-day where, for example, your taxi might be a flying carpet, yet all the other rules of taxis apply (driver, meter, traffic, etc). Since then, the prospect of magic and technology merging has enthralled many science fantasy writers.Magitech vs. TechnopathyThe two terms are certainly related thematically but ultimately separate in practice.Magitech, or magitek, is sufficiently advanced technology that is inherently magical, fueled by magical elements, and/or produces a magical, or seemingly magical, effect. It requires little-to-no magical training or ability and can be manufactured and distributed as freely as the setting’s resource constraints allow.Technopathy, or technomancy, on the other hand, is the ability or capacity for an individual to communicate with, replicate, manipulate, or otherwise affect technology either inherently or with a spell. Technopaths utilize technology as though it itself is an elemental force like fire or electricity.Aloy from Horizon, wearing her Focus device. (Photo: Guerilla Games)Blurring the Lines Between Magic and TechnologyMagitech and technopathy can absolutely be used simultaneously, but they are distinct categories of technology-based magic systems.In both cases, however, a magic system can also be considered magitech or technopathy if the effect is seemingly magical enough and the technology sufficiently advanced for our own time period or reality.An example of this can be found in the Horizon games where mechanized monsters are crafted and animated as if by magic, and technology is advanced far beyond our comprehension. Our hero Aloy can affect both with her Override device, which could be considered a piece of technomantic magitech.Though the in-world driver behind these phenomena is scientific and technological, with no inherent magic to be seen, the effect is magical to our eyes (and, frankly, to most of the people in that world’s eyes). Therefore, Horizon’s identity as magitechnical and technomantic holds true despite not truly being magic by its own internal logic.From the cover of book one in Brian McClellan's Powder Mage trilogy, "Promise of Blood." (Photo: Orbit Books)The Possible Effects of Magic on TechnologyMagic can also affect technology incidentally (see most gunpowder fantasy works, i.e., Powder Mage Universe, The Shadow Campaigns, and The Wax and Wayne Series)). However, it won’t qualify as magitech or technopathy unless the technology itself is magical or the magic system is solely focused on directly affecting the technology.For example, in the Powder Mage Universe, there is a class of magic user who can affect black powder—ignite it from afar, or put extra force behind their shot or curve rounds—but the bullets, powder, nor the rifle themselves are magical.This could, however, be considered technopathy as the magic is solely focused on the chemically explosive black powder as a piece of technology itself.Systems That Fuse Magic and TechnologyWhile there are many different manifestations of technomagic systems, a few seem to appear more than others and distinguish themselves as subcategories in their own right. Keep in mind that terminology varies and these are not officially recognized terms by anyone.Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077. (Photo: CD Projekt Red)TechnorganicsImagine you could replace any body part with a mechanically enhanced, network-connected, probably superpowered version. This is technorganics.Often called “cyberkinetics” and those who utilize them “cyborgs,” these technology-enhanced superhumans are often faster, stronger, tougher, and more tuned into their environment thanks to their mechanical implants.⚠️Caution: the use of technorganics may cause hallucinations of digital ghosts, sensitivity to electrical surges, feelings of love and affection toward computers, apathy toward biotic life and nature, and complete disassociation from humanity. Ask your doctor if technorganics is right for you.The line between magitech, technopathy, and simply advanced technology rooted in theoretical science grows paper thin here. While drilling an energy cannon into your forearm or installing jaw implants that allow you to breathe fire are pretty clearly magitech, a mechanical heart that pumps blood more efficiently and lungs that better distribute oxygen aren’t magical in nature (or that far off).Chloë Grace Moretz in the TV adaptation of "The Peripheral," based on the book by William Gibson (who was also the first to coin the term "cyberspace"!). (Photo: Film Fugitives)CybermancySeeing the cyberscape of ones and zeros as a realm unto itself, cybermancers use their typically innate technopathy to tap into the digital world of computers. Practitioners may not always be cybersorcerers, however, with some using cybernetic implants to plug into the matrix in order to gain control over their perceived environment.Not dissimilar from the spirit realm found in many high fantasy properties, the digital world has its own ecosystem of computer-generated characters to question and wonky physics to contend with.Sometimes called netrunners or simply super hackers, it takes a certain mental plasticity and reckless abandon to venture into a space where the consequences of being digitally ripped apart by a binary revenant are as real as taking a bullet in the meatspace.Link from Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. (Photo: Nintendo)MagidataJust as information can be digitized and distributed electronically, data can be shared via arcane devices. Whether brandishing your Shiekah Slate or accessing V.A.T.S. through your Pip-Boy, magidata will provide you information about your environment that no real-world technology could have access to.This kind of technology-based magic system shows up a lot more than you think. Aloy’s Focus, all of Tony Stark’s J.A.R.V.I.S. and friends, and most Pokétech (clearly the Pokéball is using magidata to digitize living creatures and shove them into a convenient container) must utilize digital magic of some sort.One could argue that magidata makes sense as a form of sufficiently advanced technology in its own contexts. In our world, however, the ability for a computer to display interactable holographic information in midair, or to gauge the exact vitality of a subject limb-by-limb, remains the purview of science fiction and magitech.Themes Found in Technomagic SystemsAside from just being damn good fun, magic is often employed as a way to explore futurisic themes and philosophical questions. Technology-based systems have the benefit of being tethered to items at least tangentially familiar to us, being similar to objects we use in our daily lives. This gives magitech a wide range of subjects to explore that are familiar to a modern audience.Photo: PexelsArtificial IntelligenceThese days, A.I. is on the tip of everyone’s tongues and at the forefront of so many important conversations. Technomagic systems offer a unique opportunity to explore the capabilities of A.I. while navigating the nature of consciousness itself and whether life can be formed out of this emerging technology.Perhaps your technomancer has telepathic power over some artificially intelligent entity and must decide if she’ll use this ability to gain greater empathy for potentially a new personhood or compel them to do her bidding. She might wrestle with this problem even as she issues commands and feels their despair.Photo: PexelsTranshumanismTranshumanism is the “philosophical and scientific movement that advocates the use of current and emerging technologies—such as genetic engineering, cryonics, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology—to augment human capabilities and improve the human condition.”In speculative fiction, technomagics can be used to explore the good and bad of this concept with biotechnological augmentations, cybernetic brain implants that practically allow technopathy, controlling the artificial minds of artificial intelligences, and so much more.Photo: PixabayImmortalityIf safe, efficient mechanical organs are developed that can effectively replace old biotic ones when they fail, it’s plausible that with the right resources, influence, and even infamy, certain individuals could achieve immortality.This brings with it a dozen interesting questions exploring power with unlimited time, the benefits of facing death, and even the nature of deity. With enough time, can anyone achieve widespread authority? Does death provide a reason to live? What is a god but a being with great power who never dies?Edvard Munch's infamous screamer reacting to Apple's VR headset in a fit of existential anxiety. (Photo(s): Apple Inc. and Wikimedia Commons)Augmented and Virtual RealitiesLike artificial intelligence, augmented reality (AR) is a hot topic, especially in the gaming industry. Along with virtual reality (VR), gaming companies have been exploring ways to bring players deeper and deeper into fully immersive gaming experiences.In a world where technology is or can be manipulated by magic, AR/VR could become anything from straight-up illusion magic to carefully constructed artificial dimensions—a reality that’s not as far off as you may think.Imagine a setting in which vampiric technopaths roam the neon streets at night prowling for VR gamers to enchant. Or where AR goggle lenses are crafted using magical crystals that, by using evocation techniques, allow cybermages to bring their wildest imaginings into reality.Examples of Technomagic in Books, Film, and GamesThe Founders trilogy. (Photo: Tor Books)The Founders TrilogyEssentially a programming language for coding reality, scriving plays a vital role in this trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett. Two variants play throughout the series: Tevanni and hierophantic commands.Scrivers from Tevanne work to "code" an object to behave contradictory to reality. To do this, a metal plate containing a sequence of sigils must be attached to the object near a lexicon. These are dictionaries of definitions that define what the sigils are actually commanding. Real-life programmers will love this technomagic system as Tevanni scrivers must consider every possible variable for a command to be successful lest the results be deadly (but often spectacular).Directly altering reality, hirophantic commands don’t require lexicons. Even by normal scriving standards, these commands achieve the impossible (like affecting the human body or time itself). Though rather macabre, hierophantic scriving requires a sacrifice of human time (effectively, a human sacrifice). A hierphant, therefore, is a scriver that has achieved so many sacrifices that they may use these commands, ostensibly, forever.The male MC from "Cyberpunk 2077" overlooking Night City. (Photo: CD Projekt Red)Cyberpunk 2077What can we say about Cyberpunk 2077?It’s got pseudo-magical technorganics in the form of cyberware, their netrunners are essentially gritty technopaths, and sufficiently advanced magitech exists around every neon-clad corner.The game (and its TTRPG predecessor) explores questions of transhumanism, augmented reality, and immortality through both cybernetically enhanced organ replacement, artificial networks and entities, soul-storing data chips, and raw infamy.If you want to check out nearly every technomagic trope in the book, this is a one-stop-chopshop stock-loaded with all the chrome you could ever need.The main cast of "The Matrix." (Photo: Warner Bros.)The MatrixIt’s difficult to describe succinctly just how impactful The Matrix has been for technomagical concepts across the spec-fic spectrum. If you want to build a system that employs cybermancy via virtual reality on an epic scale, look no further than Neo and friends for inspiration.For those who haven’t yet seen this sci-fi staple (the statute of limitation on spoilers is lifted at this point), the Matrix is a massive virtual reality program to keep humans docile and farmable. One individual, Neo, has the ability to see through the program and, eventually, modify it on the fly (i.e. cybermancy).The main cast of "Fringe." (Photo: Bad Robot Productions)FringeFighting science with mad science all while exploring a pseudo-magical alternate universe, the characters in Fringe experience a lot that could easily be framed as technomagic.From time-traveling Faraday cages and dimensional portals to atom-oscillating harmonics and chemically altered, trans-universal children, you’re sure to find plenty of inspiration for your own magic-technology infusions.The titular Kubo. (Photo: Universal Pictures)Kubo and the Two StringsRemember how we said paper was technology? Well, the titular Kubo uses his papyromantic shamisen to create complex and beautiful origami constructs. Early on, he simply uses the instrument to put on magical paper performances. As the film continues, his prowess with the shamisen grows and its powers expand.Regardless of whether the instrument is magitech or Kubo technopathic, Kubo and the Two Strings is a reminder that analog technology can count as technomagic.Technomagic Systems: Closing ThoughtsWhether you’re crafting a cybermantic system where the digital world is synonymous with the land of the dead (oooh! HellWare!), or designing a megacorp that builds technology powered by an elemental-hunting cottage industry, technomagic offers boundless opportunities to get creative and explore big questions along the way.Now, go forth and create the kookiest fusions of magic and technology literature as ever seen!Technomagic Systems: Magitech & TechnopathySuperhuman cyber tech, artificial entities and realities, and magically influenced technology galore... Technomagic is an exciting branch of magic to play with!
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