Greetings, Loyal Reader!
Over at Tor.com, author Jane Lindskold posits that “In discussions of magic in Fantasy fiction, a frequently argued point is whether or not systemized magic somehow ruins the “magical” feeling of a work of fiction by making magic a poor copy of science.”
Let me first say that while I have had many discussions of magic in fantasy fiction over the years, I have never personally heard this point argued. But that’s okay! Clearly Jane has much more informed discussions than I do, as she goes on to mention real world ritual magic systems that she has researched and which have influenced several of her fine books. (She also uses the word “numinous” several times. I won’t lie to you, Loyal Reader — I had to look that one up to be sure that it means what I think it means. It does.)
My discussions of magic in fantasy fiction are usually more along the lines of “Who would win a fight between Gandalf and Harry Potter?” (My money is on Gandalf, by the way.)
But her post, and the comments that follow, did get me thinking about the system of magic in the Jason Cosmo Universe. I would like to tell you that, like Jane, I carefully researched the magic beliefs of the Chinese, Babylonians and Ancient Egyptians, memorized the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trimegistos and borrowed the Necronomicon on inter-library loan in preparation for designing an intricate, comprehensive and internally consistent system of magic for the world of Arden.
But the truth is, I made it up as I went along.
Is anyone surprised?
That said, I tried to keep some degree of consistency in how magic is done in Jason Cosmo’s world. But if consistency conflicts with a joke, the joke always wins. That is my commitment to you, Loyal Reader!
How does magic work in Arden? Well, in explaining to Jason why he cannot cast too many spells while on the run from the Dark Magic Society, ace wizard Mercury Boltblaster says:
But to cast spells I must draw on Arden’s ambient magic energy field. Each act of magic creates a disturbance in that field, like the ripples in a pond into which you throw a stone. If I make too big a splash with too big a spell, the Society can divine my location and send overwhelming magical force against me.
So, yeah. Ambient magic energy field. That’s pretty much how it works.
Who can do magic? Another good question. We know there is a hierarchy of wizards, with relatively few attaining master rank. Also, at least half of the known masters are aligned with the DarK Magic Society, and an even greater proportion of the lesser wizards. So that doesn’t look too promising for the good guys.
How, then, is magic done? That is all over the place. We have spells cast with and without magic words; with and without intricate hand gestures; with and without wands, rings and other magic items; and with and without complex and arduous rituals. It is basically punchline-based magic.
The major influences on Arden’s magic are, in no particular order: out-of-control Dungeons & Dragons sessions, old Dr. Strange comics, and … uh, certain forbidden scrolls of a highly questionable nature that were uncovered by a doomed archeological expedition in the Syrian desert in the late 1920s. I’ve really said too much already.
Since the Jason Cosmo books to date focus on our sword-slinging hero, I haven’t really needed to work out the details of the magic system. The eventually forthcoming Boltblaster, however, will detail the magical training of our favorite Ardenian wizard (well, unless you’re an Isogoras the Xornite fan. Actually, he’s in Boltblaster too.) That means I’ll have to comb through the books, compile my notes, and come up with some semi-coherent mystic babble for young Mercury to absorb. Then we’ll all know how magic works in Arden!
Best regards,
Dan McGirt
