From reading it, I got a sense that Eliezer actually has something in mind on how magic works in the story. That would be mindblowing because it would have to be a consistent explanation how magic works, how magicians got to use it, why they loose power over time. And why no physicists stumbled over it by accident.
There’s a fairly obvious answer to that stuff in my opinion. Ventus by Schroeder (scifi) covers it nicely. It would be a structure set up by the atlantians for control of nature, before they ascended probably and left Earth for the stars.
Edit: It occurs to me that the other possibility would be a simulation, originally invented by the atlantians for them to upload themselves into, or perhaps muggles were supposed to be NPCs.
Thank you. At first glance I thought that I would be disappointed with that solution. But after reading the Ventus Plot description it sounded pretty neat.
I would be staggered if he pulled such a feat of SFnal genius off. The only comparable feat I can recall actually seeing is the reveal in Robert Charles Wilson’s Spin.
See Larry Niven’s “The Magic Goes Away” universe. He does not seem to have worked out “particle physics with magic” to explain how to cast spells exactly, but he does have a universe that makes more logical sense in terms of economics and sociology and so on.
Basically all atoms in his universe had an aura of mana which functioned as a non-renewable source of “magical energy” for “everything magical you’ve ever heard about”. Some magic can also be gimmicked out of events with emotional resonance to recharge nearby atoms but not very much, and most really huge emotions happen because of personal loss, so there is still an implicit sort of “third law of magic dynamics” at work relative to any magic that’s worth acquiring.
The reason physicists haven’t discovered it is that there’s basically none left.
So far many chapters managed to up the ante. Meaning there is way more depth than i expected initially. The story wouldnt loose much if there is no magic explanation, but well. it would be mind blowing if there is. And of course Harry will research till he hits the solution or a dead end.
I made up a few trivial sounding solutions for all the patterns shown in the story (trivial for LW/OB readers) but do not want to invite too much speculation.
Another thing I really liked was the depth of characterization. Usually in SF thats not too well done. Here the nice old teacher lady, Dumbledore, Harry, Hermione and so on all appear as full characters with strengths, weaknesses, insecurities and motivation.
From reading it, I got a sense that Eliezer actually has something in mind on how magic works in the story. That would be mindblowing because it would have to be a consistent explanation how magic works, how magicians got to use it, why they loose power over time. And why no physicists stumbled over it by accident.
Is that a shared idea, or am I the only one?
There’s a fairly obvious answer to that stuff in my opinion. Ventus by Schroeder (scifi) covers it nicely. It would be a structure set up by the atlantians for control of nature, before they ascended probably and left Earth for the stars.
Edit: It occurs to me that the other possibility would be a simulation, originally invented by the atlantians for them to upload themselves into, or perhaps muggles were supposed to be NPCs.
Thank you. At first glance I thought that I would be disappointed with that solution. But after reading the Ventus Plot description it sounded pretty neat.
If you want to read the full thing, rather than just the description, you can download the ebook here. I certainly enjoyed it.
done & put on the reading pile
I would be staggered if he pulled such a feat of SFnal genius off. The only comparable feat I can recall actually seeing is the reveal in Robert Charles Wilson’s Spin.
See Larry Niven’s “The Magic Goes Away” universe. He does not seem to have worked out “particle physics with magic” to explain how to cast spells exactly, but he does have a universe that makes more logical sense in terms of economics and sociology and so on.
Basically all atoms in his universe had an aura of mana which functioned as a non-renewable source of “magical energy” for “everything magical you’ve ever heard about”. Some magic can also be gimmicked out of events with emotional resonance to recharge nearby atoms but not very much, and most really huge emotions happen because of personal loss, so there is still an implicit sort of “third law of magic dynamics” at work relative to any magic that’s worth acquiring.
The reason physicists haven’t discovered it is that there’s basically none left.
Rot13 for spoilers about the physics and economics but not the plots:
Fbzr betnavfzf hfr guvf nf cneg bs gurve zrgnobyvfz (abj nyy rvgure rkgvapg be fghagrq naq abj ribyivat jvgubhg zntvp, sbe rknzcyr jvgu cbavrf orvat zntvp qrcevirq havpbeaf, fbzr zbqrea yvmneqf orvat zntvp qrcevirq qentbaf, naq tbqf orvat zbfgyl rkgvapg).
Jngre zvkrf, fb gur yriry bs zntvp gurer vf zber fzbbguyl fcernq nebhaq. Ynaq qbrf abg zvk irel zhpu, fb zntvp ba ynaq vf eryngviryl pyhzcl, jvgu pvgvrf (rfcrpvnyyl tnzoyvat unyyf naq cbyvgvpny ohvyqvatf) univat eryngviryl yvggyr orpnhfr fb znal fcryyf unir nyernql orra pnfg gurer naq hfrq vg hc. Va zbqrea gvzrf gur bayl fbheprf bs zntvp ner nfgrebvq snyyf, fyhqtr frqvzragvat fbzr jnl orgjrra gur obggbz bs gur bprna, pbfzvp qhfg, naq bgure “rkgreany fbheprf”, naq n ybg bs gurfr gevpxf jrer nyernql rkcybvgrq jura guvatf tbg ernyyl yrna. Erfvqhny zntvp nppbhagf sbe ehzbef bs tubfgf naq fhpu guvatf, ohg nyfb rkcynvaf jul vg qbrfa’g znggre irel zhpu abj. Fhcre nznmvat tbqf ab ybatre rkvfg va nal sbez gung vf fhcre cbjreshy, ohg gurl unq n qbzvanag crevbq nebhaq ovt onat, naq fbzr fgvyy rkvfgrq jura uhznaf ribyirq, naq tenagrq zntvpny snibef gb crbcyr jub urycrq gurz npdhver zntvp—onfvpnyyl nf n fbeg bs flzovbfvf.
Vs V erpnyy pbeerpgyl, gur zbba unf fbzr zntvp, ohg zbfg bs vg jnf hfrq hc va n fbzr fbeg bs zntvpnyyl cbjrerq qvfnfgre gung qrcyrgrq vg gurer gbb. Fvzvyneyl, Ngynagvf jnf n pbyyncfr bs pvivyvmngvba fgbel jura zntvpny qvxrf naq nagv-grpgbavp fcryyf fgnegrq gb snvy… vzntvar Arj Beyrnaf vs nyy genpgbef sbe rnegu zbivat fgbccrq jbexvat fbzrqnl.
Rpbabzvpf naq cbyvgvpf ner frafvoyr va guvf havirefr jvgu jvmneqf orvat rabezbhfyl jrnygul naq pncnoyr bs jvcvat bhg jubyr nezvrf (ng yrnfg orsber “crnx zntvp”). Nsgre crnx zntvp, gur cbyvgvpf jrer vagrerfgvat… yvxr jrerjbyirf jvgubhg zntvp ghearq bhg gb qrsnhyg gb jbyirf vafgrnq bs uhznaf, fb gurl orpbzr n irel cbyvgvpnyyl pbafreingvir snpgvba gung snibef nagv-zntvp hfr ynjf va cynprf gurl yvir, fb gung gurl pna xrrc ubyq bs fragvrapr sbe nf znal trarengvbaf nf cbffvoyr. Qbycuvaf ner jung lbh trg jura inevbhf fcrpvrf bs zre-crbcyr ner qrcevirq bs zntvp, naq gurl hfrq gb genqr svfu sbe gbbyf va frn cbegf, juvpu rkcynvaf cneg bs jul gurl ner fgvyy genvanoyr navznyf.
May I suggest “third law of thaumodynamics”?
So far many chapters managed to up the ante. Meaning there is way more depth than i expected initially. The story wouldnt loose much if there is no magic explanation, but well. it would be mind blowing if there is. And of course Harry will research till he hits the solution or a dead end.
I made up a few trivial sounding solutions for all the patterns shown in the story (trivial for LW/OB readers) but do not want to invite too much speculation.
Another thing I really liked was the depth of characterization. Usually in SF thats not too well done. Here the nice old teacher lady, Dumbledore, Harry, Hermione and so on all appear as full characters with strengths, weaknesses, insecurities and motivation.
Looking forward for the next chapters!