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View Full Version : Settings with modern day magic-from-science



Randel
2009-06-20, 05:54 PM
Okay, after playing Bioshock and then watching Ghostbusters 2, and playing some of the ghostbusters video game at Game Crazy... I've been thinking about fictional worlds that have sort of pseudoscience magic hybrid thing going on. Where there can be things traditionally considered magic or the staple of fantasy settings but considered to be nothing more than science by the characters in it.

Bioshock has genetic modifications derived from stem-cells harvested from primordial slugs... that let people shoot fire, turn invisible, and teleport. It also has weapons like the crossbow and flamethrower that are made up of random bits of stuff like metal rulers and duct-tape. Plus the 'ghosts' that seem to be genetic memories or psychic imprints that people see when they splice up. Plus the vita-chambers that can bring people back to life.

Ghostbusters has the ghosts that are created by an abundance of psychic energy condensed into a slime-like substance. They can be fought and trapped using particle accelerators, proton beams and traps made by laser grids.


This is pretty neat because it implies that the various weapons and powers and such can be mass-produced and analyzed with sufficient time and resources. Plus, when everyone knows about stuff like economics science fiction, and atom bombs (or at least that such things exist, not necessarily how to build them) then it seems easier to act in-character.


Anyway, what are some good urban fantasy, magic-from-science things in movies or video games that you can think of?

J.Gellert
2009-06-20, 06:05 PM
Most Urban Fantasy that I can think of has "real" magic... But when you go in science fiction, it gets crazy. I still can't imagine how that one Terminator could reassemble itself after being reduced to a pile of goo. Or multiple piles.

Warhammer 40k does the Magic + Science deal quite well, but it's not exactly magic from science.