Comments on: Back Door into Magic http://www.sfnovelists.com/2012/12/05/back-door-into-magic/ A mutual support group for SF/F Novelists Mon, 20 May 2013 00:42:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Alana Joli Abbott http://www.sfnovelists.com/2012/12/05/back-door-into-magic/#comment-12659 Alana Joli Abbott Thu, 27 Dec 2012 21:00:30 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/?p=9267#comment-12659 "I say, amen. There is just so much magic in our world, the “real” world, which we are so often too busy to stop and appreciate." This -- I am so much in agreement with you. I had a conversation with someone the other day who didn't understand fiction at all, because the real world is so full of magic, she didn't see the need. While on the one hand, I agree, I think story facilitates the magic -- and if you sprinkle a bit of pixie dust over it to highlight its qualities, I think sometimes that's exactly what's needed to help us recognize the magic in our own lives. Thanks for the article (and sorry it took me so long to comment!). “I say, amen. There is just so much magic in our world, the “real” world, which we are so often too busy to stop and appreciate.”

This — I am so much in agreement with you. I had a conversation with someone the other day who didn’t understand fiction at all, because the real world is so full of magic, she didn’t see the need. While on the one hand, I agree, I think story facilitates the magic — and if you sprinkle a bit of pixie dust over it to highlight its qualities, I think sometimes that’s exactly what’s needed to help us recognize the magic in our own lives.

Thanks for the article (and sorry it took me so long to comment!).

]]> By: Andrew http://www.sfnovelists.com/2012/12/05/back-door-into-magic/#comment-12607 Andrew Mon, 10 Dec 2012 21:19:44 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/?p=9267#comment-12607 When I get into discussions about the legitimacy of magic in the real world, you, Alma, have efficiently describe exactly what I always talk about. Magic is an experience that hold meaning, whether created by groups or individuals, or created by the moment. Sometimes odds seem to be manipulated but rarely is known physics ignored ("rarely" meaning I still believe science will always discover new laws applying to physic). And that is where the misconception between the scientific skeptic and the "believer" begin and this a shame. My greatest examples of Wizards (or the ilk) to the modern mind is the Golfer (and I am not one). He strives for the hole in one on the par three, and practices and practices. Yet the odds(variable) for even a pro is 1 in 3,756. Yet they still try to manipulate those odds with practice and understanding of environment and all the factors involved. The moment of the Hole in One is magic... an experience that has been documented to cause heart attacks to the "wizard". In story when those moments arrive that cause a teary eyed response from me, it's not because the moment is sad, scary or delightful (though it can be anyone of those emotions) but because it rings True... at least for me. And this includes fiction to non-fiction, right down to something like a Pokemon anime episode-ha! Truth in an experience that we relate too. I think this is why "The Paper Menagerie”, Ken Liu, won all those awards. Everything the critics who didn't like it, I kinda agree with: contrived, trying too hard for emotion, even the fact that the magic in the story wasn't actually needed... But the story felt real, felt true! And that's where the magic stays and the awards well earned. Thank you for the article. I strive to write (and live) those moments too. When I get into discussions about the legitimacy of magic in the real world, you, Alma, have efficiently describe exactly what I always talk about. Magic is an experience that hold meaning, whether created by groups or individuals, or created by the moment. Sometimes odds seem to be manipulated but rarely is known physics ignored (“rarely” meaning I still believe science will always discover new laws applying to physic). And that is where the misconception between the scientific skeptic and the “believer” begin and this a shame.

My greatest examples of Wizards (or the ilk) to the modern mind is the Golfer (and I am not one). He strives for the hole in one on the par three, and practices and practices. Yet the odds(variable) for even a pro is 1 in 3,756. Yet they still try to manipulate those odds with practice and understanding of environment and all the factors involved. The moment of the Hole in One is magic… an experience that has been documented to cause heart attacks to the “wizard”.

In story when those moments arrive that cause a teary eyed response from me, it’s not because the moment is sad, scary or delightful (though it can be anyone of those emotions) but because it rings True… at least for me. And this includes fiction to non-fiction, right down to something like a Pokemon anime episode-ha! Truth in an experience that we relate too.

I think this is why “The Paper Menagerie”, Ken Liu, won all those awards. Everything the critics who didn’t like it, I kinda agree with: contrived, trying too hard for emotion, even the fact that the magic in the story wasn’t actually needed… But the story felt real, felt true! And that’s where the magic stays and the awards well earned.

Thank you for the article. I strive to write (and live) those moments too.

]]> By: Patricia Moussatche http://www.sfnovelists.com/2012/12/05/back-door-into-magic/#comment-12591 Patricia Moussatche Thu, 06 Dec 2012 20:50:46 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/?p=9267#comment-12591 Interesting. What I write could be called back door science fiction then. Like you, I have not been able to pigeonhole my stories. The best I could find was social science fiction, but that brings to mind Ursula Le Guin and Margaret Atwood, which might set my bar way too high for my novels. Thanks for the great post. Interesting. What I write could be called back door science fiction then. Like you, I have not been able to pigeonhole my stories. The best I could find was social science fiction, but that brings to mind Ursula Le Guin and Margaret Atwood, which might set my bar way too high for my novels. Thanks for the great post.

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