Continuing from Part Four...
Blackmoor. Tekumel. Shannara. Urth. Pern. Elfquest. Kane. Sunset Warrior. True Game. Lord of Light. Books of Swords. Dying Earth. City of Bones. Many more...
For some reason, me-as-a-teen really enjoyed the concept of science fiction disguised as fantasy. I loved reading fantasy novels, only to eventually discover the truth beneath the surface. I'm not talking about people from modern times suddenly finding themselves in a fantasy setting. I mean a fantasy world built upon a science fiction foundation.
"But, David, you didn't do that with Avremier. That's a traditional fantasy setting."
Again, I make myself laugh.
Avremier is certainly presented as a fantasy setting. Avremier has always been run as a fantasy setting. Avremier can always be run as a fantasy setting. Avremier is actually a science-fantasy setting. And, not just in small doses - I'm talking about huge dollops of crazy tech.
Back in the 80s, the concept was still fresh to me. A lot of writers were doing it, but most of them were done so well that each one seemed a revelation. I was tired of every author trying to be the next Tolkien or R.E. Howard. I was so lucky to have access to so many books. Robert Aspirin and Piers Anthony helped teach me the possibilities of humorous fantasy. de Lint showed me how traditional folklore could be adapted to new stories that retained the feel of the original but introduced a fresh taste. Zelazny stretched my awareness out in so many directions. Wolfe showed me the potential of language and imagination. McKillip gave me magical worlds that left room for my own adventures. Le Guin took me to places shaped by something other than Eurocentric tropes.
But, the "a-ha!" moments of learning the truth behind the fantasy curtain stayed with me. Every time I realized something magical was actually something technological. Every moment where it was revealed a god was actually something (or someone) else entirely. Whenever magic was revealed as extremely advanced science. Sometimes, the author would even present science and magic as ongoing cycles in their setting. Some worlds were old enough to experience ages of magic, followed by ages of technology, followed by another age of magic - and so forth. I found that to be a rather exciting concept as well.
Still, after all the influences and examples, the core concept of Avremier came from another place entirely. To be honest, I can't really pinpoint a specific origin. It might have been the evolution of my own beliefs and interests focused through the lens of countless books and stories. I doubt I'm the first, or only, person to come up with such a premise. Though, I never really came across the same thing being done by someone else. Not saying it hasn't happened - just that I've missed out.
In the next installment, I'll explain that premise.
Blackmoor. Tekumel. Shannara. Urth. Pern. Elfquest. Kane. Sunset Warrior. True Game. Lord of Light. Books of Swords. Dying Earth. City of Bones. Many more...
For some reason, me-as-a-teen really enjoyed the concept of science fiction disguised as fantasy. I loved reading fantasy novels, only to eventually discover the truth beneath the surface. I'm not talking about people from modern times suddenly finding themselves in a fantasy setting. I mean a fantasy world built upon a science fiction foundation.
"But, David, you didn't do that with Avremier. That's a traditional fantasy setting."
Again, I make myself laugh.
Avremier is certainly presented as a fantasy setting. Avremier has always been run as a fantasy setting. Avremier can always be run as a fantasy setting. Avremier is actually a science-fantasy setting. And, not just in small doses - I'm talking about huge dollops of crazy tech.
Back in the 80s, the concept was still fresh to me. A lot of writers were doing it, but most of them were done so well that each one seemed a revelation. I was tired of every author trying to be the next Tolkien or R.E. Howard. I was so lucky to have access to so many books. Robert Aspirin and Piers Anthony helped teach me the possibilities of humorous fantasy. de Lint showed me how traditional folklore could be adapted to new stories that retained the feel of the original but introduced a fresh taste. Zelazny stretched my awareness out in so many directions. Wolfe showed me the potential of language and imagination. McKillip gave me magical worlds that left room for my own adventures. Le Guin took me to places shaped by something other than Eurocentric tropes.But, the "a-ha!" moments of learning the truth behind the fantasy curtain stayed with me. Every time I realized something magical was actually something technological. Every moment where it was revealed a god was actually something (or someone) else entirely. Whenever magic was revealed as extremely advanced science. Sometimes, the author would even present science and magic as ongoing cycles in their setting. Some worlds were old enough to experience ages of magic, followed by ages of technology, followed by another age of magic - and so forth. I found that to be a rather exciting concept as well.
Still, after all the influences and examples, the core concept of Avremier came from another place entirely. To be honest, I can't really pinpoint a specific origin. It might have been the evolution of my own beliefs and interests focused through the lens of countless books and stories. I doubt I'm the first, or only, person to come up with such a premise. Though, I never really came across the same thing being done by someone else. Not saying it hasn't happened - just that I've missed out.
In the next installment, I'll explain that premise.
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