How do you respond to the idea of magic existing in the world as we know it? Do you believe it exists? Do you think it’s possible? Do you wish magic existed? Do you firmly believe that while there are wonderful and awesome things in the world, they aren’t magical? Do you prefer to define “magic” on your own terms?
How do your feelings about magic influence your reading choices and experiences?
I don’t believe in magic, and I don’t want to believe in magic. I kind of feel that when magic is involved, the story is forced. The author can make anything at all happen by invoking magic. I always wonder why, if magic can solve this mess of problems, it can’t seem to solve that other mess of problems.
With magic in a story, it’s as though the author is playing cards with a deck that is 50% or more wildcards. The game is too easily won, the story too easily manipulated with all those wildcards.
Surely there are exceptions, even for me. But, generally speaking, magic is not a selling point for me.
Categories: Reading
I like to imagine worlds where magic exists – this is probably why I like reading fantasy and Jen doesn’t! 🙂
Most authors will build in a set of “rules” that the reader discovers through the story on how magic works. That way, the characters don’t have carte blanche to jump around the problem (otherwise, there wouldn’t be a story to tell).