# Looking for a specific sub-genre of fantasy novel--"mechanics" of magic **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 25, 2016, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-specific-sub-genre-of-fantasy-novel-mechanics-of-magic/769680 "2016-10-25T14:56:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-specific-sub-genre-of-fantasy-novel-mechanics-of-magic/769680/21 "2016-10-26T00:42:38Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > The entire premise of Lyndon Hardy’s Magics series is the mechanics involved. > > “Master of the Five Magics” > “Secret of the Sixth Magic” > “Riddle of the Seven Realms” Hah–I reread “Master” a few days ago and even though it doesn’t have the “Person from our world goes to their world” part, it’s what got me thinking of the genre. Chronos: The first book is still a great read. I’m about 75% of the way through the second book and I’m plodding through it. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-specific-sub-genre-of-fantasy-novel-mechanics-of-magic/769680/22 "2016-10-26T01:55:08Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > The Wiz series is very, VERY lighthearted and involves the character coming up with spells like this (forgive any programming errors–I haven’t used BASIC in 30+ years) > > 10 FOR X=1 to 50 > 20 CALL SUB “FIREBALL” > 30 NEXT X > 40 END > > It’s more involved than that and he doesn’t use BASIC, but it’ll give you an idea. “This thing is written in something that looks like a bastard version of Forth crossed with LISP and some features from C and Modula 2 thrown in for grins.” * * * “ **backslash** ” he intoned. “ **\*\*" replied the Emac. "\*\*class drone grep moira\*\*" "\*\*** ” said the Emac again. “ **exe** ” Wiz said… ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-specific-sub-genre-of-fantasy-novel-mechanics-of-magic/769680/23 "2016-10-26T03:07:44Z")
How about _The Flying Sorcerers_ (David Gerrold and Larry Niven)? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-specific-sub-genre-of-fantasy-novel-mechanics-of-magic/769680/24 "2016-10-26T03:13:03Z")
NM ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-specific-sub-genre-of-fantasy-novel-mechanics-of-magic/769680/25 "2016-10-26T10:52:40Z")
How about [A Logical Magician](https://www.fantasticfiction.com/w/robert-e-weinberg/logical-magician.htm) and it’s sequel by Robert Weinberg? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-specific-sub-genre-of-fantasy-novel-mechanics-of-magic/769680/26 "2016-10-26T11:00:04Z")
Here’s one you may not have heard of. _The Barbed Coil_ by Julie V Jones. It’s about a calligrapher whose magic is in the process of writing illuminated manuscripts. It goes into great prosaic detail about the art and methodology of the magic. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-specific-sub-genre-of-fantasy-novel-mechanics-of-magic/769680/27 "2016-10-26T11:49:16Z")
\*Black Easter \*by James Blish goes into the mechanics of magic quite a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-specific-sub-genre-of-fantasy-novel-mechanics-of-magic/769680/28 "2016-10-26T12:33:54Z")
The Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovich may be of interest. TLDR: PC Plod finds out that magic is real. ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-specific-sub-genre-of-fantasy-novel-mechanics-of-magic/769680/29 "2016-10-26T13:05:56Z")
Dave Duncan’s “The Great Game” trilogy would qualify I think. I seem to be the only person who’s read it but I enjoyed it a great deal. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-specific-sub-genre-of-fantasy-novel-mechanics-of-magic/769680/30 "2016-10-26T13:16:45Z")
> [@Trion](#): > > Dave Duncan’s “The Great Game” trilogy would qualify I think. I seem to be the only person who’s read it but I enjoyed it a great deal. I _loved_ Duncan’s “A Man of His Word” and sequel “A Handful of Men” series, so I’ll definitely be giving this one a try. To everyone else–I’m making lists here and really appreciate all the recommendations. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-specific-sub-genre-of-fantasy-novel-mechanics-of-magic/769680/31 "2016-10-26T13:20:51Z")
> [@Trion](#): > > Dave Duncan’s “The Great Game” trilogy would qualify I think. **I seem to be the only person who’s read it** but I enjoyed it a great deal. [Hey!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19728233&postcount=15) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-specific-sub-genre-of-fantasy-novel-mechanics-of-magic/769680/32 "2016-10-26T13:32:27Z")
[Off To Be The Wizard](https://www.amazon.com/Off-Be-Wizard-Magic-2-0/dp/1612184715/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1477488606&sr=1-1&keywords=off+to+be+the+wizard) doesn’t hit the bull’s eye, but I think it’s at least on the edge of the target of what the OP is looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-specific-sub-genre-of-fantasy-novel-mechanics-of-magic/769680/33 "2016-10-26T14:08:03Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > [Hey!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19728233&postcount=15) > > 😉 Sorry 'bout that. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-specific-sub-genre-of-fantasy-novel-mechanics-of-magic/769680/34 "2016-10-26T14:23:54Z")
> [@Helena](#): > > Brandon Sanderson? He doesn’t use a character coming into the magic world from ours, but the mechanics of the magic systems are pretty central. He sets up the rules and then does interesting things with them. I second this recommendation. Especially true for the magic in the Mistborn trilogy. The mechanics of the magic is very clearly and consistently explained and used. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-specific-sub-genre-of-fantasy-novel-mechanics-of-magic/769680/35 "2016-10-26T18:54:58Z")
Catherynne M. Valente’s Fairyland series, starting with The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-specific-sub-genre-of-fantasy-novel-mechanics-of-magic/769680/36 "2016-10-26T20:43:24Z")
Randall Garrett’s [Lord Darcy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Darcy_%28character%29) stories, about an alternate world where the Chief Criminal Investigator for the Duke of Normandy solves crimes with the aid of forensic sorcerer Sean O’Lochlainn, delves quite a bit into the rules of magic. Magic isn’t nearly as powerful in this world as it is in the average fantasy novel, but it’s very utilitarian. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-specific-sub-genre-of-fantasy-novel-mechanics-of-magic/769680/37 "2016-10-26T20:47:36Z")
> [@Trion](#): > > Sorry 'bout that. :smack: …but you do get credit for remembering its correct name! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-specific-sub-genre-of-fantasy-novel-mechanics-of-magic/769680.md?page=1)