I wrote about blending hard science with fantasy today over at Mad Genius Club, and then, as I usually do, I decided to make up a list of books that do that blend and handle it well. Not necessarily Science Fantasy, which is a genre where the science is so advanced it is indistinguishable from magic, but worlds where science and magic coexist. As always, this is a crowd-sourced list of titles, some I know and love, others are new to me. Feel free to add your recommendations in the comments!
- Lord Darcy by Randall Garrett (I’m particularly fond of the forensic science in this series)
- Pack Dynamics by Julie Frost (mad science, weres, and vamps)
- The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (more magic than science, but Harry’s comfortable using both)
- The Many-Colored Land by Julian May looks like it combines pseudoscience with myth.
- Night Life of the Gods by Thorne Smith looks like fun: science, mythology and statuary.
- The Magic Goes Away by Larry Niven, magic as a finite resource.
- Glory Road by Robert Heinlen, science so advanced it is indistinguishable from magic.
- Monster Hunter International (and series) by Larry Correia adds some science to monsters.
- Hard Magic by Larry Correia uses the laws of physics as science which is really cool. Also, a terrific read.
- Orphans of Chaos by John C Wright. I am told that the main character’s powers are based on going in and out of the fourth dimension…
- Amber by Roger Zelazny is a fantasy brought into modern times, per the blurb.
- The Incomplete Enchanter by L Sprague deCamp combines math and magic.
- The Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacka comes recommended as ‘like Dresden Files, but different’
- The Doomfarers of Coramonde by Brian Daley is a modern fighting unit thrust into a fantasy world. (I may have to dip into the book budget for this one)
- The Garret, PI series by Glen Cook comes highly recommended. Noir detective and fantasy (something I know a little about!)
- Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson is a classic, and a favorite, and certainly science-based magic.
- The Thirteenth Child by Patricia Wrede is a young adult offering that was recommended to me for the list.
- Moist von Lipwig books of the Discworld series. The whole series, really. Terry Pratchett’s send-up of magic and science and so much more is brilliant. But for this list, take a look at Raising Steam in particular, or Going Postal.
- The Kate Daniels Series, by Illona Andrews, described to me as a world where magic and technology take turns working.
- A World Called Camelot by Arthur Landis. Science fiction worlds and one where magic also works… Which brings me to the
lastnext book on my list: - The Witches of Karres by James Schmitz
- Ten Gentle Opportunities by Jeff Duntemann, magician lands in the ‘real world’ and must make his way, with lots of humor.
- The Mistborn Series by Brandon Sanderson where magic is influenced by the element consumed (gold, silver, etc).
- The “Elfhome” series by Wen Spencer, where a young engineer-savant must learn to cope with magic in a parallel universe where elves are real.
- Mother’s Curse by Thaddeus Nowak was recommended to me as another YA fantasy that balances science and magic.
I’m sure there are more books where magic and science walk hand-in-hand. This was a tough list to make, as it’s a nebulous concept. But some fun reading here!