Science and Technology in Voulhire
- Wordlessly
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Re: Science and Technology in Voulhire
- chrisrhine
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- engarl
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That is a great point! I do think there is an important difference between clarity and continuity, and I agree with you that clarity is probably more what I was missing than continuity. I feel like if there was some more detail added as to how magic and technology interact in the average citizen's life rather than just those in power, it would help me to visualize the state of life in Voulhire and the general feeling and climate of the society. For instance, what you said about the Romans having slaves made sense for there not being widespread steam engines, but what evidence do we see of magic making the need for lightbulbs less necessary in Voulhire? If there was an explanation for that, then it would make the lack of lightbulbs a lot more integrated into the setting. Also, I just used lightbulbs as an example, I feel that the same principle applies to the use of science/technology AND magic within any of the books of this caliber.Folcro wrote: ↑12 Oct 2020, 14:58 This is a great question, and something that has been brought up as one of the main criticisms of the book. I am thinking of going back and adding/highlighting details.
Of course, there is a difference between "clarity" and "continuity." As far as that latter is concerned, it is important to understand that the development of technology is influenced almost entirely by the state of a society. For example: did you know that the steam power was first invented not in the 19th century, but in classical Rome? However, since the Romans had slaves, there was never a necessity to develop the technology for societal convenience, and the invention was turned into toys for children. As for Voulhire, well, they have magic; this can throw a society's technological advancement into a wildly different direction as compared to the one we know.
As far as clarity, again, I am considering highlighting more details but would love to hear the community's thoughts. Is the reading experience merely a matter of getting used to Voulhire's unique position in technological advancement, or something that could use a little more emphasis in certain places?
Thanks for your comment though, I really respect your openness to changes and potential improvement! I'm overall very impressed with the book! I just recently finished reading and reviewing it and I'm excited to see where the rest of the series goes!
- engarl
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I totally agree that comparisons between Voulhire and our world should not be direct. I do think though that Voulhire is written to be more of a market economy with more freedom for citizens to industrialize and advance their own trades. You can see this in the town of Hillport and in the discussion Demetrius has about the start of Virko's prosperity. So I think in that sense, you can infer that there is a relatively high amount of innovation and advancement in their earlier stages of development. I also agree that technologies are developed out of the needs of a society, which leads me to wonder if they have the need for light in their homes, and if they have the ability to make technology of similar caliber, and if magic is not providing a better alternative, then why do we not see lightbulbs? I use lightbulbs as a general example, of course, this applies to other technologies and magics.Maconstewart wrote: ↑12 Oct 2020, 22:34 I believe it is important to keep in mind that this is a different world than ours. Their technology is not going go progress in the same manner. Technologies are developed out of the needs of a society. There is also the question of materials available. You also have to consider if the creators of technology have freedom to just make advancemants, or are they held back by a government or ruler. To compare this imaginative world of Voulhire to our world is like comparing apples to oranges.
- engarl
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I agree with you. I am definitely a sensory person and it really helps me to become immersed in a story when there are sensory details, political intrigue, a working government system, religious influences, etc. My favorite fantasy series are the ones that take world-building to a whole new level!Reader5698 wrote: ↑13 Oct 2020, 02:47 I think that is an interesting question. The setting of the book was actually one of my least favorite parts of the books. By the end I was still confused to be honest. At first when I started reading, I imagined it like a Medieval setting, but then there were some cities which seemed to have more advanced technology. I similarly found it difficult to picture their clothes etc. I think the setting in general needed to be fleshed out more.
- engarl
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I definitely agree with that, and that was actually one of the things I really liked about the book: the differences in wealth across different cities and the resulting technological differences. It definitely makes sense that Hillport, Magnum Caelum, and Alcovia would not have as many technological advancements as the capitol city or the religious center and that reasoning is clearly stated in the book, which I thought was great. I just think that there were a few little details that needed more clarity and logical explanation within those small towns and within the capitol itself. But I very much enjoyed the variability in the socioeconomic status of various towns due to their specific industry!a_r_egerton wrote: ↑17 Oct 2020, 10:40 Magnum Caelum, Alcovia, and Hillport all seem to be small and relatively poor. Alcovia is a mining town, Magnum Caelum has a stone quarry, and Hillport provides fish. None of those would call for particularly advanced technology.
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