Science and Technology in Voulhire

Use this forum to discuss the October 2020 Book of the month, "We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies" by Matthew Tysz.
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Wordlessly
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Re: Science and Technology in Voulhire

Post by Wordlessly »

I do feel it's more dependent on the author's personal preference on how to depict the world rather than lack of continuity though some things do sound absurd like the light bulb thing. Also almost all cities have their own speciality in Tysz's world. I'm not quite sure which period of time the book shows.
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Post by chrisrhine »

This reminds me of when in Nolan's "The Prestige," it contains the balance between magic and science in the latter 19th century as electricity is in its infancy. It appears that the underdevelopment of science leads to the development of magic, regardless of time, whether in "The Prestige," Voulhire, etc.
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Post by Lhammamy »

You actually have a good point here. I also, like others, have suffered from a big confusion about the setting. In somehow, the author had dropped making it clear for the reader in which time this story has taken place or what type of technologies did they have. I surely agree with others that this was due a difference in villages and big cities, but I don't think it's overly true. The writer holds the responsibility of taking more care about these details, especially that in real life, although we find a difference between the capital and the countryside but it is usually not that confusing. Not to the extent that it leads the reader to mix up between eras. 
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Post by engarl »

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?
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.

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 :techie-studyingbrown: and I'm excited to see where the rest of the series goes!
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Post by engarl »

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.
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.
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Post by engarl »

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.
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!
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Post by engarl »

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.
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!
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Post by _Bokeh »

The author definitely advances the theme of magic more than technology and science. As I read the book, I pictured a medieval setting that is slightly more advanced technologically, with some cities being ahead of others and some being only small towns/villages. I still liked the integration of science and magic with a rich cultural background.
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Post by Primetjay »

Somewhere in my mind I think that just being a fantasy book makes comparing their world and ours hard for me... Their technological advancement definitely won't take our own path. Just like one contributor wrote,the presence of magic in theirs makes continuity of technological development like we would expect from a real world less demanding
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The relationship between magic and science is ever-growing in our society as a human species. So for it to be included in a story shows that the author has a connection with history and human curiosity with magic and our ability to evolve as people. I like how they weaved it into the text, gave it a sense of wonder within the book's characters and plot.
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Post by Krista Ash »

I don't mind the differences between when things were invented in our world vs. Voulhire. I did find it odd that there was little technological advances in weaponry (no sign of any muskets or other longer range weapons, just swords/arrows from what I remember) since it would seem like non-mages would want to improve their fighting abilities.
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Post by Valkyrie9 »

Wow! This is a great question! As I read, I understood Voulhire to be on the edge of entering a technological and industrial revolution. That is, they have begun progressing forward in terms of technology where other lands have not yet done so. They have far to go, but they are the leaders in this regard. This is seen when Galen enters his uncle's house and is surprised by the modern amenities that he is not used to as they are not available where he comes from.
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Post by a_r_egerton »

Virko, the main setting of the second book, actually seems to be in the throes of an industrial revolution. It is described as having smokestacks and factories, and it is also Voulhire's main industrial center.
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Post by psmith5659 »

I think the balance between the technology and medieval feeling setting is really interesting to look at. It really sets the tone that this story takes place in a universe that is separate from ours, and really runs with the concept. That freedom to play with development, belief, and society is probably my favorite part of the book.
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Post by Mariana Figueira »

I imagine it is medieval times, but with some technology like trains, and some modern bits, like expressions and jogging. It is a little bit weird, but I find that it works! Probably the magic had something to do with it
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