Benefits of Research for Writing Fantasy

Authors of fantasy have the incredible ability to drag expansive, mind-bending worlds out of the ether. But not all of it needs to be make believe. Fantasy writing doesn’t get hindered by scientific principles, it is enhanced by them. While writing The Vollmagus And The Etched series, one of my biggest fears was glaring inaccuracies in real-world concepts that were pulled into this fiction world. Especially regarding the expansive magic system, I found that magic systems become more compelling when they are influenced by semi-realistic chemistry and physics. By taking real-world scientific principles as a foundation and building the fantasy around them, we can expand the complexity of any fantastical situation.

For instance, did you know that most mycelium spores would need to be heated to 156 degrees Fahrenheit for them to be killed? Or, did you know that the body cannot withstand extended internal temperatures of 156 degrees? Of course, in this hypothetical situation, all the parties involved have an elaborate assortment of magic at their fingertips. A cure for injected spores could be as easy as a twist of the wrist, right?

But where is the suspense in that? To have all manner of obstacles and misadventure so easily thwarted with the explanation of “magic” would be too simple. If every problem in the world was that quickly solved, what is pulling the reader forward? Twist in just a smidge of reality, and the threat becomes more substantial.

Now, imagine, a wound in your hand has been infiltrated with fungal spores. In my world, the spores magically embed themselves in artery walls, feeding off oxygen and growing at a rapid rate. You possess the magic to control your blood, and are able to stop the flow of it to your hand. Oxygen deprivation has begun. But which system will fail first? The spores’, or your own? Add in some heat to quicken the fungal death. Well, the human body can’t survive the temperature level required to destroy the spores, but it can survive temperatures up to 110 for smaller periods. You vibrate your blood at such a frequency, the temperature rises. Excruciating as it may be, you can heat the blood in your hand long enough to loosen the attachment of the spores. Now all it takes is to reopen the wound, and flush the invading spores from your body. Is this all biologically accurate? Of course not, but fantasy allows for the impossible. The goal is not to create a scientific textbook, but a world that is consistent.

Fantasy writing doesn’t have to be as detailed, but imagine how disappointing it would be if this scenario happened, and the magic user was able to just poof the spores away. Not every fantasy reader is going to be a medical expert, or have an expansive knowledge of the human body, but I know when I find a book with a potentially erroneous hiccup, it tends to pull me away from the greater message and distracts me no matter how beautiful the prose is. This is not to say that all aspects of fantasy should be explainable through any scientific textbook, or require in-depth knowledge of biology. Readers are driven to magical stories because of their unrealistic worlds. But adding that touch of reality can ground the readers in the experience, and drive their engagement.

A large majority of fantasy revolves around humans who may or may not live on this plane of existence, but will generally follow the same laws of physics and have the same biology as us. We, of course, don’t possess magic or have flying dragons to tame, but this is where integrating real-world concepts can help spark more than just a wave of a wand to fill all the plot holes.

In Godkiller, Hannah Kaner goes through a detailed process on Elogast’s baking, pulling the reader into the era of the world with its archaic methods. Long Live Evil, by Sarah Rees Brennan, touches on the concept of adding bones to iron to create steel with the addition of carbon. Synali must learn to work with the extensive g-forces while piloting her mech in Sara Wolf’s Heavenbreaker.

My research extended from mycelium biology and mycorrhiza, to white blood production in bone marrow, and the function and purpose of cerebrospinal fluid. Though not normally sought out in the fantasy world, it was crucial in helping me better understand the magic of Crae Vost, my fantasy continent. With this, I came across more academic papers, medical journals, and articles than I could have ever imagined. Though much of this knowledge may not ever make it into one of my books, I devoured every bit of text. There is never any fault in expanding your mind.

All in all, fantasy is an escape for most readers. A way to be led through expansive worlds at the hands of the author. But sometimes, having that tether to reality can help submerge a reader further into the depths of the story. And it may open up new avenues for authors and readers alike as their research takes them to discoveries they never would have touched on without the guiding hand of fiction. Sometimes the strongest magic comes from understanding what is already possible.

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