Systems of Magic, and a request

[rising_moon]

Recently I've read a few excellent fantasy novels which were written around believable, consistent, and reasonable systems of magic. Believable magic is one of the elements that will sell me on a writer. I've enjoyed The Abhorsen Trilogy, by Garth Nix, and, most recently, The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss

Comments

[hissilliness]

I started out quite disliking Sanderson's essay. Eventually I had to admit that this is just because I'm an opposing partisan. His taxonomy, on consideration, strikes me as sound, but my tastes run in the other direction. Over-explicated magical systems (like WoT) end up reading to me like RPG sourcebooks with some characters stuck in for color. I'd much rather read something like Susanna Clark, which, over and over, gave me the shivery sense that is so much of what I come to fantasy for.

[rising_moon]

this is just because I'm an opposing partisan

And this is one of the reasons I love your commentary! :D

Your review of Last Call described the chief fallout from the Rules hangup: half a book's worth of Law, then half a book's worth of the writer shoehorning the plot into the Law.

Then there's China Mieville, whom you know I adore, who simply makes shit up as he goes along, and you realize that his rules are beside the point.

Susanna Clark, eh? Where should I start?

[hissilliness]

Clark has two books out. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is her novel, and The Ladies of Grace Adieu is short stories set in the same world.

[rising_moon]

Oh, duh. Thank you. I'm sorry to say that I started Jonathan Strange and then The Ladies, feeling like I should enjoy them, since all my friends did, but I didn't quite gel with either one. I never really liked Mr. Norrell enough to get over his being painted as unlikeable... or something. Maybe you can convince me to pick up Strange again.

[shadowswords]

assuring that individuals are who they say they are

I believe this is the definitive starting point for any such an endeavor. Maybe to the point of cliché by now, but hey, it does have a couple of references that might be useful.

[rising_moon]

Heh. That's part of what I'm looking at: if the Internet doesn't know, how does my bank? Or the credit card company? Or my online documentation storage system?

Wau! Wau!

[rising_moon]

This is an excellent taxonomy of the topic, thank you. Authentication is the wing that I'm concerned about -- that is, Authentication of Your Identity, e.g., "what you know" and "what you are", and how certainty and ease-of-use impact your device interaction.

Yeh, I'm a big Schneier fan. :)

Thank you for the pointer to patsmor! I'll go poke at her info page and introduce myself.

[rising_moon]

This is all familiar, but more detailed than I'd read before. Thank you! Most of my background on this topic was gleaned through working on the authentication application through my previous employer. I really don't know the history of systems security.

dilettante, below, proffers a fourth kind of secret that compasses unique physical skills/motions/behaviors (like the WWII "fist"). It wasn't cost-friendly, nor certain, to use the "fist" to authenticate the apps I was working on, but our research did make me wonder. Some day maybe we'll add "what I do" to the list. :)

Even a unique, individuated Personal Turing Test wouldn't solve for the "man in the middle" scenario, though. Hm.

[lanome]

I actually find that it's not the believability of the magic but whether or not it plays a roll as an excuse (i.e. *poof* things suddenly work out because of magic) that sells me on a writer. Magic is nice and all, but if it takes away from character development, I'll take a pass.

[rising_moon]

That makes sense. I rather like my magic to be integrated in the course of life, like gently blowing across the fingers to light candles (Sandra Bullock in Practical Magic), rather than the Really Big Hammer.

[herooftheage]

I think I fell in love with Barbara Hambly's work early on, when she described what has to be the most sensible way I've ever heard of for killing dragons: poisoned harpoons at the limits of what mechanical advantage can chuck them. None of this wading in with sword or lance nonsense.

[rising_moon]

Barbara Hambly! She sounds like my kind of fantasy writer. Which of her books would you recommend that I pick up first?

[herooftheage]

I'd certainly start with Dragonsbane, and the two sequels. Besides being down to earth about killing dragons, it's a great power struggle story. The dragonkiller is from the hinterlands, and is sort of treated in the Royal Court as a backwoods baron that has to be dealt with, but doesn't really have to be taken seriously.

The thing is, he knows all this full well, and uses that image to his advantage in lots of situations. So, besides practical dealing with magic, you also get a dose of clever court politicking.