Too many times have I heard when I ask of a fantasy series "How does the magic work," and I get the response "It's magic, you don't have to explain it," that we need to sit down and talk.
To begin, we must ask the question "What differentiates a children's story from what is referred to as the "epic tradition?" Anyone's that has studied those long stories we call the Classics understand that the main reason the Iliad, Odyssey, and Aenead are so long is because of one thing: detail. For example, in the Iliad you have these long scenes of Achilles being armored with his new wargear made by Hephaestus himself, or any one of the long lists of who killed whom in a day's battle. To what end does this detail exist for?
Suspension of disbelief, and transporting you into the story.
I had to read a terrible translation of the Iliad this week, and although it got in the fact that Achilles throws his scepter down after getting angry at Agamemnon, it never established the scepters in the first place!
For the purposes of this post, if one makes a magic system, it must be detailed, otherwise it will be written off as childish, and not worth reading about. I have asked for years how magic works in the Harry Potter universe, and fans of that, of which there are an unforgivable amount, still cannot give me a good answer as to what the hell it really is.
Don't get me wrong, D&D also has this problem, and it makes me dislike Wizards of the Coast a bit for it. Mind you, the balance issues now prevalent in 4th edition has me miffed as well. Looks like we're going the 3rd ed route.
I'll give an example of a good magic system in a bit, but I think I could have liked Harry Potter if two things had happened: the magic system wasn't hand-waved in and seemed like I was getting dick-whipped in the face with a wand, and if Harry actually flaming died at the end of the series, ending his messiah pattern, and making up for him being a cunt...I mean, useless cunt in his own books. Fuck, that Hermione chick does just about everything, and she's only a side character to give the boys some tail to trail after, at least early on.
Enough of that crap! So, one criterion of a good magic system is detail, but what kind of detail do we need, as readers? Simply put, we need to know what magic's role is in the universe, how it is manipulated by individuals to create effects, even some detail about how the effect looks, and how people can gain access to magic. Only one of these that Potter does is the last one, and that's a genetic or random mutation explanation, which does actually work.
We all know where this is going, so here's my own little primer on the One Power:
The Wheel of Time turns, using the threads of sentient lives as its threads as it weaves the Pattern of the Ages. The driving that turns the Wheel, the One Power, is made of two halves, one male, one female, that work together and against eachother constantly to provide the motion. Certain individuals, some through breeding, others through the needs of the Pattern, are born with the ability to learn how to control the One Power, while others will touch the Power regardless of being taught. From the Aes Sedai, and from the meditative trick called the ko'di in the Borderlands, we are told how men and women prepare themselves to use the one power. Women empty themselves of all thoughts except a rosebud, imagining themselves as that rosebud. It then slowly opens up, and the light upon the rosebud is the One Power, and only through serenity can a woman control saidar. If she is not serene, she will be consumed by the Power, which will either kill her, or burn the ability to channel out of her, effectively killing her will to live. Men empty themselves of everything except a single flame, and feed all emotion into it, until there is nothing left except the warmth of saidin. Where saidar is a gentle stream that you need serenity to control, saidin is a raging torrent of ice and fire, molten lava and lightning, and only the constant struggle for survival can keep a man holding the Source. Another problem with the One Power is that it fills one with the bliss of life and heightened senses, making it excessively addictive, which can easily lead someone to draw too much of it and die. Once held, channelers use threads of the Power, consisting of five types: Fire, Earth, Water, Air, and Spirit, to create effects. These threads are woven together in patterns, and those designs activate when the pattern of the weave is completed. Fire and Earth are more prevalent Talents in men, while Water and Air are in women, while Spirit is relatively equal between the genders.
So, what we have here is a detailed, systematic, far more interesting magic system than what normally occurs in fantasy novels. Hell, even the lauded Tolkien really didn't mess with magic, beyond mentioning some things where Gandalf throws some pine cone grenades.
So, magic is an integral part of the universe, and plays a large role in its continuity and fate. It is far more like a science, and before anyone tries to say anything against a scientific, logical explanation of magic, riddle me this: If magic is not scientific, then why the fuck is there a school for it? Furthermore, it's not like they learn any useful things there.
If anyone's curious, Asha'man learn to use saidin through constant training by doing chores only with the Power. This does allow them to become stronger weapons faster, but it more than doubles their chance of burning the ability to channel out of them, as well as almost constantly exposing themselves to the taint on saidin. Oh, didn't I mention that the male half of magic is tainted, and will make you go insane and kill everyone you know and love? Just by using it. And you aren't going to stop wanting to use it, and you will touch the Source again regardless.
So yeah, aspiring fantasy writers, take a hint from Robert Jordan, and spend a lot of time explaining the metaphysics and existence of magic in your universes, otherwise you will get lumped with all the children's books.
Don't make me balefire you, Ishamael
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