Post-Modern Magik: Difference between revisions

Even if a series tries to avoid modern day entirely, [[Powers As Programs|the tendency for magic to act like computer programs]] has bled into the "pure" magical genre.

 

 

Note that this is not [[Magitek]]. Magitek is the use of magic to recreate modern inventions, like a camera which is really just [[Discworld|a box with an Imp inside drawing really fast]], or an "Internet" made from magic mirrors and living books. Post Modern Magik is when cameras work as normal, but aren't able to take pictures of vampires due to the use of mirrors<ref>If the writer knew a bit more about camera technology, vampires might show up on digital cameras and film, but not the viewfinder of a film camera</ref>, and demons are real, but can be beaten up by [[Ultimate Marvel|mutants]] or be fooled by [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer|realistic androids]].

 

See also [[Magick]] for post modern ''[[Incredibly Lame Pun|spellings]]'' of magick. Compare [[Muggles Do It Better]], when today's technology trumps magic.

 

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

* The first two ''[[Evil Dead]]'' movies hinge on how playing a recording of a magical incantation is as effective as reciting it live, with the people who listened to it treated as the summoners. This gets taken further in one of the video game sequels, when the incantation's played ''over a live TV broadcast'': the entire broadcast area is enveloped by the demon-summoning spell (let's be glad it was a local station).

* The core premise of ''[[Ghostbusters]]'' is that spirits can be classified on a modern scale and detected, fought and contained with the right technology. Its [[Expanded Universe]] went on to apply the trope to other kinds of supernatural beings, how they relate with the modern world and how best to fight them.

 

 

* [http://www.eastoftheweb.com/cgi-bin/version_printable.pl?story_id=WateGhos.shtml The Water Ghost of Harrowby Hall], by John Kendrick Bangs, is a short story involving a watery ghost who appears for one hour, every Christmas Eve, at midnight, to the owner of the titular Hall. They tried waterproofing, and it doesn't work. Steam-heating only shortens her visit by a few minutes and is hell on the woodwork. The correct solution is to {{spoiler|wear several layers of warm, waterproof clothing and a diving helmet, then go out onto the lake so she freezes, then put her in a frozen warehouse, [[Funny Aneurysm Moment|lined with asbestos]] with fireproof walls so it can't burn down. "Congeal, madam, congeal!"}} This was written circa 1894, by the way.

* ''[[Night Watch]]'' runs with this partly. The old battle amulets exist alongside things like enchanted SIM-cards to make people calling from a specific seem more persuasive.

** Modern weapons also mean the Others must be ten times more careful about breaching [[The Masquerade]]. A nuke leaves an Other nowhere to hide, as the blast penetrates into every Twilight level, except teleport, which is a difficult and time-consuming process for most.

** It is mentioned several times that Anton must constantly replace his mini-disc players, which get fried every time he uses a moderately-powerful spell. At the same time, prior to the first book, he was an IT guy and is well-versed in computers. The Others, generally, have no problem with modern technology and are seen using computers and cell phones plenty of times. This makes sense, as many of them are not very old.

** A Dragon shows up, and can only be killed by a sword forged in dragon-blood. They found one, but it was trapped in a boulder ("it used to be all the rave"). When plan A (that the sword would accept Dean as a "valiant knight willing to step up and kill the beast") failed, out came plan B: Take out the C4 and blow up the boulder. {{spoiler|This had the minor side effect of breaking the sword, but it still worked.}}

** [[The Fair Folk|Faries]] have hidden their kidnappings, light appearances, and their other effects by forming [[Conspiracy Theorist|groups]] preaching it was done by aliens.

* Reluctance to embrace this trope got a character on ''[[Highlander the Series]]'' in deep trouble. Having already dragged his feet for ages before he even learned to read, the immortal Hugh Fitzcairn finds himself at a serious disadvantage in modern times, as he is computer-illiterate and doesn't know how to {{spoiler|delete falsified evidence framing him for murder}}.

* In ''[[Being Human (TV)|Being Human]]'', it's possible to {{spoiler|kill}} a werewolf by placing him or her in a pressurized chamber during a full moon. Vampires don't show up on video, making for a unique subgenre of [[Snuff Film]]. Meanwhile, Death (or an agent thereof) can talk to ghosts through televisions.

** How to fight against a malevolent fairy? With iron-plated robots!

* In one episode of ''[[Jackie Chan Adventures (Animation)|Jackie Chan Adventures]]'', Uncle gets a fax machine, but doesn't understand it and tries to exorcise it. But, we find out at the end, he can cast spells over the phone just fine, despite his catchphrase that "magic must defeat magic" (apparently technology can still assist).

{{quote| '''Enchantress:''' Your magic is nothing against mine.<br />

'''Thor:''' You are not my target, witch!<br />