Think, if you will, of the traditional magic imbued environment.  The
classic example is the Dragon Lance world; it comes complete with
magicians, warriors, gods, and most importantly (to me :) dragons. 
Can't say I see any enormous mecha monsters, do you? 

There is always that ominous saying:
	Sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
 

Does the presense of magic inhibit technology?  For surely, necessity

is

the mother of invention, and who needs to invent anything when you

can

summon your local wizard?  

Agree, disagree, modifications?

	This is an intriguing theory if magic did exist in our world.  It
would seem to present a balance between technology and magic, when one
was high, the other was at an all time low.  Magic reigned in a time of
swordplay and drafty castles, Technology reigns now in a time where
magic is reduced to mere entertainment if that is even considered true
magic.  It would make a interesting plot device save one thing...

	Perhaps, Magic IS a technology, created by people living in what even
our historians sometimes call the Dark ages.  Necessity is indeed the
mother of invention, and people who were fearing their life so much
they were unsure of whether to continue needed something to assure
them, to assure their safety.  Magic was henceforth invented.  Magic
could be considered a technology based on need but created with faith. 
As less faithful people began to mess with pulley and wagon, they found
ways of doing things that were easier to use than Magic. So magic
became obsolete.

	Why is magic so insurgent in our society (Magicians) and in our
fantasies (most stories)?  Because we are again, beginning to feel
insecure.  Long ago, our ancestors felt relived by magic because maybe
they felt safe in its presence.  Today, we may not understand it fully,
but we are drawn to magic because subconsciously, genetically, we were
taught to feel safe near it.  We want to believe, maybe not
consciously, that if things got bad, people like David Copperfield or
Sigfried and Roy will come to save us.  It's not realistic, but it's
primal. The essence of our being.

	This is my theory, I put my faith in this magic.  But keep in mind
it's a theory based on theory based on.. uhh... fiction.  So take it
with a grain of salt and tell me what YOU think.

Alandra.

Adam Chris Leigh
Omicron@sprynet.com