And technically, the gun was invented (albeit in a rudimentary form) by the 14th century, so you could work that in to a novel even in a fairly early setting.

eru

That's my contention, guns can be OK, but only in an earlier form, like cannons. I mean if a goblin pulled out an AK-47, what's the point of him being a goblin? I suppose, in my opinion, you can have any guns and fantastical creatures, but, to me at least, it changes it from the fantasy genre to some as-yet-unnamed genre. (unless you use rudimentary guns)

Goblins with AK-47s. Elves with sniper rifles. Dwarves with Javelins (An anti-tank weapon).

Why does that sound like exactly the sort of story you'd write, Varon?

eru

It might be hard to make work, but I think it could.

It would be fun to read.

Totally. *adds to list of things to accomplish*

My brother is actually working on a fantasy world whose course he'll follow all the way up to SF in chronological fashion, so he'll have those.

Varon, your list keeps getting longer and longer.

I know.

*chuckles*

I don't see the issue with putting guns in fantasy! Is there a rule that you can't? It is actually better if you do! It will give the readers a little twist other than the usual bow and arrow.

True.

Especially fantasy Westerns.

There's definitely a place for guns in fantasy, yes. It's a technique that's not used by many people and would definitely make your world unique

This is sort of off the topic, but one thing that would be interesting would be a fantasy world with cobha and magic coupled with high-tech developments like machine guns and field artillery

Andrew

Somewhat recently, a D&D blog I read made the point that in that world, with all sorts of "cobha" ("elementals", fireballs and other spells, teleportation, and all sorts of other things) that our world has never had, guns would most likely never develop. Gunpowder prevailed because it was pretty much vulnerable only to (apparent) chance, and it made high castle walls effectively obsolete; add anything else that counters the defensive advantage of high walls, or that can easily detonate gunpowder at a distance, and I think gunpowder might be abandoned before it could be perfected.

But yes, technology-plus-fantastic-elements is a fascinating area of worldbuilding, one that I find myself drawn to in both my writing and my strategy game.

I write from a very endocosmic perspective...which means that I don't have that much of a choice about whether there are guns or not. I make cobhaic rules for the world, and the people there make the best of it, the same way people here worked within God's rules and made their technology. So if an inventor genius decides that he wants an object capable of flinging projectiles, and is smart enough to figure out how to do it within the laws of the world, then what can I say?

Me: Wait! no! No guns!

Genius: * looks down at gun * Err...

As for whether it ruins the fantasy feel...I never cared much about what I was going to label my works as. They can call it what they like as long as they enjoy it.

I personally am not a fan of using guns in fantasy. When one thinks of fantasy, they usually think of knights in shining armor, and castles with noble kings and beautiful queens, and swords and dragons, but not guns. That's my take.

I agree that it would put a twist on the story, but then can it truly be called fantasy in the general definition of the term? I think it creates an identity crisis when someone espects something but gets an entirely different result.

The classification of fantasy and what books qualify, not to mention the definition of the genre itself, is another topic for another thread.

Yes, I understand you totally... Fantasy as a genre doesn't fit very well with the idea of guns. But as I am not trying to write a certain genre, but rather a certain book (hopefully a good one...), I don't think it is detrimental, to the story itself. As for what genre to put it in...I have no idea. Fantasy is closest. It is a completely separate world, with magical ('cobheic') properties, and most of the technology is 'medieval'. * scratches head * I really think it depends on where you define the line between a genre's tropes, and a genre's definition.

I personally love it when writers deviate from the traditional "mind box" of medieval/high fantasy. Just because a story is fantasy doesn't mean that it has to have magic swords, immortal elves, grouchy dwarves, and telepathic dragons, and it sure doesn't have to be based around the traditional medieval fairy-tale setting that most of this kind of literature falls into. I have a friend who recently wrote a fantasy novel that takes place in a sort of swashbuckling enlightenment-age-ish era. Her characters fight with swords and pikes, but also with uber-cool hydraulic muskets that are powered by moisture drawn from the air.

So basically, yeah, I'm going to agree with pretty much everybody in the last four pages and say that guns and fantasy are a great combination. XD

Hello!

I think guns can be an interesting addition to a fantasy world if they're done right. Here are some thoughts:

First of all, I would never use the word "gun" as it (to me) kind of breaks the fantasy mood. I was playing a fantasy game that included early firearms and when one medieval-esque knightly dude used the word it just killed my suspension of disbelief. Make up a word for them.

Second, the guns would have to have all the trappings the other weapons in your world have. Are there enchanted swords? Then you should have enchanted guns too, for example.

Third consider how the introduction of firearms effects your world. This is something few fantasy worlds seem to deal with. Guns played a HUGE role in changing things like warfare in our world. But firearms just copy-pasted into a fantasy world with no effect on the world is lame.

Fourth, consider making firearms different in your world than they do in ours, rather than implementing firearms exactly like our own. Alongside this, consider how things like magic (if your world has magic) effected their implementation.

Fifth, research historical periods where guns and more traditional fantasy weapons were used together, like the Sengoku Jidai period of Japan. Research why swords and sometimes even bows carried on in use alongside firearms.

Hope that helps!

If you're using a different time period than medieval or Renaissance; muskets, flintlocks, revolvers, or cannons might be applicable. One of my novels is set in our era, so guns blend right into the backdrop.

This is where I am in my research right now. I am trying to figure out the effects of economics and prejudice....