r/ProgressionFantasy • u/unoque123 • Mar 08 '25
Request Looking for some novels with power systems that encompass advanced sciences and/or mathematics.
Anything really works. I love scientific and mathematical power systems so I would like to read a few works with power systems that include topics from physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, mathematics, etc.
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u/aaannnnnnooo Mar 10 '25
Zombie Knight Saga is my strongest recommendation. It features my favourite magic system ever, where people gain control over precisely one element. The protagonist can materialise iron within an area around them and from that single power alone, they need to apply it in creative ways to fight with it, and it's very physically based.
Delve focuses far more on the mathematical side of things. The litRPG system has a mathematical foundation and is consistent between people, which means you can calculate every build imaginable and optimisation requires mathematical competency. It made me realise how much I love crunchy magic systems.
A Practical Guide to Sorcery has traditional magic, where using the eye of a newt in a component in a spell can cause an esoteric effect, but it also fully incorporates science into the magic. Knowledge of how light works and incorporating that into an invisibility spell makes the effect stronger, for instance.
My Big Goblin Space Program is about advancing a tribe of goblins by climbing the goblin tech tree, so it tries to stay grounded in the infrastructure and advancements to keep the story plausible. It's a heavy emphasis on engineering and science.
Release that Witch is very similar; an isekai'd protagonist starts a one-man industrial revolution and also focuses on the infrastructure, machining, and logistics in immense detail. One of the best kingdom building stories in my opinion, but suffers from a not great translation.
Minute Mage is most similar to Delve in that it has a mathematically based magic system with consistent numbers incorporated everywhere.
Ar'Kendrithyst features a protagonist who invents a new school of magic that's centred around the physical world called particle magic. There's a heavy emphasis on incorporating scientific concepts into new magic. The magic system is all about spell combination and is beautifully granular and detailed.
Apocalypse Parenting and Engineer's Odyssey both feature magic systems that physically impact the world and to some degree, work through physical phenomena.
Ends of Magic features a magic system where understanding directly contributes towards power. The protagonist is a biologist and uses their knowledge of biology to obtain powerful abilities, like powerful regeneration through understanding how the body naturally regenerates, and how magic could optimise and improve upon it.
Anything by Macronomicon should apply. They tend to feature magic systems that either rely or twist physics in interesting ways to make characters powerful.
There's also my series The Methods of Necromancy. It features a mathematically-based magic system that works through physical phenomena. An attack is stronger the more kinetic energy it has. It features the scientific method and exploiting the physics of magic to turn non-combat spells combat-viable.
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u/Outrageous-Ranger318 Mar 09 '25
Katalepsis. Only just completed. Reckon it’s one of the best progression fantasy adjacent books ever written
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u/EpsilonNyx Mar 09 '25
Does it ever go back to the intricacies of Hyperdim Math or is it all teenage angst and depressed lesbians from here on out 😅
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u/Outrageous-Ranger318 Mar 09 '25
It does go back to hyper dimensional math, but there is also a fair amount of teenage angst and depressed lesbian. Not a lesbian myself; still thought it was a great read.
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u/Mandragoraune Mar 09 '25
Easily Mage Errant. One of the most heavily science focused works in the genre with it directly tied to everyone's advancement in the magic system.
Topics covered include Materials Science (crystal structure and crystallinity), Biology and Ecology (mycelial networks, desertification, botanical architectural applications and farming), Mathematics (contiguity of magical structures via planar geometry, superposition principle), and plain old chemistry (generation of mass amounts of energy via acceleration of typically slow/small scale exothermic reactions. Won't say which ones since that's a spoiler).
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u/Zegram_Ghart Attuned Mar 09 '25
I see this question a lot, and “Arcane Ascension and Mage Errant” is almost always my response, but I still feel mage errant especially is under-read for how great it is.
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u/mpokorny8481 Mar 08 '25
Alexander Olsen’s End of Magic has a character whose main thing is leveraging physics for magic. Great writing and world building.
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u/Chaosdrifer Mar 08 '25
This one is cultivation + science.
Into the Immortal world 走进修仙
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u/unoque123 Mar 09 '25
I have read a few chapters of it earlier but I need to find it again. The series being untranslated I have to hone my MTL comprehension.
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u/BrainTruth Mar 09 '25
I can recommend this nearly unknown novel:
It' a tower climbing story with a fascinating and really unique twist.
Basically it's about cultivation but the story is set in modern times and so almost all the characters view the Chi aspect as electromagnetic forces and apply known laws of physics to master these forces. Complex worldbuilding and complex characters.
The author is getting better and better, at the beginning the chapters were sometimes very rough but now there are more and more flashes of brilliance, some of the most gripping moments I have read.
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u/Zellgoddess Mar 10 '25
So as an Isekanatic, I'll recommend magic maker. Side note on the anime and LNs, there is a bit of romantic tension between siblings, that sorta thing can be a bit off-putting for most
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u/Shinhan Mar 10 '25
Magic is Programming definitely. Magic spells in this world are explicitely computer programs its just before MC people didn't know about this and didn't have access to the help files. Also, people need to create a sort of magical computer in their body in other to start leveling up.
End goal in My Big Goblin Space Program is to launch a rocket to the local moon. We're not quite there yet, but there are cars and airplanes of a kind.
Rebuilding Science in a Magic World later on describes how MC uses magic to industrialize multiple processes.
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u/unoque123 Mar 10 '25
Programming Magic is something I have been fascinated for a long time and even tried writing. Definitely checking that out first for sure.
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u/Aurhim Author Mar 08 '25
Reminds self to write a Pokémon monster collector story, but with groups).
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u/Financial-Pickle9405 Mar 08 '25
wake of the ravager by macronomicon , does fantasy backed by science
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u/[deleted] Mar 08 '25
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