67 pages • 2-hour read
The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England
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Background
Historical Context: Anglo-Saxon England: History Versus Fantasy
The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook blends science fiction with a setting drawn from the Anglo-Saxon period of British history (c. 450-1066). The novel’s dimension is explicitly an “Earth-lite™ dimension” (15) version of this era, characterized by Germanic tribes who settled in Britain and established kingdoms like Wessex and Mercia. Sanderson incorporates historically grounded elements, such as the social hierarchy of thegns and earls, embodied by the warrior-lord Ealstan. The inhabitants worship gods like “Woden” and “Thunor” (84), analogues of the Norse deities Odin and Thor, who were central to the pre-Christian Anglo-Saxon pantheon. Furthermore, the novel references the period’s literary traditions; Sefawynn’s poetic boasts utilize alliterative verse, a hallmark of Old English poetry seen in epic works like Beowulf. In the Acknowledgements, Sanderson thanks Dr. Michael Livingstone, a novelist and professor of medieval studies, for his historical expertise and revisions of Sefawynn’s boasts.
The external threat of “Hordamen” (106) mirrors the historical Viking raids that began in the late eighth century and shaped Anglo-Saxon society, as documented in sources like the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Sanderson presents a more historically accurate depiction of Vikings to contrast images from popular culture. The narrator, John, expresses surprise at not seeing a helmet with horns and remarks on their well-groomed hair. However, Sanderson deliberately deviates from the historical record by introducing a functioning mythological system. In this world, gods actively intervene, and magical beings called “wights” exist, influenced by runes and offerings. This fusion of verifiable history with active mythology allows the novel to explore how a society’s folklore and beliefs might operate if they were tangible realities, creating a world that is at once familiar to history and uniquely fantastical.
Scientific Context: Theoretical Physics and Transhumanism in a Medieval Setting
The novel’s premise is built on concepts from modern theoretical physics and the philosophical movement of transhumanism. The existence of infinite alternate realities available for purchase is rooted in the multiverse theory, particularly the Many-Worlds Interpretation proposed by physicist Hugh Everett III in the 1950s. This theory suggests that every quantum event creates branching universes, a concept the novel simplifies into a commercial enterprise of selling “pristine, Earth-lite™ dimension[s]” (15). In the Postscript, Sanderson explains that a seed of the original story came from his idea of having a protagonist travel to the past to stop the Titanic from sinking. The premise of alternate dimensions allows a character to travel to a historical setting without having to consider the consequences of changes to the future.
The protagonist, John, is a product of a future where transhumanism, the enhancement of human capabilities through technology, is commonplace. His body is equipped with advanced cybernetic “augments” (43), including “medical nanites” (10) that provide healing and immunity, and subcutaneous “platings” (26) that function as armor. These fictional enhancements mirror real-world scientific ambitions, such as the development of brain-computer interfaces and military research into exoskeletons and advanced prosthetics.
By placing a transhuman character in a pre-industrial setting, Sanderson creates a fundamental clash of worldviews. John’s technologically augmented body, which he perceives as normal, is interpreted by the Anglo-Saxons as supernatural power, forcing a confrontation between scientific materialism and a world governed by magic and faith. This juxtaposition highlights how advanced technology can appear indistinguishable from magic, blurring the lines between the futuristic and the fantastic. Sanderson also satirizes the commodification of alternate dimensions and body augments as corrupt and exploitative, highlighting the irony of future “progress” as scams and no more advanced than so called “primitive” civilizations.
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