Technomancy

Technomancy is a fictional or speculative form of magic that centers on the manipulation, creation, or governance of technology through thaumaturgical means. The term combines techno- from technology with -mancy from divination, and it is used in fantasy, science fiction, and gaming to describe practitioners who channel or direct power through machines, networks, or digital systems.

In many works, technomancers can enchant devices, perform rites that repair or alter hardware, or command artificial intelligences and data streams. Methods range from ritual invocation and spoken incantations to programming, hardware interfacing, or ritualized data manipulation. The boundary between science and sorcery is often deliberately blurred, with technomancers using scientific jargon, cybernetics, or runes carved into circuits.

Technomancy appears across genres and media, including novels, comics, tabletop role-playing games, and video games. In some settings it is a disciplined school or order, in others a solitary practice or a form of rebellion against oppressive technocratic regimes. It is often used to explore themes such as control of information, the ethics of automation, and the relationship between human will and machines.

Real-world discussions of technomancy treat it as a literary or metaphorical concept rather than a literal ability, useful for examining technological power and cultural change. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with technomagic or techno-magic, though meanings vary by author.