Tekists

Tekists are practitioners of tek, a speculative discipline that blends engineering, information theory, and energy manipulation to design and operate artifacts and networks that extend beyond conventional physics.

The term tekist appears primarily in science fiction, game lore, and speculative design contexts. It is not a recognized real-world profession, but serves as a framework for imagining advanced technical cultures and their ethical debates.

Practice and training center on conceptual modeling of tek phenomena, experimental device development, and field deployment. Tekists typically work in interdisciplinary teams, drawing on computer science, physics-inspired modeling, cognitive science, and material engineering. Common goals include robust interdevice communication, distant sensing, and controlled energy transfer, achieved through artifacts such as tek nodes, tek lattices, and adaptive interfaces.

In fictional settings, tekists drive plot and worldbuilding by introducing novel capabilities and constraints— for example, nonlocal information channels or energy-efficient networks. Real-world researchers sometimes use the term metaphorically to discuss speculative technologies and their ethical implications, such as safety, privacy, and unequal access.

Related concepts include technomancy, advanced technics, and speculative engineering.